9 Most Practiced Slavic Superstitions
Is the person opposite you knocking on their head? Do you often hear them saying something like “pupupu” while pretending to spit (or spitting), at random occasions? Are they going out of their way in order not to cross the path of a black cat? Do they carry a clove of garlic in their pocket? Then you have a Slav in your vicinity.
Slavs have a pretty extensive list of superstitions, containing things you should do or avoid doing, and we would like to share a few of them with you, so the next time you see your Slavic friend doing something weird, you know what’s going on.
1. Always wanted to slap that arrogant colleague of yours?
That is now possible — next time someone gets a haircut, make sure to slap them on the back of their neck and congratulate them on the new hairstyle. Confusion will arise, but they will be waiting for the perfect moment to return the compliment once the secret is revealed. I bet this is a superstition you would adopt the very moment you read it. You get a legit reason to slap your friend, but be careful, as some Slavs believe the harder the slap, the more luck you’ll have with your new haircut (or at least that’s what they’ll say if you complain).
2. Are you dreaming of wedding bells? Better read about the next superstition carefully, then
According to an old belief, if a single person sits at the corner of a table, they will never get married. From early childhood, little Slavs are being taught to avoid sitting on the edges. On the other hand, there is now an excellent way for the bachelor lifestyle lovers among us to stay away from saying “I do” to anything else but a glass of good kvass. Additionally, ladies, if you wish to see yourselves in white, never let someone go over your feet while cleaning with a broom — another way to prevent that dream of yours from happening.
3. Fluffy danger ahead of you
A black cat crossing your way is believed to be the ultimate omen of misfortune and death in Slavic countries. So the next time you see a person suddenly stop, turn around and go the other way seemingly without reason, or a lady screaming for her life and doing something that might resemble a black magic ritual, remember what you’ve read here, and it will all make sense.
4. You can always sense when to check your bank account for the long-awaited salary
You know it’s payday when your left palm starts itching. It’s a Slav’s way to sense that money is finally going to appear in their wallet. However, if your right palm starts itching, it means your girlfriend found a new expensive bag and will be requesting to get it by the end of the day. It’s not unusual to see a Slav scratching a palm and then suddenly smiling or becoming upset, depending on which palm gave them the itch. Sorry compadre, life has its ups and downs.
5. Cats might have nine lives, but does that apply to you as well?
If your nose starts itching you, nothing good is about to happen. You will get into a fight either for taking that pack of semecki that didn’t belong to you or for flirting with Arseny’s girlfriend or something you had no control over whatsoever. It’s just that kind of day. Luckily for you, some Slavic nations believe that if they sense an itch on their nose, it means it’s drinking time. And which legendary Slavic night of drinking with the boys hasn’t ended with a fight or two?
6. Next time in the elevator, when you mistake going over your boss’s shoe, think of this
Whenever someone buys a new pair of shoes, the tradition demands that you need to step on them. And who wouldn’t love their brand new white shoes to be stepped on with muddy sneakers? Pure love.
7. You will know if her babushka liked you at the dinner yesterday quite easily
There must have been times when you felt your ears burning and when checking yourself in a mirror, you see how red indeed they are. That has a simple explanation provided gladly by your Slavic friends. It means someone is talking bad about you, and yes, most probably someone wishes you the gulag by the end of the day. If nothing else, it’s an excellent radar that lets you know if a meeting went well or not.
8. Seeing someone knocking on their head doesn’t always mean what you first thought of
Knocking on wood is something many Slavs do to bring themselves good fortune or ward off bad luck. When there isn’t anything wooden around you, though, you could knock on your head as well — most of the time, the sound it produces is the same as on wood — hollow.
9. Are you for real this time?
Another meaning for stepping on someone’s shoe is that you will get yourself into a fight with them. If it happens, ask them to do the same back to you. Then the spell is broken, and you will be back to being best friends forever. Or just not getting yourself beaten up. Makes sense, no?
There are plenty of other superstitions that slavs believe in, like spitting in your shirt when scared. So, whenever in doubt about what you should do, don’t overthink it and join our Discord channel, where you can get plenty of advice from our community. Davai!
