21 of the Weirdest Greek Superstitions Still Believed Today
21 of the Weirdest Greek Superstitions Still Believed Today
All countries and cultures have their own customs, traditions and superstitions, some happen to have more than others, take Greece for example, here are just a few weird Greek superstitions that make a Greek a Greek!
1. “To Mati” The evil eye
The Greek evil eye charms & amulets
This must be the most well-known of Greek superstitions, the curse of the evil eye, said to be caused by jealousy and excessive praise.
Greek evil eye charms and amulets, in the shape of eyes, are worn, carried in pockets, or hung on walls, to ward off this bad fortune.
To test if you have been unlucky enough to have been touched by the curse of the evil eye, place a drop of oil in a glass of water.
If the oil floats, all is well, you have not been afflicted, if it sinks though, well, then it’s a good idea to call a Greek mama to say her secret prayer for you, and when you start yawning, that’s the sign the curse is leaving you!
2. “Filaxta” Talismans and amulets
“Filaxta” Greek charms & amulets
Flilaxta are Greek amulets, or talismans, usually seen pinned to babiesand children’s clothes but are also carried in the pockets and purses of older people, they are believed to ward off the evil eye.
Called “Baskania” by The Greek Orthodox Church, small pieces of cloth are sewn into tiny sachets, embellished with beads, or the sign of the cross, filled with cotton wool soaked in holy oil, which has been blessed by a priest, or pieces of olive branch or basil, that has been used in some religious ceremony, performed by a priest.
Anything that is from holy ground, or that has been blessed by a priest, can be used to fill these “Filaxta”.
3. Spitting – “Ftou Ftou Flou”
Nais, taking spitting to another level – and making double sure of protection from the evil eye, is that a Greek evil eye bracelet I see on her wrist?
Don’t be too surprised to see Greeks spitting all over the place, actually, it is not spitting as such but more of a spitting sound;
“Ftou Ftou Flou”
Always spit three times (Three depicting The Holy Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Ghost), and you’ll be kept safe from the evil eye.
If you hear someone speaking of misfortune and misery, say “Ftou Ftou Ftou”, that should keep the same misfortune and misery away from you and your loved ones.
Fishermen spit on their nets, to ensure a good catch and Greek babies are “Ftou Ftou Ftoued” over all the time to keep the devil at bay.
4. Itchy Palms
Giving or receiving? Which palm was itchy, left or right?
Next time your palm itches, take note which one has the tickle, left, or right?
I hope for your sake that it’s the right palm, this means you’re going to receive money, not a welcome itch if it’s the left palm though, you’ll be the one giving money to someone else’s itchy right palm!
5. Open Scissors
Always close scissors, never leave them open
Painting Raymond Logan
After using a pair of scissors never put them down with the blades open!
This is just an invitation for people to talk about you and not in a good way!
6. Never Leave Shoes Lying on their Side
Even if your shoes are red-soled Louboutin, don’t leave them lying sideways
Even if your shoes are coveted Louboutin, restrain yourself from leaving them lying on their side in order to admire those cherry – red-soles.
Shoes left on their sides means bad luck, lots of it, some say even death!
7. Never Leave Your Slippers Sole-Side Up While You Sleep
Offending slippers
If you want to have children then be careful not to leave your slippers sole-side up while sleeping, a sure way, according to Greek folklore, to remain childless.
8. Writing Boy’s Names on the Soles of Wedding Shoes
Who will I marry?
Want to know who’ll you marry?
When attending weddings, young, unmarried girls and bridesmaids, write the names of their loved ones on the soles of their shoes or the name of the boy they have their eye on.
If at the end of the day the name has not worn off then, you soon may be hearing your own wedding bells.
Have you noticed how young Greek girls seem to walk so, so, carefully at weddings?
Now you know why!
9. Don’t Hand Over a Knife
Lay your knives on the table
If someone asks you to pass them a knife never put it straight into their hand if you want to remain friends.
Place the knife on the table in front of them, for them to pick up themselves, otherwise you will fight, or your friendship will be cut short.
10. Never give Perfume as a Gift without Receiving a Coin in Exchange
Smells like a break-up
If you can’t imagine life without your best friend or don’t want to break up with your boyfriend; don’t give them perfume as a gift.
Giving perfume as a gift is a sure-fire way, according to the Greeks, to ruin any relationship.
If you absolutely must buy them the latest cult fragrance, make sure they give you a coin in return; this should ward off any evil vibes!
11. Always Enter and Leave a House by the Same Door
If you came in this way, you leave this way.
When visiting someone always leave from the door through which you entered.
Don’t go in the back door and leave through the front, or vise versa, if you don’t want to break up a romantic relationship.
12. Salt Sees Off Unwelcome Visitors
Worth a pinch of salt
Someone overstayed their welcome?
Never fear; a pinch of salt thrown behind their back will see them on their way!
It’s also said salt sprinkled in a new home will drive out evil spirits.
13. Don’t Eat Straight From the Pot
Who could resit pinching one of these potatoes straight from the pot?
Everyone hopes for glorious weather on their wedding day, right?
Make the effort to put your food on a plate then; never eat straight from the cooking pot, that’s just asking for bad weather on your wedding day!
14. Lucky Bat Bones
Bat bones, lucky for some.
Especially on the Greek islands, bat bones are considered lucky and are carried around in pockets and purses, to attract good luck.
On Corfu, I have heard, they believe to actually chew on bat bones brings the most luck!
The problem here is how to acquire a good set of bat bones as it’s known to be so unlucky to kill a bat!
15. Try Not to Spot a Priest Walking in the Street
Greek Priests – “Garlic, garlic!”
Everybody loves a Greek priest but even though they are revered; look away quickly if you see one in the street, it’s thought to be a bad omen.
If you can’t avoid a priest out and about on the streets, whisper “Skorda” garlic, this should do the trick of deflecting any bad omens!
16. Always Steal Plant Cuttings
They must have been Greek!
If you want plant cuttings to flourish never ask for them from neighbours, family or friends; pinch them, it’s the only way for them to take root!
On eyeing up a particularly handsome plant in a friends garden; on asking for a cutting, the friend is likely to reply ‘Come and take a cutting tonight, when I’ve gone to bed, so I don’t see you’.
If you turn up too early and they happen to be looking out of the window, well, then, they’ll just turn a blind eye!
17. Never Leave a Purse or Wallet Completely Empty
Money in my pocket
Money attracts money, so they say, so never leave a purse or wallet empty; at least leave a couple of coins in there and hope for some attraction!
18. Plant Cactus outside Your Door
Cactus security
Greece has the perfect climate for cactus and they seem to grow anywhere and everywhere but have you noticed that it’s quite common to see them planted, either in pots, or in the ground, outside doors and entrances?
This is because these plants are considered useful as spiky, prickly door men, keeping the undesirable evil spirits out of the house.
19. Sneezing
Atchoo!
Greeks believe that when you sneeze someone is talking about you.
To find out who that someone is, ask whoever is with you to give you a three digit number; add the digits together, for example, say they give you the number 123:
123 1+2+3=6, the name of the person who is talking about you, begins with the sixth letter of the alphabet.
By the way; sneezing was considered a form of birth – control in ancient Greece!
20. Crows
“Sto Kalo, Sto Kalo”
Picture by Colette Davis
To the Greeks crows represent a bad omen, bad news, misfortune and death, as the crow was a symbol of the occult in ancient Greek mythology.
When they see, or hear a crow, a Greek is likely to say:
“Sto kalo, sto kalo, kala nea tha mou ferris”
This means, literally:
“Go to the good, go to the good and bring me good news”
With this they send the crow on its way with instructions not to return without good news.
21. Salt, Bread and Eggs Should Never Leave the House after Sunset
Not allowed out after dark
If a neighbour comes knocking on your door after dark asking to borrow either salt, eggs or bread, say no!
If any of these three items leave your house after dark, you and anyone else living in the house are doomed, bad luck will befall you all, you will be inflicted with the evil eye.
Be very, very careful, people can be sly and may ask you for these items after dark, with the intent of causing you and your family harm, always say no!
Do Greeks Fear Black cats?
Black Cat
You may be wondering why there’s no black cat superstition on the list, well, the first black cat superstition did appear in Ancient Greece, when Hera, the Zeus’s wife, turned her servant into a black cat as punishment.
The superstition began after Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, took pity on the servant and employed him as her assistant.
However, nothing more was ever mentioned about the poor servant, certainly nothing about him wreaking havoc and bad luck, so, Greeks fearing black cats are very few and far between!
How to Spot a Superstitious Greek
Taking all of the above superstitions into account, if you come across someone decked out in evil eyes and amulets, spitting all over the place, muttering “garlic, garlic” under their breath, while chomping on a bat bone, well, there’s a very good chance that it’s a Greek!
