Spooky season calls for Hispanic superstitions
Living in a Dominican and Colombian household, I was constantly hearing my mom and dad quote sayings and superstitions that they learned while growing up. Some of them, like breaking a mirror brings bad luck, are universal, but a lot of them are pertinent to Hispanic culture itself. Since Halloween is quickly approaching, I thought I’d share nine superstitions that I grew up with and cherish.
Si pones tu cartera en el piso, se te aleja el dinero.
This superstition is my favorite, and the one I take very seriously. It says that if you put your purse on the floor, your money leaves you. My mom has been telling me this since the moment I started carrying a purse and I’ve always been really cautious to not put my purse or wallet on the floor.
Si usa ropa interior amarilla en Nochevieja, el año nuevo le traerá dinero. Si usa ropa interior roja en Nochevieja, el año nuevo le traerá amor.
If you wear yellow underwear on New Years Eve, the new year will bring you money. If you wear red underwear on New Years Eve, the new year will bring you love. I learned this superstition when I was a teenager and I’ve followed it ever since. While the success of this one is debatable, I love the idea of a small action influencing your future.
Si caminas alrededor de la manzana en Nochevieja a la medianoche, viajarás en el año nuevo.
If you take a walk around the block on New Years Eve at midnight, you’ll travel in the new year. This one was actually new to me. When I asked my parents about superstitions, my dad (who is Colombian) was the one that pointed it out. As someone who loves traveling, I’m definitely going to try this out.
Derramar sal en el piso es un signo de mala suerte. Si derrama sal sobre una mesa, debes tirarla a la espalda.
Spilling salt on the floor is a sign of bad luck. If you spill salt on a table, you have to throw it behind your back. I think spilled salt being seen as bad luck is universal, but the part of throwing it behind your back is something I learned from my mom. I will always do this if I spill salt, sometimes to the detriment of the person sitting behind me.
Poner arroz, lentejas y monedas en un frasco transparente al comienzo de cada nuevo año garantiza que no querrás ni necesitarás nada durante el año.
Putting rice, lentils, and coins in a transparent jar at the beginning of every new year ensures that you won’t want or need anything during the year. Ever since I can remember, my mom has had a transparent duck full of rice, beans and coins sitting on our dining table. When I was little, I liked to play with contents inside and my mom used to yell at me about messing with our luck. This is definitely one of the superstitions that I am going to continue when I have my own house because it was a staple of my childhood.
Usar la ropa interior al revés lo protege de la brujería y otras malas intenciones.
Wearing your underwear inside out protects you from witchcraft and other bad intentions. This one was new to me as well and when my mom told me about it, she mentioned that my grandma has done this her entire life. This is one I don’t think I’ll end up practicing, but it is still cool to know.
Si te pica la mano izquierda, vas a tener una fuga de dinero inesperado. Si te pica la mano derecha, te va entrar dinero que no está previsto conseguir y hay que apretar la mano para que no se escape.
If your left hand itches, you are going to have an unexpected expense. If your right hand itches, you are going to have an unexpected entrance of money. If your right hand itches, you have to squeeze your hand into a fist to make sure the money doesn’t escape. This is also one that I live by. I learned this one a few years ago and since then, I always let out a sigh of annoyance when my left hand itches and squeeze my right hand whenever it itches. My family and I buy the lottery whenever our right hand itches and it has actually worked a couple of times. Once my mom won a hundred dollars on a scratch off after her right hand itched, which I think is why I believe in this one so much.
Si derramas arroz en el piso, es porque las almas del purgatorio lo quisieron.
If you spill rice on the floor, it’s because the souls in purgatory willed it. This one is another one that was new to me. Now every time that I spill salt, I’ll think about my mom telling me this. It doesn’t matter if I actually believe these superstitions or not, they’ll always be something that connects me to my family.
Me levante con el pie izquierdo y ahora todo me sale mal. (Si bajas el pie izquierdo primero cuando salgas de la cama por la mañana, tendrás un mal día.)
If you put your left foot down first when you get out of bed in the morning, you’ll have a bad day. My mom says this one a lot, but I’ve never actually taken this one seriously. I haven’t heard my mom say it in a while, but I think I’ll be more cautious about what foot I put down when I wake up in the morning from now on.
All of these superstitions come from the Dominican Republic and Colombian cultures and I’m sure other Hispanic countries have their own as well. To me, these superstitions are fun to learn and practice because it makes me feel connected to my culture. I encourage you to ask your family members what superstitions they believe in because, even if you don’t believe in superstitions, it’s a fun way to feel connected to those you love.