Are You Superstitious?

Scary, interesting, and fun superstitions from around the world

by Alaina Corbin

Russia

Yellow flowers may be beautiful, and you may feel they are a good gift. In most countries it’s fine, but in Russia it can mean so much more. Yellow flowers symbolize the end. They are a symbol of sadness and deceit. Giving yellow flowers in a relationship can lead to the end of the relationship or a whole lot of fighting. According to Russia Beyond website, “It’s better to choose white or red flowers in Russia.”

“I don’t put my hat on the bed. My cowboy hats go anywhere but on my bed, otherwise I’ll get bad luck the next time I ride. Even just a touch on the bed can bring out evil and I never risk it. I put it anywhere but the bed.”

- Junior, Breanna Finely

France

Walking through a town in France, you could be having the best day until you step into a pile of dog poop. For most people, this interaction with the feces on their foot would upset them and ruin their day, but not in France. The people of France truly believe that it’s good luck if you step in dog poop. According to Good Housekeeping’s website, “It’s only bad luck if you step with your right foot” in French culture.

Canada

Pregnancy cravings are something that all women go through during their 10 month time frame. Some think the cravings are strange and try not to give into them, but not in Canada. Canadians believe that pregnant women should give into their cravings, especially if that craving is fish related. According to Good Housekeeping’s website, in Canada’s culture, “Expectant mothers who crave fish but don’t eat it will end up having a baby with a fish-head.”

Mexico

Optical illusions are cool and very fun to look at, but have you looked into a deeper meaning? Mirrors are good for a lot of things: making sure you look decent, writing reminders, and even just a decorative piece. In Mexico they use them all for the same purposes with one exception. They will never put two mirrors facing each other. “Facing mirrors opens a doorway for the devil,” as stated on Good Housekeeping’s website.

Brazil

Hands full, do you need to set something down? It’s all good until you set down your wallet or purse. Placing your wallet or purse on the ground is something we have probably all done when our hands are full, but Brazilians strictly avoid. If they are placing something down, the wallet is last. They believe placing your wallet on the ground will cause you financial debt. “A purse on the floor is money out the door,” stated on Insider’s website.

Egypt

Have you seen any owls recently? If so, watch out! Owls are known to have very acute hearing, which can be a problem. It is known that owls bring terrible news. It is said that in Egypt, the birds will hear before you do. They are seen as “bad omens” according to Good Housekeeping’s website. Hearing or seeing an owl isn’t a good sign in Egypt, and you should probably prepare yourself for something bad to come.

“I haven’t heard about very many superstitions but I wouldn’t mind learning about different ones. I feel like it would be something fun to hear about. For the ones I have heard about though, I don’t find them reasonable. They just don’t make sense to me.”

- Senior, Alexandra Hanny

Philippines

Leaving a wake? Maybe consider taking a quick pit stop at a diner or park. In the Philippines, people will take a pit stop before returning home from a wake. They believe the deceased could follow you back to your home. According to Golden Heaven’s website, this is such a well known thing in the Filipino culture they have their own term for it, “pagpag.”

South Korea

Do you get hot at night? Well, so do South Koreans. The only difference is where you might turn on a fan, they will not. Death by fan is a huge superstition in South Korea. It is known that in the country, they will never sleep in a closed room with a running fan. According to Insider’s website, Koreans believe, “Prolonged exposure to fans causes hypothermia, loss of water in the body, and even asphyxiation.”

“I’m not really superstitious. I do, from time to time, knock on wood for peace of mind. I also believe in the little ones like opening umbrellas indoors, and broken mirrors. “

- Sophomore, Riley Cook

Asia

Pictures are taken to show where you went, who you were with, and all the new things you saw. When taking pictures with three people, have you ever thought about who stands where in the picture? In Asia, they have a superstition that you should take a photo with more or less than three people but never just three. It is said that the person in the middle of a three person picture will die first, and according to goodyfeed.com, “This superstition is actually part of the great Asian heritage.”