Strange Superstitions Around the World #1

The world can be a confusing place at times, so often, many of us try to make sense of it with our little routines and customs. Like always wearing our right shoes first or making sure that we must not wear our right shoes first. Close the door three times. Forget.

But the amazing thing is how often these habits and ideas become a full-blown superstition, some of which last for centuries. So, cross your fingers, do not step on the cracks, throw some salt over your shoulder and let us have a look at superstitions from around the world.

    ASIA

Let us start in Asia. The first thing that jumps out is numbers. In China, 8 is considered lucky since it sounds like their word for prosperity. They actually tried to get the most out of it for the Olympics in Beijing by starting the opening ceremony at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8pm on 8th August 2008. By a strange coincidence, in Japan, it also means to be prosperous. But, this is because the character for the number 8 (八 Hachi) gradually expands.

By that logic, in English, 8 would mean you are going to become a snowman. But cut that eight in half, and you have the horrible number 4. Most Eastern Asia is tetraphobic, meaning they are scared of 4. Due to its similarity to the word for death. This is extremely widespread, and you are unlikely to find buildings with a 4th floor, goods sold in four-packs, or any parking lots with that digit. Even numbers like 14 and 24 or ones in their 40s are avoided, excluding 42.

China is in severe condition. It is so bad, in fact, that giving something to a fellow Asian with the number four in it can be enough for the police to get involved since it is seen as a death threat. So, if you are ever thinking about buying property there, guess which house will give you the sweetest deal? Of course, it will be house No.4.
Round numbers like 100 or 70 are opposed in India, and prices are usually driven up to a rupee which is a great business. Indians also like to feed milk to snakes, usually as a religious offering. Snakes do not actually drink milk. So, thousands die every year due to this practice. So do not feed snakes milk.

Also, in Korea, do not feed your boyfriend with chicken wings as it is a sign that he will fly away and leave you. Whereas in the west, if your partner serves you chicken wings. This is usually seen as a sign that he is a protector.

If you are eating out in Japan, do not leave your chopsticks in the rice because it is a reserve shoulder. Instead of that, you should rest them horizontally across the bowl. If you go to a funeral, remember to hide your thumb. Or the recently died will hide under your fingernails and cause your loved ones to die young if they have not already by leaving the fan on while you sleep.

Fan death is a very prevalent fear in SouthKorea. All fans are sold with a life-saving cut-off either asphyxiated (kill (someone) by depriving them of air). You die either suffocated, frozen, or boiled, depending on which conditioning logic you apply.
No one knows how it all started. But the conspiracy theory is that the government created it during the 1970s, which would be like combating the California dryness! by telling everyone that taking a bath would make you fat.

The Middle culture is the oldest culture that still exists today. Therefore, have a rich tapestry of myths and legends. One very familiar one is the evil eye. This can bring great misfortune to a person, giving them bad luck, an unhappy life, perhaps just a bad dinner or no reception, in very mild cases.

The evil exists by getting you at any time, cast by a hate-filled glare without your knowing. So how do you protect yourself from this terror? What you need is a Nazar. An eye shape colored, typically a can be colored crystal, be worn around you,r neck, hung above your door, or lost down on-amulet-based sofa.

For non-amulet-based protection, you can also use the phrase "mashallah" which expresses appreciation can try to dress humbly to avoid the eye’s vicious gaze. There is universal protection against all malicious spirits, not just eye-based, called not just eye-based, called the Khamsa. It is just an image of an open right palm. Occasionally, precious possessions such as cars are anointed with the right hand to make sure they are protected.

There are many superstitions based around creepy crawlies. In Qatar, it was once believed that spiders could control house fires. So, if you killed one, it was like murdering a tiny firefighter. The spiders were no help at getting cats out of trees. So, fortunately, they kept the fire dep, art meant up and running. Also, beetles were a sign that guests are coming and you should prepare for their arrival.

Welcoming guests and people in need into your home is actually a big part of Islamic culture. But they must be careful with their feet, and not just to avoid crushing your eight-legged firemen. A new home must be entered with the right foot but a bathroom must be entered with the left foot. It is the household hokey-cokey.