Which Of These Food Superstitions Do You Believe In? #POLL

If you claim to have never believed in superstitions, you’re lying. It is impossible that you have never hiccupped and wondered who’s missing you; considered just one Myna to be unlucky; or never said ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes. Here are some similar common food superstitions (or traditions) everyone has believed in atleast once!

1. Salt

Spilling salt is considered to be unlucky. Don’t worry, you can turn it around by throwing some over your left shoulder. It also believed that passing salt to another person by hand is the onset of a fight.

2. Curd

The only reason Indian kids pass exams – dahi cheeni (curd and sugar). The combination is believed to bring good luck to the person who is setting out for a task.

3. Milk

A lot of people believe that when one moves into a new house, they should place milk on the stove and when the liquid boils over, it brings good luck. On the contrary, some believe that spilling milk is downright inauspicious.

4. Rice

Newly wed couples or brides are handed fistful of rice to toss over their heads as the grain brings fertility and prosperity in the lives of the couple.

5. Lemon

Limes strung together with dried red chilies (nimbu mirch) is believed to ward off evil spirits and bad omen, in turn protecting whatever the string is tied to – car, house, etc.

6. Chilies

Dried chilies alone are trusted to be powerful enough to fight off a buri nazar (evil eye). Kids – usually the younger ones – are sat down while an elder hovers the chilies over and around them and finally burns it (the chilies not the kid!).

7. Alcohol

One word – cheers. Clinking glasses and saying ‘cheers’ before sipping your poison has many legends. One suggests that the ‘clinking’ sound wards off demons while the other claims that in older times, the ritual was meant to spill the liquid from one glass to another. This gesture assures everyone that their drinks aren’t poisons (literally.).

8. Tulsi Leaves

The leaf has many medicinal properties and even more traditional and holy ones. Chewing the leaves is considered to be chest-slapping-inauspicious, while simply swallowing them is perfectly alright.

9. Meat

Some families and communities believe that carrying meat on a journey attracts ghosts and evil spirits so it’s a bad idea to carry your own butter chicken home. Unless, you have few neem leaves, red chilies and few pieces of charcoal handy to shoo away the ghosts.

10. Final Destination

More of a tradition than superstition, this Hindu belief professes that the mourning family of a deceased should not cook food in their house until the final rights are performed. According to popular legend, this is to prevent the burning of the deceased’s soul.

So NOW are you superstitious? Come on, whom are you kidding? All those degrees and medals in your cupboard you owe to the bowl of dahi cheeni your mum fed you! So stop lying and go tie some nimbu mirch around your waist and vote for all the superstitions you believe in below.

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