10 Globally Celebrated Dates & the Mind-Boggling Superstitions Associated With Them

Your birthday is a day of celebration because let’s face it, you- irresistible bewitching piece of beauty- were born on this very day. But what if people believed that on your birth ‘date’, horrible things happened in the past, like: A zombie apocalypse or initiation of a wildfire or worse, a deadly virus pandemic spread?

Sure, many would denounce the superstitions but what about a fraction of people who actually believe in them? Would they share the same zeal and enthusiasm for your birthday then?

Well it turns out many of the famous dates and holidays celebrated across the world for the most well-known reasons have the most amusing superstitions associated with them. And surprisingly, not just a fraction of people, even entire countries believe in them. Isn’t that even more interesting?

10. 14th February- Valentine’s Day

From Google Images

14th February, Valentine’s Day, celebrated in commemoration of Christian martyr, Saint Valentine, is a day to declare your love and affection. Little did we know, the crazy superstitions around 14th February are plenty and juicy.

1. Ladies! Did you know people believe that the kind of man you will marry can be predicted by the kind of bird you catch sight of on the 14th? Crazy much? Read on.

• If you spot a sparrow — you will marry someone poor who will, however, fill your married life with happiness and joy.
• If you see a robin- you will marry a sailor or a crime fighter. Woah!
• If you spot an owl, you are doomed to a life as a spinster (this cracked us up!)
• If you spot a goldfinch (ladies, make sure you do) you are going to marry a millionaire. Who knew, goldfinches were the lucky charm?
• If you see a blackbird, you are going to marry a clergyman.

2. It is also believed that the seeds found in an Apple cut in half on this day denote the number of children you will have.

3. Another superstition predicts a quarrel. It says if a man gives cactus to his other half, they will most likely end up in a fight (perhaps cactus is the culprit here).

4. If you have 5–6 suitors in mind, and you want to predict which one of them you will end up marrying, worry not because there is a superstition for this too. Twist the stem of an apple and chant the names of possible candidates while you do it. Notice the name you say when the stem breaks, and there, you have your spouse’s name.

5. Did you know what you eat on Valentine’s Day could have an effect on your future? Apparently if you eat noodles, you will have a long life. For this to work, you have to make sure you eat the entire strand of noodle without breaking it.

9. Christmas

From Google Images

25th December, birth date of Jesus, is one of the most celebrated and popular holidays in the entire world. More popularity means more superstitions.

Let’s start with the most well-known.

1. If you avoid the kiss under the mistletoe, it means bad luck!
2. If a dog throws a tantrum on Christmas Eve, it will go mad before the year ends (poor dog!).
3. If a Christmas pudding is stirred from east to west (indicates pious men travelling to see Jesus) you will have one wish come true. If a single woman does it, she will have a husband by the same time next year.
4. Christmas presents are great but the one thing you don’t want to give away as a present are “shoes”. It is believed if you give someone a shoe as a present on Christmas, they will walk out of your life. (Now if you want someone gone, we suggest try it)
5. If you want to predict the age of the man you are going to marry, there is a superstition for that too, but a cruel one we suppose. It is believed if a young woman hits pigs with a stick on Christmas, the first pig to squeal can tell the age of her husband. If a young pig squeals- young husband, if an old one squeals — an old husband and if none- sorry, no husband!

8. New year

From Google Images

January 1st, the day ringing with our unfulfilled resolutions and the hustle bustle of midnight festivities, also comes with its own set of superstitions.

1. There is a superstition from Belarus formerly known as Belorussia that predicts who amongst a group of single women will get married first. These women sit in a circle with corns in front of them. A rooster is centered in this circle and the woman whose corn the Rooster decides to peck at first is the one to get hitched first.
2. People in Latin America believe if you carry an empty suitcase around on the new year, it means a year of adventure and travel for you (where are our empty suitcases at, because we are so ready to travel).
3. Next superstition is literally “sweep to sweep the negativity away”. Yes, people in China believe sweeping on New Year is bound to keep your friends and family away from all evil.
4. Now here’s a paradox, while some believe (like mentioned above) cleaning does you good, some Chinese legends suggest refraining from doing laundry and throwing away trash on new year because you might just be throwing away your luck.

7. Diwali

From Google Images

The festivities of 5 days of Diwali celebrated in October or November depending on Hindu lunar calendar also come bearing their fair share of superstitions.

1. Whereas gambling may be considered illegal on other days, on Diwali it is believed to bring in prosperity for the coming year.
2. It is considered unlucky to count money at the gambling table, therefore no matter what, do not slip your hand through the banknotes with the intention of counting them.
3. Another superstition says goddess Laxmi: the goddess of wealth who travels by owl, brought into the house to be worshipped on Diwali will be stuck in the house if an owl is killed(ouch!) thus, bearing a year of wealth for the household.
4. Another secret of summoning the deity of Wealth is to draw the outline of her footsteps by rice flour from the entrance to the shrine room.

6. Easter

From Google Images

Sunday 4th April: Easter Sunday also known as resurrection Sunday is a holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. When it comes to superstitions surrounding Easter, there is no shortage.

1. Did you know for centuries, eggs were considered a forbidden food and having them at Easter was considered a special treat for denying yourself all the delicious proteins?
2. Scarlet dyed eggs are considered to guard fields and vineyards from lightning and hailstorms. Would you believe, even today, some parts of Europe use these eggs for exactly this purpose!
3. If you fail to wear at least one new item on Easter, it is believed by some, you are at risk of getting your clothes spoiled by a bird or being spat on by stray dogs.

5. 4th July

From Google Images

4th of July celebrated by the Americans for the signing of Declaration of Independence, doesn’t have many superstitions but a few we know are listed here:

1. It is believed that sipping hot tea and eating stones on the 4th of July is a bad omen and frowned upon by some people in America. (Probably because they are both English traditions)
2. A Chinese superstition is that the number 4 symbolizes death but what is spooky is that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on 4th of July, making some Americans believe in the bad luck brought upon by this day.

4. St. Patrick’s Day-17th March

From Google Images

Next on our list is the Irish holiday St. Patrick’s Day, the cultural and religious holiday remembering the death date of Saint Patrick.

1. March 17 is strictly not the day for dropping things! Yes, it is believed that if on this day you drop something, it means someone unexpected will come to visit and this surprise might not come bearing good tidings.
2. If you want to be wealthy and prosperous, it is believed that keeping a cinnamon stick in your money wallet on this particular day can help.
3. If you give someone a knife on this day, even if they asked for it, it means your friendship with them will come to an end. Instead what can be done is place it on the counter or table and have them pick it up.

3. Thanksgiving

From Google Images

Fourth Thursday of November- thanksgiving, celebrated as day of giving thanks for the good tidings of the preceding year also has a list of superstitions of its own.

1. Do you know the famous tradition of breaking a wishbone? The reason two people hold a turkey’s furcula, make a wish, and pull it until it breaks is because it is thought that the person that ends up with a larger share has his/her wish come true.
2. If you want to eat the leftovers of a child’s turkey, you might want to fight that instinct because if you go through with it, it will make the girl cry and make the boy misbehave.
3. It is also believed if you knock 3 times on the wooden board on which the turkey is placed before it is put into the oven, it will add taste to the turkey.

2. Leap year(29th February )

From Google Images

If you were born on the 29th February, you must celebrate your true birthday every four years making this day very special for you but do you know what makes the leap day even more special: the superstitions!

1. A superstition has it that it was considered acceptable for a woman to take advantage of the otherwise anomaly of a day in the Calendar and propose a man of her liking without offending the orthodox traditions. To guarantee the success of the proposal, Scottish people believed that it was important that the woman wore a petticoat under her dress and showed it a little bit.
2. In Italy, it is considered that a marriage that takes place on the leap year is ill fated. They call it “leap year, the gloomy year” or “anno bisesto, anno funesto”
3. In Taiwan, a leap day points to the increase in chances of dying of ones’ parents. In order to avoid this, a married woman in Taiwan should return to her family house and give her parents pettitoe noodles.

1. Halloween

From Google Images

Topping our list of superstitions is October 31st- Halloween. No other date or holiday is more suited for superstitions than the eerie uncanny Halloween.

1. If a bat is seen flying three times around a house, it means someone in the house is going to die. Another superstition related to bat says that if a bat flies into your house it means your house is haunted and in fact the bat has been let in by ghosts.
2. Another superstition says the ghosts can transform themselves as humans (beggars or kids) and can knock on doors asking for food or candy (trick or treat, anyone?) If you turn down such a ghost, you will end up cursed.
3. Did you know there is a popular tradition in welsh families where they build a bonfire and then each family member casts a distinctly marked small white stone. The next day, they come looking for it and if one is missing, it means the thrower of that stone isn’t going to live to see another Halloween (it’s an outlived superstition but to think it was actually believed at some point is spooky!)
4. It is also believed in some Celtic lands that eating a large apple under an Apple tree at midnight on Halloween wearing only a bed sheet, would make you immune to catching a cold.
5. Do you know there is a popular superstition that says children born on Halloween have the power to converse with fairies and supernatural creatures?

With the surfacing of scientific explanations and knowledge, superstitions are becoming less popular over-time, however, do not be fooled, a good number of people all around the world still swear by these superstitions and even those who do not firmly believe in them, do some of these superstitious things just for the sake of kicks and laughs!

Let us know which superstition you believe in and which one amused you the most.