1 Nov, 2017 @ 12:48
2 mins read

SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS: Collection of Spain’s strangest superstitions

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SUPERSTITION: It affects us all

FRIDAY the 13th is a day of misfortune for many a superstitious expat.
But you won’t find many locals drawing their blinds and crossing their fingers on that date.


For Spaniards, it’s actually Tuesday the 13th that’s considered unlucky.
Tuesday is believed to be ruled by Mars, the Roman god of war who gives his name to Martes – Tuesday in Spanish.


As the old Spanish proverb warns: ‘En martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes’ – or in English – “On Tuesday, don’t get married, embark on a journey, or move away.”


To keep evil spirits at bay this Halloween, take note of these 10 Spanish superstitions:

Hat trick

HAIRY-HATS: Fear of hair in the bedroom

Putting a hat on a bed will bring you bad luck, say the Spanish. This superstition is believed to date from a time when people thought evil spirits lived in people’s hair, meaning they could be transferred from the hair to the hat and then to the bed, leaving you open to ghost attacks in the night.

Cutting edge

 

SHARP: Old habits die hard

Tradition states that buying knives or scissors as a gift is a serious no-no. They are believed to symbolise the cutting of ties and relationships, so if you gift newlyweds with knives, they will break up.

 

Shit show
While many in the western world tell their actor friends to ‘break a leg’, in Spain it’s a bit different. Instead you must wish that person ‘mucha mierda’, or ‘lots of shit’. Like many theatre superstitions, the origin is hard to place.


Green guard
If you have noticed a cornucopia of cacti on your Spanish friends’ window sills or dotted around their homes, it could be down to their superstitious natures. It is widely believed that the spiky green plant can ward away all things evil.


Lucky number seven

CAREFUL: Cats have two less lives than their European cousins

While most countries believe cats can cheat death nine times, poor Iberian felines have to tread more carefully as they have two fewer lives than their British counterparts, with just seven. And if they’re black, they had better not cross your path in Spain, one of the few countries where it’s considered unlucky.


Broom hexed
Be careful when your next sweeping your patio. In Spain, if you accidentally brush a single woman’s feet, she will never get married. The superstition is believed to be related to witches.


Not so mellow yellow

MASKED: Yellow represents the devil incarnate

A sure fire way to get back at someone is to buy them yellow clothes. Yellow is said to represent sulphur and the devil. It is also said to bring bad luck in certain situations, so don’t wear yellow on the day of an exam or job interview.


No sour grapes

Every expat should know that, on New Year’s Eve, Spaniards traditionally eat 12 grapes on the 12 strokes of midnight for luck and prosperity during the year ahead. But did you also know they wear red underwear on the last night of the year for extra luck?


Right foot forward
A superstitious tradition warns Spaniards never to enter a room with their left foot, unless they want to unleash a series of unfortunate events. However it’s possible to reverse the curse by making the sign of the cross three times.

Money problems

There must always be an extra chair at the table to put your handbag or purse on. The Spanish say leaving it on the floor will cause you to lose all your money.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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