I have lived in Italy for most of my adult life and it always amazes me how superstitious the Italians are. A few, but not all superstitions even have a remedy. Just don’t do these things or you may have bad luck!
1. It is bad luck to walk under a ladder. If you are climbing up a ladder and your foot slips you will soon be married. If you are climbing down the ladder and your foot slips you will lose money.
2. Do not let a black cat cross in front of you or it will bring bad luck. Remedy: Wait until someone or something else crosses your path or go backwards and move forward again.
3. If a pair of scissors fall to the ground, before picking it up step on it to cancel any bad luck. Hanging scissors bring good luck.
4. Don’t put your hat on the bed.
5. If you break a mirror you will have 7 years bad luck.
6.If your brush your foot while you are sweeping you will never get married.
7. Wear something red for good luck on New Year’s Eve.
8. Never wear purple to the theater. They hang purple velvet curtains on churches for funerals. If you wear purple to the venue it will be the death of the show.
At the table
9. Never have 13 people at a dinner table. Remedy: If you have 13 people add another chair and put a stuffed animal or a flower vase on the chair.
10. Do not do “Cheers” with water (any good wishes you make won’t count) and to avoid bad luck do not under any circumstances cross arms with others clinking glasses, and remember, you must look into the eye of the person you clink glasses with.
11. Do not pass the slat hand to hand. Pass the salt by placing it down on the table near the person requesting it.
12. If salt falls on the table by spilling or is accidentally sprinkled off your plate, take some salt in your hand and toss it over your shoulder. It is not clear whether the right or the left shoulder is lucky, so toss it over both shoulders to be safe!
13. After midnight on New Year’s Eve eat lots of lentils, they bring prosperity!
14. Ok..one more for good measure - the number 17 is unlucky. Friday the 17th is really unlucky.
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Celia lives on Lake Como, Italy. She shares her discoveries of her travels and experiences in Italy and beyond, giving readers an insider’s view of what to do, where to go and how to do it in style. More: www.travelpostrepeat.com
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