5 Haunting Mexican Superstitions You Should Never Ignore

Superstitions often sound silly to some. But once you’ve heard the right story, it’s hard not to take them seriously, or worse, to avoid performing certain actions that might trigger one. One of the countries where superstitions appear to be undeniably strange is Mexico. 

In ancient times, whenever something unusual would happen, Mexican people liked to think of it as supernatural. They’d form superstitions to either prevent or encourage certain events. Even today, many locals sort out their lives around these strange beliefs. 

In this article, we will talk about 5 of the strange Mexican superstitions.

1. Bad Luck on Friday 13th

In many cultures, including Hispanic, the 13th of Friday is considered the most frightening day of the year that has the potential to bring misfortune into people’s lives. This superstition is based on Norse mythology when the mischief god Loki sabotaged a diner in Valhalla consisting of 13 diners and caused his brother Balder to die.

Because of this story, Hispanics, and not just them, try to avoid Friday the 13th at any cost during all types of activities, especially the ones that relate to money and finances. But surprisingly, people in the gambling industry rarely follow this superstition and some risk-takers even double down on gambling sites like https://pinstars.app on Friday the 13th for one simple reason — they believe that the extra thrill can lead to a huge win.

2. Crossing knives

Knives are usually associated with violence and danger and as a symbol, they can be very strange. However, crossing knives has a different meaning for Mexican people. While it’s not connected to violence, it’s not less mysterious.

Interestingly, the superstition of crossing knives is linked to changing weather. Weather is extremely important for those who like to do farming and it was believed whenever the weather turned bad it was because farmers have upset nature somehow. To prevent the harvest from destroying, people would put the knives in the shape of a cross and pray for better weather to San Isidro Labrador, a saint who’s believed to guard agriculture. 

3. Sweeping at Night

If you’re someone who likes to start cleaning the house in the evening after getting over with the rest of the daily tasks, you should be aware of this Mexican superstition. Mexicans believe that you should never start sweeping after the sun goes down to avoid bad luck from sneaking into your house.

Despite the broom symbolizing cleanliness, according to this superstition, if you decide to sweep your house at night, this will awaken the evil spirits. By following the sound of sweeping, they will hunt you. Considering how dangerous and scary this might be, you might reconsider your timing for sweeping.

4. Throwing Salt Over Your Shoulder

As silly as it might sound, throwing salt over your shoulder is a common superstition not just in Mexico but in many other countries in Europe and Asia as well. This happens when someone accidentally spills the salt.

Salt used to be very expensive and spilling it was a big tragedy. But if somehow this occurred, people would immediately throw the spilled salt over their left shoulder to make the misfortune, evil spirits, or the devil go away and for them to stay safe. Even though salt is now cheaper, this superstition still reminds and reminds Mexican people that evil might still be among them. 

5. Passing The Salt

Another Hispanic superstition about salt is passing the salt. During mealtime in Hispanic culture, salt is an important attribute and is present on the table most of the time. People at the table often fetch salt to season their meals and it’s normal. Yet there’s a rule you should follow: never hand the salt directly to someone else.

Instead, you should put it in a spot where another person can reach it easily. The superstition suggests that if you pass the salt directly from one hand to another, it causes bad luck. That’s why you should be careful if you’re at the table in Mexican culture to prevent mysterious tragedies.

Bottom Line

As you can see, most of the Mexican superstitions can be absolutely eerie and sometimes even frightening. Even though some people find traditional Hispanic superstitions amusing, for others it is something to beware of, something they structure their everyday lives around. In any case, if you ever suspect your luck has started to mysteriously disappear, look into these 5 Mexican superstitions and see if you’ve accidentally broken one of them.