“Non e vero, ma ci credo! It’s not true, but I believe it!“

Growing up in a southern Italian family, I learned about Italian superstitions and beliefs early on. Italy is a country where superstitions reign, and Italians are the most superstitious people there are! Superstitions make up strange rites and habits; we’re no strangers to them, especially in the South! The majority of Italians admit to being superstitious. As the tagline above says, they may not be true, but we believe them! 

Superstitions in Italy mostly come from the Middle Ages. Some Italian superstitions have simple explanations, others more complex. In this fun post, I’ll highlight the most important ones, so when you visit Italy and some of these actions or phrases come up, you’ll have some background knowledge.  

Placing Your Hat on a Bed

Removing a hat when entering someone’s house is an obvious sign of respect. But there is more to it than that. Placing a hat on a bed is a sign of bad luck to come for the homeowner. Once, when a doctor or a priest was called for a house visit because someone was seriously ill or on the verge of dying, they would take off their hats and place them at the foot of the bed. Because of this ritual, you’ll never see an Italian man put a hat on a bed, least of all his own bed. This is one Italian superstition you don’t want to break.

Careful Not to Spill the Salt

In ancient times, salt was a very precious commodity. Salt was once considered rare, an expensive privilege reserved for the wealthier class. The term “salary” actually derives from this word. The act of spilling salt is associated with forthcoming adverse financial misfortune. To avoid attracting it, immediately pick up what has fallen and throw it behind your back, preferably your left shoulder. 

Careful Not to Spill Oil Either

Several years back, while my family and I were vacationing in Italy, we received a beautiful 2-liter bottle of olio nuovo, or new oil, as a gift. I carelessly placed the bottle on the floor of our food pantry in our home in Calabria. It wasn’t in our house an hour before I knocked it over while sweeping the floor. The bottle broke, spilling oil all over the floor. Let me tell you, cleaning up two liters of oil off the floor is no fun, nor is seeing your mother in hysterics over the misfortune that would surely follow. 

A popular belief in southern Italy is the bad luck that comes after spilling oil. Especially oil that spills to the ground, meaning that it is completely wasted. This incident can be the cause of an upcoming life disaster. This superstition derives from the fact that in ancient times, much like salt, this liquid gold was a particularly precious commodity, and therefore wasting it was an absolute sin that would upset the Gods of prosperity. 

On the contrary, giving oil brings good luck to the giver; for the same reason, the yellow gold of the Mediterranean has always been a symbol of abundance, so gifting it means prosperity will follow. Clearly Italian superstitions can be positive or negative.

The Misfortune of the Black Kitty

There are also superstitions related to animals that bring bad luck. Among the best-known is seeing a black cat along your path. But do you know why it’s believed to be bad luck? In Italy (as well as in the United States), seeing a black cat crossing the road is a sign of upcoming misfortune. In the Middle Ages, when traveling by horse carriage at night was common, the horses were frightened by the yellow eyes of the cats. So much so that the sudden crossing of a black cat disoriented them, resulting in accidents. And this started the legend that united them with the devil’s work. Because of this, in 1200, Pope Gregory IX declared that black cats were the friends of witches and devils and asked to have all black cats killed! 

There is the custom of believing that you should never pass in front of where a black cat has just crossed. Neither with your car nor on foot. So what to do? Wait for someone to pass first? If that isn’t an option, you must throw a coin on the road and proceed only after hearing its sound on the asphalt.

Opening an Umbrella Indoors

If you grew up in an Italian household like me, chances are more than once someone scolded you for opening an umbrella indoors! According to this superstition, opening an umbrella indoors leads to serious financial problems. Where did this idea come from? There are two origins of this superstition. The first comes from ancient Rome, where umbrellas would be used to shelter from rain and sun. Anyone who opened an umbrella at home did not respect the God of the Sun, surely bringing misfortune to the family. Secondly, umbrellas were often used to plug holes in poor people’s homes, and as a result, opening them would mean one’s fair share of financial bad luck! To this day, I never open an umbrella indoors.  

Look Into My Eyes

No matter the situation, making eye contact with someone is synonymous with honesty and loyalty. Those who lower their gaze may indeed have something to hide. Because of this, it is most important to look someone in the eyes when making a toast. Like many other superstitions, this one also dates back to the Middle Ages. During this period, during banquets and gatherings, there were fears of poisoning by one of the other diners! Therefore, it was believed that looking into the eyes of others at the time of the toast helped to prevent someone from pouring poison into the drinks! You should also never cross arms with anyone while toasting, or you might cross them in life!

Are you a Single Woman? Be Careful of the Broom!

Are you a woman? Did your Italian grandmother or mother ever tell you to pick up your feet, or you will never get married? For women looking for a husband, it is bad luck if someone nears their feet with a broom. Or, God forbid, you accidentally sweep over your own feet! Once upon a time, a woman who inadvertently touched her feet with a broom, or had her feet swept over by someone else, was not considered good at household chores and, consequently, a questionable future wife. 

Stay Away from Number 13

The number 13 has a bad rep globally, and it’s certainly not a favored number of the Italians, either. You will especially want to avoid it at the dinner table. This belief comes from Jesus’ last Supper, where 13 were seated. Italians believe that if 13 sit at the table, one will die within a year, known as the Last Supper Curse. As a side note, I often bring groups to Italy with 12 participants, counting myself, that makes us 13. On several occasions, I have had restaurant staff ask me to “grab the driver” to join us to break the number 13 at the table! 

Number 17 is no Better 

But it’s number 17 you really want to avoid if you’re visiting Italy. The Roman numeral for 17 is XVII; if rearranged, it looks like this: VIXI, which means “I have lived,” a symbol once placed on tombstones and associated with death. As a side note, have you ever flown ITA-Airways? The Italian national airline? If so, you might have noticed that ITA does not have rows numbered 13 and 17. And many Italian hotels do not have a floor numbered 17. Yes, this is how superstitious Italians are! 

But Not All Superstition is Negative – How to Bring About Good Luck

Cross Your Fingers

The crossing of the fingers is a gesture derived from the pagan belief that the cross was a symbol of perfect unity. More precisely, the point of intersection of the axes was said to mark the house of beneficial spirits. Therefore, a wish expressed on a cross remained anchored at the end of the cross where the two axes intersected until it was fulfilled. In ancient times, two people would do this: one would express a wish or ask for good luck, and the other also performed the gesture to facilitate its success. Today we cross our fingers almost randomly and without the presence of someone else by our side, but it is always a way to attract good luck in our favor.

Eating Lentils on New Year’s Eve

While some of the above beliefs are global and not strictly Italian, this one is typical of Italy. Did you know that most Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Eve? (Click here for my recipe for Lucky Lentil Soup.) This custom is linked to Roman times when bags full of lentils were gifted to symbolize good luck because their shape resembles that of coins. This explains why these small legumes are eaten between the last night of the year and the first morning of the following one. Many people think that as many lentils you can eat, as many will be the money that will arrive during the new year, so eat up! 

Don’t Forget to Carry a Little Horn

Ever notice how many Italians have a charm around their neck that looks like a little chili pepper? Tour participants often ask me where they, too, can get one as it’s become a symbol synonymous with Italy. The cornicello represents the horns of the Old European Moon Goddess, and is said to ward off bad luck while bringing about good fortune.

Forget Wood, Knock on Iron

How often have we heard the expression “knock on wood” when we hope to ward off bad luck and that everything goes right? For Italians, forget the wood; iron brings on good fate. This belief is because iron horseshoes are thought to detect evil spirits. But because carrying an iron horseshoe might be too cumbersome, many Italians keep a small nail in their pocket or purse to touch when needed! It’s certainly more polite than touching your privates! Yes, indeed, this is another gesture that could be used to bring on good luck and ward off evil! 

The Horn Symbol

What if you don’t have iron on hand? And touching yourself isn’t your style? Than it’s as easy as fare le corna! To make the sign of the horns, you must make a fist and extend the index and baby fingers while keeping the other fingers tucked in. See the image for clarity. This symbol should resemble the horns of a wild animal, which can keep away negative energy, evil spirits, jealousy, and the words of anyone wishing you harm. But make sure that the fingers are pointing up! Pointing down is the symbol that someone’s wife is cheating on them, and making this gesture toward a married male means he’s been cheated on, a major insult to any man!

As you can see, Italians are full of major and minor superstitions. Some are just for fun, while some are so ingrained in our minds that we wouldn’t dare question them. While many may think these are silly, I think it’s essential to respect anyone’s beliefs and traditions. 

So what about you? Do you believe any of the above?

Send me a comment below and let me know.

As for me, non e vero, ma ci credo!