Some knife owners would never allow another person (with the exception of their SO) to touch their knives. (See you there!). Copyright KRUDO Knives, INC. | All rights reserved | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Design By iFame Media, Assets That Hold Value During Uncertain Times, 6 Hobbies for Guys That Arent Video Games, Selling a pocket knife is a problem? #26: Some knife owners, particularly those in the Philippines, believe in coating the blade with their blood if they accidentally cut themselves with it. guaranteed, #17: One old wives' tales about white-handled knives is that they can tell you if your future spouse will be dark or fair by spinning it around. It doesn't matter if it's raining cats and dogs (piovendo a catinelle). The origin of this saying is medieval and religious: in the Gospels, Friday is in fact the day of Jesus crucifixion and its reserved for penance. Remember #5 above? Its common for people moving into a new home-especially newlywedsto rid evil spirits and bless their home by performing certain rituals, such as sprinkling salt in the corners of all the rooms. Newer Post . Our advice would be to put it on the table for them to pick up themselves. Our first book, "Our Italian Journey," was written during our year in Italy experiencing the seducing charm of the country. with a knife, butter knife usualy, and then rubs the water and oil on our forheads, wrists in the sign of the cross, and then splashes it a liitle over im going to ask her to teach me . If someone does give you a knife as a wedding gift, you are supposed to give the gift-giver a penny in return so it is considered a "purchase." 7. It is believed that if you or someone else accidentally brushes your feet with a broom while sweeping the floor, you will never get married! The quintessential Italian American superstition: the Evil Eye (Malocchio) The Evil Eye, or Malocchio, is one of the most ancient and widesrpead superstitions of the whole Mediterranean basin, so no wonder it also became a well known Italian American superstition.. Every culture seems to have their own version of the Evil Eye and their own ways to fight it. personalized lessons. As a word of warning though, if you decide to take up any of these superstitions, most women you know wont take kindly to your stabbing a knife into the headboard of their babies beds. . This superstition is linked to an old belief that since a mirror reflects ones own image, it could therefore also trap their soul. Sleeping with a knife under your pillow gives you peace of mind that you are protected with a weapon nearby, which results in a peaceful nights sleep. It is unclear where this superstition originated, but I suspect that a person used someones favorite knife to stir their drink, resulting in the knifes owner taking exception to this and challenging the offender! We grow up with unspoken regulations to ward off bad luck, and just as casually perform rituals to draw in good fortune. The tradition of first confession and first holy communion. In this case, the superstition goes against knife safety, as an open knife lying around can be hazardous. 12. While some still hold these to be true, KRUDO Knives likes to err on the side of caution & recommend you not try anything that may cause harm or fights with your friends & family. For example, in Ireland it meant a fight was going to happen soon (but of course). Photo by SOG. Learn more about Italian birthday traditions here. Mangia! Fortunately, I do not subscribe to this superstition and welcome all knife gifts! It is said that the more you eat the richer youll become, so eat up! People get around this superstition by taping a penny to the blade (or in the box or card). Watch where you put your left foot! Others are told to bring good luck, such as the four leaf clover or the number 7. Make sure to follow some important rules or you might attract some misfortune! Also, never stir anything, like a stew or soup, with your knife. The ferro in the saying stands for ferro di cavallo (horseshoe) which in the past was believed to ward off the devil, witches, and evil spirits. Some givers often tape a penny to the blade so that the receiver will simply just return it as "payment.". If the knife is given to a friend, money must be exchanged as well. As a native English speaker who learned Italian as an adult, I know what its like to feel hopeless and lack the confidence to speak. Some consider this a bad omen as the use of the past tense implies that death is just around the corner, and therefore it stands for bad luck. But what exactly is a superstition and where does this term come from? A Lucky Number. This website also participates in Google Adsense. If youre wondering, why number 17? When it comes to shaking hands, Italians consider it bad luck to cross their arms when shaking someones hand. #5: One prevalent belief still held by people today is that gifting a knife to someone will cause the relationship between the giver and the recipient to be severed. These beliefs are not unique to a single culture or people group, indicating knives profound influence on a global scale. According to tradition, when priestsvisited the dying to give them their last rights, theywould remove their hat and put it on the bed. Sharpening a knife in low light can result in a poorly sharpened edge which will not cut well or possibly damage the blade. And when clinking glasses never cross between others. Which one do you think is the weirdest? Here are six more knife superstitions and knife traditions from the ancient world. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. bestens ! January 10, 2021 Many of our Italian relatives believe in superstitions. According to Italian traditions, a loaf of bread must always be placed facing up. The similarity of these beliefs from two distant parts of the world shows how different cultures placed the same value and significance on knives. Putting a hat on a bed is considered unlucky because its associated with death. A cup of basil tea after dinner helps digestion. . Funny but I just dont see the significance of this yuck being a good thing. Another common superstition in the dark ages was that if you crossed your knife with any other piece of cutlery at the table, it was a sign that you were involved with witchcraft. The word salario, meaning salary, is derived from sale, meaning salt. (Eat!). Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email. Find Private Teaching Jobs on TakeLessons. The person who opened it must close it to avoid bad luck. When youre feeling under the weather, chances are you want to take a nice hot bath to soothe your pain. Thats because they dont want the umbrella to accidentally pop open inside the house! Its believed that black cats are a symbol of witchcraft and the devil. #20: Some hunters believe that the knife you use to kill game (not dress it) should never be handled by a woman. Some traditions call for using your blade as soon as you get it to draw some blood from your hand, bonding the knife to you. Whatever you do, never walk underneath a ladder! In the UK, Australia, or the US, after saying something that might attract bad luck, you would typically say Touch wood!. That stirs up trouble. If you are not feeling well and under the weather, you might be inclined to want to take a nice hot bath to soothe your aches and pains. As your guide, I walk you through each lesson, step-by-step, using my unique 80/20 method. Thats a taste of the many traditions and superstitions that have grown around knives through the centuries. Italians believe that these evil contraptions blow dangerously cold air in your face, leading to colpo dari or a punch of air.. Posted by Leighton Taylor on May 13, 2014. To see a shooting star is a sign of death. A tickling nose is a sign of getting drunk. Knives are considered bad luck to give as a wedding gift, since knives represent a broken relationship. We are simply looking at knife superstitions from the perspective of interest. Includes English and Italian translations with pronuncation guide. If you do it, either someone will tirarti un occhiataccia (give you a dirty look) or tell you to close it and open it outside. Let me know using thecomments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation. A knife that falls and sticks into the floor means bad luck in the near future for the knife owner. Ladies, dont get any ideas with this one! Cultural Context: It is believed that passing a sharp item between two people will lead to a physical altercation or a friendship cut short. Here are 15 Italian superstitions that you need to know or at least be aware of. Walk around it, in front of it, behind it, but not under. Italians do not care for the number 17. Never cross objects in the shape of a crossfor example, your fork and knifeas this is considered to be an insult to the religious symbol of the cross and will bring you bad luck. Every culture has its own set of New Years traditions. #16: It is bad luck to say the word "knife" while at sea. Instead, the knife should be put down on a table and the person on the receiving end should pick it up. As we look at some of these superstitious beliefs about knives, be aware that we in no way condone the use of knives in this way. Hes definitely. This term carried a negative meaning and it indicated the unreasonable and excessive fear of the gods as opposed to the good and reasonable worship, the religio. According to Italian superstition, you should never wish someone buon compleanno or tanti auguri (this is how Italians say for happy birthday), before their actual birthday. Find out more in the article below:5 Proven & Safe TIPS: How To Dispose Of Kitchen Knives. Older Post #8: Some knife owners believe that you never truly own a knife unless it has "bitten" you (tasted your blood). It might sound like there are lots of things in Italy to stay away from, but dont worry, in most cases, there are remedies to reverse the spell! One thing they seem to have in common is that the Evil Eye is caused by jealousy and envy. My approach is different from traditional methods because I teach you the most important 20% of the language right from the beginning so you can start to speak straight away. Required fields are marked *. Throwing it on the floor or on the table was unlucky because you had to buy it again. 8. Basically, knives meant power. 1. Consider the following: buy some good mascara, a floral crown, a veil, delete the knife set off your online gift registry and change your wedding day to any other day than Saturday. Some ancient knife traditions hold that you never really own a knife until it has tasted your blood or bitten you. Its also bad luck to cross arms with anyone as you clink glasses. The idea is that once you cut yourself accidentally with a knife, you have a special bond with the knife. I break everything down in such a way that it clicks and just makes sense. #19: In some parts of America, people believe that sharpening any blade after the sun goes down is bad luck. "La Befana". It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Thank you for your support! Religious ceremonies and rituals frequently involved the use of knives, which led to spiritual-based superstitions around knives and their use. . When making a toast in Italy, its considered unlucky to do it with water. It's especially bad luck to give a knife as a wedding gift because, according to folklore, it could cut the marriage ties. This also explains why it is common to use the right hand to shake hands, to exchange the sign of peace in church, and why left-handed children in the past were corrected by forcing them to write with their right hand, this is because the left hand was the devils hand. You see it everywhere, the cornicello charm which looks like a spicy red pepper. So in addition to providing the recipient a chance to symbolically buy the blade with a coin, the coin provides good luck to cancel out the bad luck of the knife. Ill buy one now and again to stock up before they get discontinued forever. #23: To make sure that a pregnant woman will give birth to a boy, the husband needs to stick a knife into the mattress of her bed. This superstition is based on an old religious fact that bread is considered a symbol of life. In the ancient times and some bakers to do, bakers will cut across on top of the bread to facilitate levitation , and also to bless the bread so to say. One variant of this superstition includes the fact that the bad luck will mean pain or stitches. If meeting friends and you are not married, be aware of where you sit at the table. The Evil Eye (Malocchio) They say to drop olive oil in a bowl of water and if it forms one large drop you have the Malocchio. The 14 Most Important Italian Superstitions 1. I know what its like to start from scratch and to even go back to absolute basics and learn what a verb is! 1.
Download your free PDF guide with 125 Italian travel phrases. The roots of the Italian superstition of malocchio (Evil Eye) are in envy, and its symptoms can include headache, excessive yawning, and a general malaise. Do you follow this custom? Did you know that if you are walking outside and a pigeon poops on your head, it is a sign of good luck in Italy? 6. I use my working knowledge of the English language to help you get into the Italian mindset so you can avoid the common pitfalls and errors English speakers make because I made them once too! In previous centuries, people who owned a knife had an important title or a certain power over others (the head of the family for example). Handing someone a knife. A central aspect of Irish folklore is the wealth of traditional beliefs and superstitions that have been held by Irish people over the centuries.
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