Superstitions can be treated differently. Have people really noticed some kind of pattern between actions and subsequent failures, or is it easier to live when you find explanations in ridiculous things.
However, superstitions are passed down from generation to generation.
If you yourself are not superstitious, then, not knowing the general superstitions, you can scare or offend a superstitious friend. Therefore, today we will analyze the main superstitions of the Portuguese.
To break the mirror
We think that breaking a mirror is unpleasant not only because its fragments are dangerous and there is a long cleaning ahead, but also psychologically. That is, when you see your reflection, and then the mirror breaks, it’s like your portrait breaks, as if it takes a piece of you. If you do not save your reflection, then you are not worthy of luck. Therefore, for the superstitious Portuguese, to break a mirror means to live another seven years with failures!
In Portuguese, the superstition is: Partir um espelho é sinónimo de 7 anos de azar.
Of course, if you break a neighbor’s mirror, then years of bad luck await him, not you. If you don’t care about his feelings, then at least help clean up the pieces. If getting to know this person is important to you, remember this Portuguese superstition. Therefore, be careful with mirrors!
Sweep feet
Do you have any idea what it’s like to sweep feet? Yes, it’s hard to imagine for two reasons. Firstly, progress in technology is actively replacing brooms and mops. Now a vacuum cleaner, a robot or a hired cleaner cleans for us. Secondly, who would think of sweeping their feet? However, “sweeping” means to touch someone’s feet with a mop when cleaning. Usually, family members and friends put their feet up or move to another room. And if not, then you have to sweep the floor around your feet. Thus, whether you like it or not, you still accidentally sweep your feet several times too.
Well, this happens almost inevitably, and the Portuguese believe that the one whose feet have been swept will never marry or will not marry.
In Portuguese it is: Varrer os pés de uma pessoa faz com que ela nunca se case.
Of course, in the modern world, this achievement and goal of life is not for everyone, but for some it still remains important, especially for women. Therefore, do not deprive Portuguese girls of hope!
Open umbrella
When it’s raining outside, you run under an umbrella and at home, the first thing you do is leave the umbrella to dry. It is logical to dry the umbrella open so that water does not remain in the folds of the fabric and on the folds of metal parts that can deteriorate. But among the Portuguese, opening an umbrella at home is forbidden according to superstitious concepts!
Namely: Abrir o chapéu de chuva em casa atrai problemas.
That is, an open umbrella at home attracts problems. What is the real connection between the umbrella and the problems we do not know. Most likely, the problem will be when you have to buy a new umbrella, because the previous one quickly rotted from constant humidity. However, there are several theories about the origin of this superstition. The first tells that in ancient Egypt, the pharaohs were considered demigods, whose connection with the sun god was carried out through an umbrella. Opening an umbrella in places where there is no natural sunlight was considered an insult to the gods.
The second theory links the umbrella to the funeral. People have to be buried in any weather. Rain is like tears from the sky. If you open the umbrella of a house where there is no weeping sky, then soon the person himself should cry. It is good that this superstition does not promise death, but only problems.
Black cat
This superstition is no less amusing. Of course, black is usually associated with evil, with something negative. Black does not reflect light, it only absorbs it. We are afraid of the dark, depressed people wear black, even fruits and vegetables turn black when spoiled.
In fairy tales and legends, witches often have or turn into black cats themselves. Witches are not good witches. They do not conjure for good, on the contrary, they harm people. From here came the fear of meeting a black cat, because it could be a witch.
In other words, a black cat scares us, perhaps that is why such a superstition appeared in Portugal:
Ver um gato preto nesse dia da azar. (To see a black cat on this day brings bad luck.)
First, black cats are not uncommon. Secondly, you cannot do anything, because the look is lightning fast. Thirdly, what should a person do if a black cat is his pet?
Cross knives
Another superstition related to bad luck brings us to the table. In no case should one knife be placed on top of another so that they form a cross: Cruzar facas dá azar.
Crossed knives are associated with confrontation and battle, and therefore cause discomfort and promise failure. This explanation is connected with the religion of the Jews – Judaism. Everything that is connected with the cross carries sadness, because there is a period in history when Christians oppressed the Jews. The
Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. At the same time, the ancestors of the Jews crucified Jesus, for which they aroused the wrath of Christians. Therefore, the cross among the Jews was associated with anti-Semitism. Why this story has migrated to us as a superstition – there is no exact answer.
Bag on the floor
Let’s take a quick look at the warning in Portuguese: Colocar a mala no chão significa perder dinheiro. That is, if you put the bag on the floor, then you will lose money.
It is difficult to argue or agree with this. When the bag is on the floor, there is less control over it. It is impossible to quickly check with your hand whether she is nearby. This makes it easier for a thief to steal a bag of money, but is this how superstition works? No, it promises to lose money in the near future.
Most likely, the Portuguese perceive a bag as a wardrobe item with important things in their pockets – keys, money, documents. We don’t throw clothes on the floor and we don’t store important things on the floor where they can be stepped on, soiled and eventually ruined. Therefore, when we put a bag on the floor, it is believed that we treat expensive things with disdain, and the universe teaches us to be caring and attentive to the important. How exactly to make a person understand the value of something? Take it away from him!
Conclusion
The article turned out to be humorous, but we are not joking at all. There is nothing wrong with superstitions, if they console a person, give confidence. The main thing is that these rituals do not overwhelm life so much that you cease to be your own master, but only follow endless rules that guarantee absolutely nothing.