Strange superstitions from around the world that people sincerely believe in (10 photos)

Superstitions are beliefs that may seem strange and illogical to those who do not share those beliefs. Some of them can be quite common, such as superstitions that lifting a lid on a stem can bring bad luck or that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck.





However, there are also very unusual superstitions that may surprise even the most skeptics. In this article we will look at 8 of the most unusual superstitions that once were or are still part of the culture of different peoples and nationalities. They may seem strange and even funny to you, but for many people they are of great importance and influence their daily lives.

Juliet statue







Every year, thousands of tourists strive to visit the house of Juliet, Romeo's famous lover, located in Verona. There is a belief that anyone who touches the right breast of the bronze statue of Juliet located in the courtyard of a house will very soon meet their soulmate. There are so many people who want to touch the girl’s breasts that the breasts have not only decreased significantly in size, but on top of that, they have recently begun to collapse

Flowers



There are many superstitions associated with flowers. Firstly, a person can only be given an odd number of flowers, otherwise misfortune may befall him. Secondly, yellow flowers cannot be given - this is a symbol of betrayal and separation. Interestingly, in Europe, yellow flowers, on the contrary, are associated only with good things, namely money and gold.

Damn Argentine President



Residents of Argentina try not to pronounce the name of the country's ex-president Carlos Menem, because it is considered something akin to a curse. What did Carlos Menem do wrong? It is he who is the main culprit of the 2001 crisis, which plunged Argentina into the economic abyss. If it did happen that someone mentioned his name in a conversation, then men should touch their left testicle, and the fair sex should touch their left breast

Thumb



In Japan, if you see a hearse passing by, you have to hide your thumb in your fist. The same must be done when you walk past a cemetery. This is due to the fact that the thumb in Japanese sounds like oyayubi (the characters for “parent” and “finger”) and is associated with parents. Accordingly, by hiding your thumb in your fist, you seem to protect your parents from misfortune.

Manholes in Sweden



If you decide to visit Sweden, watch your step carefully. After all, in this country there is an unusual superstition associated with manhole covers. The Swedes ignore some lids, while on others, on the contrary, they try to step on them. This is due to the fact that manhole covers here are marked either with the letter “k” (in Swedish kallvatten (clean water)) or “a” (avlopp (Avlop) - waste water). However, romantic Swedes interpret these letters differently. "K" means kärlek (karlek) - love, "a" means avbruten (avburten) - broken love. Therefore, superstitious Swedish passers-by carefully look at their feet while walking and either try to step on the hatch with the letter “k”, or avoid the hatch with the letter “a”. If, nevertheless, a person is unlucky and he steps on the lid with the letter “k”, then he will be haunted by failure in love. But it's not that bad. Bad luck will go away immediately after the unfortunate person is accidentally patted on the back three times

Figures in China



Many buildings in China, such as hospitals or hotels, do not have a 4th floor (in the West there is also a similar superstition, only there is no 13th floor). This is because in the Celestial Empire the number 4 is associated with loss, so the inhabitants of this country try to avoid it in every possible way. Conversely, the number 8 is believed to have the power to attract happiness and good fortune. That is why the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing began on 08/08/2008 at exactly 8 pm

Travel in Senegal



Africans believe that some people have the evil eye and can literally jinx your plans. That is why if a person is going to go somewhere, he does it secretly, without informing anyone of his intention. All residents of Senegal, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, believe in this unusual superstition.

Church of the Fulfillment of Wishes in Istanbul



This church is believed to grant wishes. According to the legend, in order for a wish to come true, you need to buy a key, receive a blessing for your wish, use the key to symbolically close the special locks on the frame of the icons and move the key over the icons. After the ritual is completed, the key is taken with you and kept with you until the wish comes true, after which the key, along with the donation, is returned to this church.