Never Kill a Spider in Sweden

Walking under ladders, broken mirrors, and spilt salt shakers.

What do these three have in common?

All of these are said to bring about bad luck and misfortune to anyone that has the misfortune of experiencing them.

Maybe you use caution regarding these superstitions just to be on the safe side. Or maybe not. Maybe you don't believe in all this superstitious nonsense. It's just some spilt salt after all. Or maybe, you don't believe in these superstitions in particular, but other ones. 

Around the world, in different cultures, there are many superstitions as unique as the cultures they came from themselves. Here are just a few of them with some maybe being a little more strange than others. 

Whistling Indoors and at the Sun

Russian superstitions claim never to whistle indoors as that is said to be bad luck. The superstition goes that if you whistle indoors, it will lead to financial difficulties. 

Norwegian cultures have a somewhat similar superstition. In theirs, you should never whistle at the sun. If you do so, it will rain. 

But if you really need the rain, is it so unlucky then?

Early Birthday Wishes

There's an old German superstition that goes, if you wish someone a happy birthday too early before their actual birthday, the one you wished an early happy birthday to will be met with misfortune. It's said that any demons close by might hear your well wishes and do anything in their power to stop the good luck from happening.

Tuesday the 13th 

Forget Friday the 13th. In Spain and other Spanish speaking countries, it's Tuesday the 13th that is said a day of misfortune. If you are partaking in any life events, traveling, or anything of the sort, you must never do it on a Tuesday the 13th.

Never Kill a Spider in Sweden

Hate spiders? If you find yourself in Sweden, you might want to rethink smashing that spider and maybe releasing it outside instead. Swedish superstition says that if you kill a spider, it will bring rain the following day. Again, like with the Norwegian superstition of whistling at the sun, unless you have outdoor plans you had your heart set on, is it really so unlucky if where you're at really needs the rain? 

Trimming Nails at Night

In Turkey, India, and South Korea, one should never trim their nails at night as it is said doing so will bring you bad luck. This superstition does make sense only in the sense that sharp objects and darkness don't exactly mix together well. 

Sleeping With a Fan On

Do you like to sleep with a fan on? You might want to rethink that. In South Korea, it is said that you must never sleep with a fan on. According to a South Korean superstition, doing so is sure to bring death. 

The Number 4

In Japan, the number 4 should be avoided at all costs. In a sense, it's their version of the unlucky 13.

To those not part of or very familiar with Japanese culture, four doesn't really mean anything. The reason why four is so unlucky and ominous in Japan is because in the Japanese language, the way four is pronounced (shi) is the same pronunciation for "death".

With that knowledge of the number four in Japanese culture, is it any wonder why apartment buildings will skip the fourth floor or why sets of four are greatly avoided?

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There are a vast amount of superstitions, maybe some more unusual than others from all parts of the world. The origins of each superstition is rooted generations and generations into that country's culture.

Sources:

https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/the-weirdest-superstitions-from-13-countries

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-red-light-district/202310/7-strange-superstitions-from-across-the-world

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-01-13/13-superstitions-from-around-the-world