Food Superstitions

Discover traditional beliefs about food and meals. Many cultures view food-related incidents as omens of fortune or misfortune.

Bad Cook

A cook who burns food often is believed to be under emotional stress or cursed.
Repeated kitchen accidents may mean envy or evil eye.

Blowing out all candles in one breath grants your wish.
Saving a slice ensures good luck for the year.

Never cut bread on both ends-it brings bad luck.
If a hole appears in a baked loaf, someone will die soon.

If a cake cracks while baking, it foretells an argument.
Giving someone the first slice brings good luck to both.

Mice eating your cheese means hidden secrets will be revealed.
Moldy cheese left out can attract bad spirits.

Carrying cloves wards off evil and illness.
Burning cloves in a home brings prosperity.

Bubbles in coffee mean money is on its way.
Reading coffee grounds is a popular form of fortune-telling.

Whistling while cooking is said to invite misfortune.
Stirring food clockwise brings luck; counterclockwise brings sorrow.

Eating directly from a serving bowl is believed to cause quarrels in the family.
It can also be seen as attracting selfishness.

Breaking an egg and finding two yolks means a wedding or pregnancy is coming.
Throwing eggshells into the fire wards off evil spirits.

Wasting food invites poverty.
Always share your food-it brings abundance and keeps envy away.

Spilling milk, especially in the morning, brings bad luck.
Sour milk is believed to attract arguments.

Spilling olive oil is a sign of upcoming financial loss.
Keeping it near the door protects the home from negative energy.

Eating peanuts before a performance is considered bad luck, especially in theater.
In some cultures, peanuts symbolize fertility.

Dropping a pie is an omen of unexpected guests.
A perfectly round pie means harmony in the home.

Spilling salt is one of the most well-known omens of bad luck.
Throwing a pinch over your left shoulder wards off the devil.

Hanging sausages in the kitchen is thought to protect from hunger.
Dropping one is an omen of an unexpected guest.

Seeing a face in steam on a mirror or glass is a sign from the spirit world.
Excess steam in the kitchen may mean hidden tension.

Spilling sugar is lucky-it means someone sweet is thinking of you.
Sugar in shoes is a folk spell for love.

Too much vinegar in food suggests bitterness in the household.
Spilling vinegar breaks love spells or hexes.

Spilling water is believed to bring bad luck unless it is done deliberately to bless a traveler.
Stagnant water in the home invites negativity.

Drinking whey is believed to purify the body and spirit.
Spilling it invites laziness.