Hello! For your Ambassador work, can you tell us about common superstitions in your country? Thank you! (If you would like a different question, let me know)!
☆ Country embassy: Spain ☆
Oh well, you just had to ask that the most pragmatic person out there. I don’t believe in superstitions, witchcraft, bad luck, weird legends, urban legends, UFOs, paranormal activity or conspiracy theories.
All of those are the job of the meme dude from the photo above. His name is Iker Jiménez and he has a TV show called “Cuarto Milenio” that is supposed to be about “mysteries” and “unexplainable events” and superstitions, but is really just hilarious. He’s the Spanish version of that aliens guy. Except for that fashionable “I get this hairstyle by sticking a fork into the electric socket every morning” look.
Okay, back on track: there are a few superstitions that are common knowledge in Spain. Most of them are not “original” however, and were adopted recently or were introduced with the Greeks and the Romans. That is because through most of Spanish history the Spanish branch of the Catholic Church discouraged the beliefs in superstitions — since they were, supposedly, pagan/heretic ideas — and advised the population to ignore these rumors that came from the other European countries.
So, some of the most popular “modern” beliefs as follow:
Thursday 13th → just like Friday 13th but on Thursday, because that day is dedicated to the roman god of war (Martes > Marte > Mars) and is in general a bad day to do important things, nevermind the date.
Breaking a mirror brings 7 years of bad luck.
Walking under a ladder is bad luck.
Seeing a black cat is bad luck
Accidentally spilling salt is bad luck too, but more concretely: it means you are gonna argue with someone.
To open an umbrella inside the house is… you guessed it, bad luck!
As for Good luck:
To fight the spilled salt thing, just throw more salt over your right shoulder.
Cross your fingers or touch wood. (as I said, these are not very “local”)
Find a 4 leaf clover or hang a horseshoe behind your door (These just have “XVI-XVIII centuries boom of Irish immigration” written all over them xDD )
Blow an eyelash and make a wish. (more like you see an eyelash on someone’s face, you take it, put on the top of your finger and tell them to make a wish)
Saying “Jesus” when somebody sneezes for good health.
Obviously, these are very generic and also cliche. The kind people know and say but then ignore (except with the ladder thing, because that’s plain stupid, don’t walk under one, what if it falls on you?). The first thing somebody does when they get home from the rain? Open their umbrella in the bathroom and leave it to dry there, of course.
Now… there is a catch.
In the north, specially Galicia, Asturias, and the North-west of C-León (see my regions post) they’ve got their own folkloric beliefs, with many myths and superstitions. Like the Santa Campaña (holy procession) and the weird shit you gotta do to avoid dying if you see one.
But that would warrant another whole post! (and probably will)
For now, I hope this was useful.