Superstitions From Around the World

About this episode

The episode explores various superstitions from around the world, blending history, folklore, and humor.

This week we dive into the strange, fascinating world of superstitions, starting with a few well-known ones before venturing into some truly bizarre beliefs from around the globe. The episode explores classic superstitions like unlucky black cats, knocking on wood, the taboo of walking under ladders, the bad luck of breaking mirrors, and why you shouldn’t open an umbrella indoors. From there, we travel through a collection of unusual cultural superstitions. In parts of South America and Spain, sweeping someone’s feet with a broom is said to doom them to a lifetime of being single, while in the Caribbean an itchy palm might signal money coming in or going out depending on which hand it is. Some beliefs are even stranger, like the Irish warning that an itchy nose means a fight is coming, or the Turkish superstition that chewing gum after dark turns it into human flesh. The hosts also chat about customs tied to everyday life and sleep, such as instructions about when to cut your nails, never placing a hat on a bed, reshaping mattresses to prevent the devil from hiding in them! We wrap up with theatrical lore surrounding “The Scottish Curse,” the long-standing belief among actors…

People in this episode

Host: PNW Haunts and Homicides

Topics covered

• superstitions
• cultural beliefs
• history
• folklore
• humor

Keywords

• superstitions
• cultural beliefs
• black cats
• knocking on wood
• unlucky
• folklore
• humor

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Macbeth

Places: South America, Spain, Caribbean, Ireland, Turkey

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