21 Food Superstitions We Still Believe

[Hum]

Eggs symbolize fertility, so farmers would scatter broken eggs into their fields hoping they would bring forth an abundant crop. Also, if you break open an egg and find two yolks, that means someone you know will be getting married or having twins. And when you're cracking your egg, make sure to crush the eggshell afterward: otherwise, legend has it, a witch will gather up the pieces, set sail, and cause terrible storms at sea.

Everyone knows that garlic wards off vampires. It can also ward off the curse of the evil eye.

If you spill salt, you'll get bad luck. To remedy your misfortune, throw salt over your left shoulder with your right hand to blind the devil and keep him from taking your soul. Risky business, using salt.

If you cut open a loaf of bread and see a hole (a.k.a. a large air bubble), that means somebody will die soon. The hole in the bread represents a coffin (spooky!). You should also cut a cross into the top of your loaf before baking, otherwise the devil will sit on it and ruin your loaf.

In China, long noodles symbolize a long life. So you should never cut your noodles-that means you're cutting life short. Instead, you should slurp up long noodles up without breaking them.

Tea, also used in divination (we won't get into that), has lots of superstitions connected to it. For instance, you should never put milk in your tea before the sugar, or you may never get married. Seemingly contradictory, undissolved sugar at the bottom of your cup means someone is in love with you. Spilling your tea means a stranger is about to visit you. And let only one person pour the tea-it's bad luck if the duty is shared.

If there are bubbles in your coffee, you should catch them on your spoon and eat them-you'll unexpectedly come into money.

Giving somebody an orange makes them fall in love with you.

Tossing rice at a newlywed couple supposedly brings the pair good health, wealth, happiness, and prosperity.

If you drop a fork, a woman will come to visit. A knife, a man will come to visit. A spoon, a child will come visit.

Planting parsley seeds will help a woman become pregnant. If the plant thrives, that means her husband is weak. And whatever you do, don't bring it to a dinner party-giving it as a gift brings bad luck.

You should never hand a hot pepper directly to a friend-superstition has it that is will bring discord into the friendship. If you want to give your friend a jalape?o, put it on the table or counter and have them pick it up.

Passing a knife directly to someone will do the same thing as a hot pepper-"separate" (as knives are known to do) the two friends. That means you should never give a knife as a gift, either; if you do, make sure to ask your friend for a penny as "payment."

Don't eat peanuts at any kind of performance, whether it's a play or a racing event (really!). The legumes are believed to give the performers or players bad luck.

The tradition of having a cake with candles on a birthday began with the ancient Greeks. They baked moon-shaped honey cakes to celebrate the birth of moon goddess Artemis-but believed evil spirits were attracted by the revelry. By saying "happy birthday" and burning candles, spirits are chased away. Today, lots of people believe that blowing out all the candles on your cake will make a wish come true. Fools !

In the South, they eat Hoppin' John, made with black-eyed peas, for good luck and prosperity in the new year.

In the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, people dip apples into honey to symbolize the hopes of a sweet year to come. And back in the day, people believed that if you cut into an apple and counted the seeds, it predicted how many children you'd have.

If you stick pins into a small onion and keep it on a windowsill, it dispels bad spirits from your house.

South American countries believe that you should eat 12 grapes one-by-one at the stroke of midnight to symbolize each month of the year. If the grape is sweet, that particular month will be a good one. If it's sour, it's going to be a bad month.

You guys, NEVER cut a banana. It's bad luck. Just break it up into smaller pieces if you need to. Also, you should never bring bananas on a ship-the boat will never catch any fish or, worse, get lost at sea.

In China and Japan, sticking your chopsticks into a bowl of rice upright is an omen of death. Arranging chopsticks that way makes them resemble incense, which the Chinese burn to honor the dead. Also, if your table setting has an uneven pair of chopsticks, that means you'll miss a plane, train, or boat.

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[adrynalyne]

I don't believe any of those, and never have.

[+virtorio MVC]

It's true. I cut up a banana earlier and I ended up reading that list.

[compl3x]

Most of these I have never heard of.

[MikeChipshop Member]

"21 Food Superstitions We Still Believe"

 

Who's this "we" and can we have them put down for stupidity or something?

[Hum]

I believe eating this cheeseburger brings me good luck. :p

 

[Guest]

I've only ever heard of the rice at a wedding and the salt over the shoulder. Never have I believed either of these.

 

More stupid superstitions that I know people actually do believe include (though I don't)-

 

Walking under a ladder is back luck (probably born from many accidents occurring over time, this also includes scaffolding)

Breaking a mirror = 7 years bad luck

Pointing at a rainbow = bad luck

Sleeping with your head away from a door = bad luck

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Define "we"...

[Bi4me]

I believe eating this cheeseburger brings me good luck. :p

 

It brings doctors new patient haha.

[Hum]

Define "we"...

It is a generalization sometimes used by writers, designed to draw in readers. ;)

[compl3x]

 

 

Planting parsley seeds will help a woman become pregnant. 

 

 

I thought planting your seed is how a women got pregnant.

[thomastmc]

How about, "You are what you eat"? I don't see that one on there :)

[thomastmc]

I thought planting your seed is how a women got pregnant.

 

So that's why you spend so much time in the garden... You're doing it wrong! :)

[He's Dead Jim]

My last pal irl gave handed me hot peppers in 2011, and I haven't seen him since... :( He knows where I live and drives past my house every week, but never stops.

[Sszecret Veteran]

 

 

Everyone knows that garlic wards off vampires. It can also ward off the curse of the evil eye.

 

Not only vampires. Also some of your friends, relatives and even random people on the street. 

[Osiris]

Can safely say I have never heard of any of those except the rice @ wedding, but in part I thought that was more about the guests having fun throwing stuff around. 

 

In an unrelated note please excuse me, I must go off and buy a bag of oranges for Friday night...

[compl3x]

One food superstition that is conspicuously missing: pork.

[Torolol]

One food superstition that is conspicuously missing: pork.

probably deliberately omitted to avoid offending jews or/and muslims.

Both groups has their own sets of food superstitions.

[compl3x]

So that's why you spend so much time in the garden... You're doing it wrong! :)

 

LoL

 

I probably should have said "I thought planting your seed in a women is how she got pregnant"  :laugh:  :rofl:

[compl3x]

probably deliberately omitted to avoid offending jews or/and muslims.

 

 

 

No doubt that is the reason.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

if you break open an egg and find two yolks, that means someone you know will be getting married or having twins two chicks didn't get a chance to hatch.

 

fixed

 

If you drop a fork, a woman will come to visit. A knife, a man will come to visit. A spoon, a child will come visit.

 

This one works with a 100% probability half the time for me :rofl:

[technord]

The only saying I actually believe is "you are what you eat".  This is true.

 

If you eat a lot of fatty foods, you become fat....if you eat a lot of vegetables rich in vitamins/minerals you get healthier and feel better etc etc

 

I highly doubt there's anyone on the planet who believes the OPs list.  Unless they have a mental illness.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

ive never heard of any of those in my life.

[RatherLargeBear]

I use the onion trick and have never been visited by an evil spirit.

[compl3x]

I use the onion trick and have never been visited by an evil spirit.

 

 

I have a rock that keeps tigers away. It never fails.