It might sound like there are lots of things in Italy to stay away from, but dont worry, in most cases, there are remedies to reverse the spell! Italian for Confident Conversations (A2-B2), NEW 30-Day Italian Verbs Challenge (A1-A2), Italian culture to learn 18 weird things that Italian, Intrepid Italian for Advanced Beginners (A2), Italian Culture: 19 Weird Things Italians Do That No One Warns You About, 8 DEADLY mistakes in Italian (& How to Avoid Them), 20 Hilarious Everyday Italian Expressions You Should Use, Romanesco: 25 Cool Roman Dialect Words You Should Use in Rome, 10 Reasons Why Learning Italian Will Change Your Life, 10 Italian Expressions Italians Love Saying, 10 Italian Phrases That Will Instantly Make You Sound more Italian. In certain regions, the newlyweds break a glass vase or porcelain dish. However, in Italy, 13 is considered a lucky number! Associated with the Great Goddess, fertility and the lunar cycles, the number is thought to bring prosperity and life quite the opposite view than that of the western world. According to tradition, when priests came to visit the sick on their deathbed to receive their final confessions, they would remove their hat and set it on the bed so that they could put on the vestments. Italian men, knowing what must be protected at all costs, may tap their testicles, known as tocca palle. Although 13 is considered lucky, sitting down to a table with 12 others is an ill omen. The number 13 may be very unlucky in American culture, but its actually not seen as one of the Sicilian superstitions in Italy. A new home is always cleansed by performing a ritual such as sprinkling salt in the corners of all the rooms. In fact, its actually a lucky number. Why? 17 Weird Italian Superstitions Italians ACTUALLY Live By. Your email address will not be published. That means the bride can accept gifts and fail to give out wedding favors, and vice-versa. In Italy, its also customary when passing the salt to place it on the table first before handing it over. This popular belief has a very ancient origin and has to do with the shape of an open ladder, the triangle. The blessing or exorcism of a new house in Italy is still practiced, especially when it comes to newlyweds. The number 13 may be very unlucky in American culture, but it's actually not seen as one of the Sicilian superstitions in Italy. If it happens, however, throw a bit of salt over each shoulder or rub a decrease of oil behind each ear. Thank you for your support. The Evil Eye is of the most ancient superstitions in Italy. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
. At that time the term superstition was used in Italy mostly in the negative sense of an excessive fear of the gods or unreasonable religious belief, as opposed to religio, the proper, reasonable awe of the gods. These items were very expensive way back when and it is said that spilling them would bring bad luck. Like many countries, Italy has its fair share of wacky traditions and superstitions. Youll go from a shy, confused beginner to a proficient and confident intermediate speaker, with me as your trusty guide. Some say that the maid of honor and best man should be . in other countries. Exorcising the home when it is first built or moved into is a Sicilian superstition that is still somewhat used today. Its common to wish the newlyweds, happy life in marriage. Again, in some cases, this has a basis in Christianity with the symbol of Christ as the Bread of Life. The priest would remove his hat and set it on the bed so that he could put on the vestments. However, according to Italian traditions, doing this when youre sick will only make you worse. It is relatively long in length and extremely complexthe curser names himself: Apellius. Even in those cases, I can guarantee you, that there is a level 17. If someone envies you or your family, the curse may be placed on those people. Nowadays many superstitions have lost (almost) any contact with religion but theyve become a significant part of the culture and form the basis of many Italian life rules. What separates her from other instructors is her ability to explain complex grammar in a no-nonsense, straightforward manner using her unique 80/20 method. April 20, 2023. Neighborhood priests go house to house before Easter to bless each home with holy water (in modern times a tiny note is frequently wedged in the door to notify the residents of the service). It also signifies fertility and prosperity for the newly married couples. The granddaughter of an etiquette teacher who educated young woman before she got married in the 1950s, Giorgia . After the wedding, the bride and groom will often accept gifts and give out some wedding favors to thank those who attended. [5], A regionally popular amulet, they are most often worn by Italian men in Southern Italy, and especially in the region of Campania, as well as Lazio, Apulia, Basilicata and to a lesser extent in Sicily and Calabria. Another thing to avoid is having thirteen people sitting at a table! The presence of a bird in the house (either as a pet dog or accidentally) brings rotten luck. Meeting and Greeting. Crossing silverware on the table foretells strife. When it comes to toasting, there are several things that can cause you to have bad luck. Want my "9 Steps to Reach Fluency Faster" playbook? Bread is thought about a staple of life, therefore, every preventative measure is taken to stop cursing the supply. Voodoo, curses, witchcraft. Don't take a bath when you're sick. 1. Dropping a mirror and breaking it, no matter how tiny it is, is said to bring you seven years of bad luck. Most brides will raise the amount during the wedding ceremony. You will never find an Italian putting his or her hat down on a bed. Learn the local language with my unique 80/20 method. [4] The phallic shape and red color is also a reference to Priapus, a male fertility god. The fear that the eye could carry negative influences has been associated from time to time over the centuries with cross-eyed people, gypsies, red-haired people, men who wore dark glasses, etc., often creating discrimination and racist prejudices. A bed should never face the door because it replicate the position of a coffin in a church. In Arabic, it is a man in the gallows, and in Roman, it spells out I have lived, which was on ancient tombstones. Some say the superstition has a Christian origin from the Bible story where Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times before the cock crowed. If you're sitting with 13 people, watch your back, and make sure that everyone is looking at you while toasting! This conception may have begun as a trick to motivate people to handle the previously expensive goods with care. The term superstitio, or superstitio vana (vain superstition) was applied by Tacitus and Domitian (80 AD) to those religious cults (druids, early Christianity) in the Roman Empire that were officially outlawed. (Eat!). Seeing a spider at night: a sure sign of monetary income. This belief is also linked to horses which were frightened by the devil-like eyes of cats while travelling at night. In addition to being worn as jewelry, cornicelli are sometimes hung from the rearview mirrors of cars (based on the older custom of using them to protect draft horses), and in houses. From magic mice to hungry wolves, take a look at 10 of our favourite bizarre Italian superstitions and traditions. Paints of birds additionally stay clear of. Let us be your guide to the most beautiful places in Italy. ThisWayToItaly - All Rights Reserved, 10 Most Famous Italian Singers of All Time, Engagement and Wedding Traditions in Italy Worth Knowing, Lagotto Romagnolo: The Italian Truffle Hunting Dog, 14 Funny Italian Superstitions That Will Make You Smile, Symbols of Italy: 13 Most Important Italian Emblems and Symbols, 12 Brilliant Italian Inventions You Probably Werent Aware Of, Visit Lazio, Italy: The Best Things To Do and See. Dreaming of someone dying and you will have added ten years to their life. Whoever laughed on that day would be punished at the time of Christs resurrection on Sunday. In fact, it is the life cycle personified. When youre feeling under the weather, chances are you want to take a nice hot bath to soothe your pain. While in some countries Friday the 13th is considered a bad omen, Italy has its own date that you should be fearful of, its Friday the 17th. According to tradition, when priestsvisited the dying to give them their last rights, theywould remove their hat and put it on the bed. An elevator control panel in a residential apartment building in Shanghai with no floor numbered as the 4th. It is believed that if you or someone else accidentally brushes your feet with a broom while sweeping the floor, you will never get married! Some consider this a bad omen as the use of the past tense implies that death is just around the corner, and therefore it stands for bad luck. The bread one is not precise. For the Tasmanian mountain, see, "Perch si crede che il corno porti fortuna? Today a site visitor might be shocked at which superstitious notions are taken seriously and which are taken with a grain of salt, so to speak. The number is associated with the Goddess of Fertility, which means that the number thirteen can bring an abundant and fulfilled life - in other words - it is extremely lucky! 5) The number 17 . It is, after all, representative of new life. Nowadays, however, it is very common to reply to that wish with a simple grazie or viva il lupo! (meaning, long live the wolf!). These are not traditions. 2. You are in deaths wake and soon people might be attending your funeral. This one is so silly but Italian really believes it. Bomboniereis the Italian word used to describe a wedding favor. The Devils Horn is a piece of jewelry that men wear to ward off The Evil Eye. medianet_width = "600";
These are; health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life- in no particular order. Italians do not care for the number 17. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive detailed travel guides, exclusive travel and language learning tips, priority access to giveaways and more! In fact, we were in San Gimignano and it actually happened to Gary while we were eating gelato in a piazza. Crossing arms when shaking hands in a group. Never trim toe as well as fingernails on Thursday. Saying thank you to tacca ferro can mean that you will not receive the luck because you closed the omen to the world. When 17 is written using Roman numerals XVII, it can be rearranged to spell the Roman word VIXI meaning I have lived and is found on ancient tombstones, thus tempting death. All rights reserved. It is a superstition most common in East Asian nations. Here are the 10 Italian superstitions! It is common to see these at festivals and pass them as a simple piece of jewelry. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. . This superstition comes from the fact that as far back as the days of the Ancient Roman Empire, oil was considered a luxury so if you spilled some, it would be money wasted. It is impolite to transform the bread up-side-down or to stick a blade into a loaf of bread. Though seeing a black cat is a widely known omen of bad luck, hearing a cat sneeze is one that is extremely lucky. . Home General Info 15 Italian Superstitions You Need to Know. If you shower with hot water while on your period you will have a heavy flow. This gesture can also be used to ward off the Evil Eye (pointing fingers down). Walk around it, in front of it, behind it, but not under. Never trim toe and finger nails on Thursday. And much like it is in other cultures, it is extremely frowned upon for guests to wear white to another's wedding. From the vast Italian Alps where our Award-Winning Hotel is located, to the sunny South where you can get fresh limoncello. You can't drink cold beverages because they will give you cramps. You will be emailed when there are new posts on Tuscan Traveler. The division between good and bad days was already known in Ancient Rome, where a distinction was made between dies fasti, literally glorious or legit days (when justice could be administered) and dies nefasti, meaning ominous days. The word salario, meaning salary, is derived from sale, meaning salt. Nguyen Duc Viet / Getty Images. Every region seems to have its version of the Wickedness Eye, however, some take it more seriously than others. QEEQ.COM guaranteesthe most competitive car rental deals for your traveland the secret is ourPrice Drop Protectorprogram! The horned god Faunus was known for his wild nature and interest in fertility.

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