Strangest Superstitions From Around The World

1. Never say 'Happy Birthday' too early in Russia

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We don't know why you'd want to say Happy Birthday before the actual day anyway, but maybe if you don't think you're going to see someone before then and fling a 'Happy Birthday for next Tuesday!' their way. But in Russia, saying it too soon can only bring bad luck.

2. Never do this with your chopsticks in Japan

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In Japan, you're going to be using chopsticks all the time to eat, so it's important to know what not to do. One thing you definitely shouldn't do is place your chopsticks upright in your food, because this can symbolize the unlucky number four, death and also how incense sticks look at funerals!

3. You don't want to have two mirrors facing in Mexico

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There are a lot of superstitions in the world when it comes to mirrors, but in Mexico specifically you don't want to have two mirrors positioned opposite each other. If you have two mirrors facing, then it's believed to be an open doorway for the devil to get in.

4. Don't go straight home after a funeral in the Philippines

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We understand why you might want to rush home after a funeral if you're upset and want to be alone. But in the Philippines, you really shouldn't. It's believed if you go straight home, bad spirits can follow you and enter your home. You should instead go to a restaurant or public store first.

5. Never toast with just water in Germany

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Unlucky for the people who don't drink champagne - or don't drink at all - because you can't get away with joining a toast in Germany with just a glass of water! If you do, it means that you're actually wishing death on the person or people you're drinking with. So best to grab a glass of alcohol to toast with.

6. You shouldn't whistle indoors in Lithuania

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If you're someone who doesn't even realize they're whistling along while doing the housework or at their office job, you might want to stop that in Lithuania. It's believed that whistling indoors is a noise used to summon the devil - so for that reason, it's forbidden!

7. Don't put those new pair of shoes on the table in the UK

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If you're usually one to dump your shopping bags on the dining room table with that new pair of shoes you've just bought, don't! In the UK, this is believed bad luck, which goes back to when people would place shoes on a table to symbolize that someone had just died.

8. Itchy hands can tell you something about money in Turkey

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It doesn't matter if you have dry skin or not, it means something a little different in Turkey! If you're itching your right hand, it can symbolize that you're going to have some good luck financially! Alternatively, if it's your left that's a little itchy, this could mean bad financial luck.

9. The Japanese don't sleep with their heads facing north

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It's time to get your compasses out to double check which way your bed is facing - although it might not really matter if you're not in Japan. Those in Japan believe that sleeping with your head in the north facing position is bad luck, because it's how the dead are laid to rest.

10. It might not be the worst if a bird poops on you in the UK and Russia

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Nobody is going to feel particularly blessed if a huge dollop of bird poop ruins their favorite jacket, but in the UK and in Russia, it's thought to be good luck if bird poop lands on you - though it might not feel that way in the moment. It also counts if it lands on something that belongs to you, so here's hoping it's your handbag instead of your head.

11. Don't let an Egyptian see you playing with scissors

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We don't think you should be playing with scissors anyway, but we mean more if you have a hobby or job that sees you working with scissors and you happen to hold them or mess with them when you're thinking about something - this is believed to mean bad luck in Egypt!

12. You don't want to find an owl in your house in Italy

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Having a bird in your house is never fun when you get a jumpscare from it flapping, but if you're in Italy and you end up finding an owl in your home, there's something more serious to worry about. An Italian superstition is that finding an owl in your home means someone in the family is going to die.

13. Only do your knitting indoors in Iceland

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It's much more cozy to do your knitting indoors anyway, but just in case you were going to find a park bench in Iceland to make that Christmas jumper, you might want to reconsider. It's thought that if you do your knitting outside - particularly on your doorstep - it will make winter last longer.

14. Stepping in dog poop in France isn't all bad

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A pet peeve for most people is when others don't pick up their dog's poop - in France, it's a different story, depending on which foot gets the raw end of the deal... If you step in dog poop with your left foot, it's actually considered good luck. But if you step in it with your right foot, it's the opposite...

15. No yo-yos in Syria

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Most of us remember having fun with yo-yos at some point - and although they're not banned, they have sort of faded out from mainstream existence. In Syria, it's more serious than that though - yo-yos have been completely banned because there's a superstition they can cause a drought.

16. Don't book your hair appointment for a Tuesday in India

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Do they have discounts on a Tuesday for haircuts? Too bad! Any day but Tuesday. That's because it's considered bad luck to get your haircut on a Tuesday in India, based on legends. But if you're overly worried about it, maybe just let your hair grow out instead...

17. Dripping water behind someone in Serbia is a good thing

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We don't mean emptying out your gallon water jug behind someone, but if you drip water behind them - like maybe a few splashes with your fingers - it's actually considered to bring good luck on the person! Just make sure not to get their clothes wet while you're doing it.

18. Owls aren't that much of a hoot in Egypt

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Owls have long been known to symbolize different things, including wisdom. In Egypt, though, it's a little more macabre than that. It's believed that if you see an owl, or even if you only hear an owl hooting, it means that bad news is going to be brought to you. Time to put your fingers in your ears and close your eyes!

19. Buying flowers in Russia? Anything but yellow

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Buying flowers is a lovely gesture, so you might not have given much thought to the color of them - a flower's a flower, right? Well, in Russia, yellow is definitely not the color you should be buying! If you gift someone yellow flowers, it's believed you're cursing them - specifically with infidelity!

20. In Ireland, wedding bells are about more than just a happy day

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We've come to know wedding bells as just something that sounds happy during a ceremony, but there's another reason for them - particularly in Ireland. The noises of the bells are there to ward off evil spirits that could ruin the happy day - and brides in Ireland go so far as to actually wear bells on their dresses!

21. Rwandan women won't eat goat meat

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In Rwanda, any meat is on the table (quite literally) as long as it isn't goat meat. There's a superstition in Rwanda between women that eating goat meat can actually make them grow facial hair - which is no surprise when you see those impressive beards goats are showing off!

22. Craving fish while pregnant in Canada? Eat the fish

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There are many things pregnant women crave, but if you're Canadian and you happen to have a hankering for some fish, superstition will encourage you to definitely eat the fish! It's believed that if you crave fish but don't eat it, you'll end up with a baby that has a fish for a head.

23. Don't walk backwards in Portugal

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We don't know why you'd walk backwards anyway, but maybe don't try any Michael Jackson moonwalk impressions while you're in Portugal. In this country, it's believed that if you walk backwards, it's bad luck because you're signalling to the devil which way you're going.

24. You should only eat perfectly-proportioned food in Korea when pregnant

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If there's one thing you won't have the energy for when pregnant it's analyzing every piece of food to check that it's not asymmetrical - but if you're in Korea, unfortunately that's what you'll have to do if you don't want an ugly baby! It's believed eating asymmetrical food when pregnant won't do your baby's movie star good looks any favors.

25. Don't say the same thing at the same time as your friend in Italy

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If you're enjoying a coffee date with a friend in Italy and you both happen to say the same word at the same time and laugh at how in sync you are - you should be worrying about bad luck instead! If you do this, you'll never get married - so you need to touch your nose straight away to ward off the bad luck!

26. Don't sing your favorite song at dinner in the Netherlands

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If you're so happy about your favorite meal on the way that it invites you to sing a little ditty around the table, make sure you do it anywhere but the Netherlands. It's believed that if you sing your favorite song at the dinner table, you're actually singing to the devil to bring your food.

27. Never wear red during a storm in the Philippines

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Red is a bold and beautiful color, which is a shame if you're in the Philippines because you won't be able to get out your new favorite red umbrella! If there's a storm in the Philippines, don't wear red because it's believed to attract lightning - which isn't good news.

28. Be careful where you sit at the table in Hungary and Russia

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We all have our favorite tables and seats at a restaurant - we know the booth is superior, right? - but in Hungary and Russia, you might want to think twice about it. If you sit at the corner of the dinner table, superstition tells you that you'll end up barren in your marriage.

29. Make sure to say rabbit on the first day of every month in Britain and North America

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It's a tradition to say either "rabbit rabbit" or "white rabbit" on the first day of every month in Britain and North America, because doing so will bring you good luck for the month ahead. This could also come from the idea that a rabbit's foot is thought to bring good luck in some cultures.

30. Don't put your left foot forward in Spain

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If you're entering a room in Spain, you'll want to take a second to think about which foot you're putting forward first! It's considered bad luck if you enter a room with your left foot first. A good rule of thumb is to always use your right foot first when entering or even leaving a room! Good luck remembering that one.