Good luck and bad luck Strange Italian superstitions

Good luck and bad luck Strange Italian superstitions you need to know

Meeting And Greeting When Italians greet each other it’s affectionate involving lots of chat, kisses and shaking of hands. If you have ever noticed a group of Italians shuffling around strangely during the process it’s because it is bad luck to cross arms when shaking someone’s hand, so make sure you do so directly without encroaching on anyone else’s attempt to do so.

Into the wolf's mouth This might seem rather unkind but never wish someone "good luck". Not out of cruelty, on the contrary it's supposed to bring bad luck. Instead, you should say "in bocca al lupo" (literally, "into the wolf’s mouth"), the Italian equivalent of "break a leg". The other person must then respond "crepi il lupo!" Literally: "Let the wolf die!"

Careful with the olive oil This superstition comes from the fact that oil used to be one of the most precious possessions of the average Italian, and spilling it would mean too much money wasted.

Upside down A loaf of bread must always be placed face up, or else bad luck will come. The origin of this belief comes from the Middle Ages. On an execution day, the baker reserved a loaf of bread for the executioner by turning it upside down. So turning a loaf of bread upside down was and still is a sign of death and misfortune.

A broken Mirror It was the Romans who tagged to the broken mirror a sign of seven years bad luck. The length of the prescribed misfortune came from the ancient Roman belief that it took seven years for life to renew itself. If the persons looking into the mirror were not of good health, their image would break the mirror and the run of bad luck would continue for the period of seven years, at the end of which their life would be renewed, their body would be physically rejuvenated, and the curse would be ended.

Theatre trouble In Italy, theatre décor and signs are never purple, as that color represents theatrical disaster. Thus, actors always avoid wearing purple on opening night.

Careful where you sweep If you’re single and hoping to lock down your Principe Azzurro (Prince Charming) then make sure you avoid people when they’re sweeping the floor. If the broom so much as touches your feet then you’ll never get hitched.

Lentils on New Year's Eve Forget about the celebratory Prosecco, lentils are a must-have on New Year’s Eve. The more you eat the more money you’ll make in the New Year - or so the tradition goes.

Look people in the eye when toasting Always look Italians in the eye when you raise your glass and take your first sip before you set your glass down on the table. Otherwise it’s seven years bad sex. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Hats on heads, not beds! Never put a hat down on someone's bed. It's said to echo the last rites performed by priests when visiting someone on their deathbed.

Don't walk under ladders Whatever you do, never walk underneath a ladder. Walk around it, in front of it, behind it… but never find yourself looking up at a ladder’s steps. This tradition is thought to have its roots in early Christian teachings where the triangular shape of the ladder was said to symbolize the Holy Trinity.

Never get married on a Friday Whether it's a summer ceremony on a beach in Sicily or a winter wedding on a mountain in the Italian Alps, every season has its advantages. Any month, any year, any week… but not any day! Whatever you do, never get married on a Friday or your marriage will be haunted by bad luck. Probably because Jesus died on a Friday.

Don't open an umbrella indoors When you're escaping the pouring rain this winter it’s easy to forget to close your umbrella before rushing inside. But compared to years of bad luck from having an open umbrella indoors, having those few extra seconds of rain might not seem like such a bad idea after all. . .

Watch where you put your left foot This superstition is a tricky one to follow if you sleep on the left-hand side of a double bed. But if you can avoid it remember to put your right foot down first when you get up in the morning and your right shoe on first. You should also never hold a spoon with your left hand. Why? Because the left side is said to be associated with the devil.

How Many For Dinner? Be careful when you sit down to a meal in Italy. If there are 13 people around the table, it’s unlucky. This refers to the fact there were 13 people at the Last Supper, 12 apostles and Jesus and that it’s said that Judas Iscariot — the one who betrayed Jesus — was the 13 th man to take his place at the table.

Some Iron Please In some countries, people touch or knock on wood to avoid tempting fate. In Italy, the practice of tocca ferro, or touch iron, serves the same purpose.

A Charm One way to help ensure good luck comes your way in Italy is to wear a cornetto charm resembling a red pepper.

A Sign If you want to ward off bad luck then you can make le corna, or the sign of the horns. To make the sign, extend your index and little fingers while holding down your middle and ring fingers with your thumb, and point your hand downwards. Be careful to point downwards because if you make the sign holding your hand upwards it signifies that someone is a cuckold and you could give offence unwittingly.

Black cats In some cultures, black cats are thought to bring good luck, but it's quite the opposite in Italy, where they are considered unlucky due to associations with witchcraft. In fact, thousands of black felines are killed every year by superstitious Italians, leading animal rights' organizations to declare November 17 th Black Cats Day, in order to raise awareness of the pets' plight and combat superstition. Hearing a cat sneeze, on the other hand, brings good luck.

Sharp objects If you receive something sharp such as a penknife as a gift, prick the person who gave it to you, or give them a coin in return. If you fail to do this, you risk ruining the friendship forever.

The leaning tower of Pisa Local students avoid the monument -- and not just because it's overrun with tourists. Tradition states that if you go to the top of the famous leaning tower whilst you are at university, then you will never be able to graduate.

Touch it for good luck! If you happen to visit Pisa on the day that marks 100 days to the “esame di maturità”, the exam that all students need to take to graduate from highschool, you will see crowds of kids lining up to touch the little lizard on the portal of the cathedral for the exams go well.

Touch your nose Saying the same word at the same time as somebody else is thought to be an omen that you will never get married -- but there's a way to reverse your fortune. Simply touch your nose immediately and the bad luck will be undone.

Avoid Anything Associated With the Number 17 Why? Because the Roman numeral for 17 is XVII, but when you mix the letters around it looks like VIXI, which means “I have lived” – a popular symbol that is placed on Italian tombstones. This is why you sometimes don’t see hotels with a 17 th floor – no one wants to rest in a place associated with the grave.