Superstitions in India with Examples (You’d Better Follow Them)

Of course, you do not believe in them, but still, try to avoid this black cat who is minding his own business on your way. Are we right? 

Let’s find out what superstitions in India and their scientific reasons are. Maybe the knowledge will change (or save) your life. Let’s dive into it!

Indian Superstitions that You Should Consider Following cause You Never Know

We will describe 10 of the most popular superstitions in India. In fact, there are dozens of them. 

1. Sweeping floors in the evening will bring bad luck

   

To be precise,  it’s believed that Laxmi (goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, and prosperity) visits homes in the evenings, and sweeping will drive her away. Seems doubtful but you’d better still abstain from doing that in the evening as there is a risk of sweeping something useful or expensive away due to the poor lighting. 

2. Hanging lemon and 7 green chilies at the door of your establishment will bring good luck

   

It is believed that Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, can bring bad luck to entrepreneurs. As she doesn’t mind eating sour, pungent, and hot food, local business owners in India hang lemon and 7 green chilies at their door to please the goddess.  She eats her favorite food, appeases her hunger, and leaves without harming your business.

Meanwhile, lemon and chili are rich in different vitamins and thus our ancestors probably tried to propagate their usage through symbols during ceremonies which slowly turned into superstition.

3. Cutting nails and hair on Saturdays and after sunset is no good

   

Well, that can be really dangerous if you hold scissors when it’s dark. So, even if it isn’t pissing Saturn off, which results in your bad luck, you should probably think twice before you reach for nail clippers or scissors. 

4. Breaking mirrors is a no-no

   

Well, this one is really baseless. 

A long time ago mirrors used to be very costly. To save the treasure from being damaged and broken, the ancient people from Rome started lecturing that breaking mirrors will bring you 7 years of bad luck. And that came to India as well. 

Good trick, Romans!

5. Eye twitching is good and leg shaking is bad

   

Both of them are forms of nervous tic. But Hindu don’t buy it. They are convinced that the right eye twitching benefits men, and the left one brings good news to women.

And if you shake your legs, you aren’t going to be rich.

6. Adding one rupee to a gift sum brings luck

   

The meaning of this superstition is that one is a lucky number. The cash gifts must hold an amount that ends with one (501, 1001). If the well-wishers forget to add a one rupee coin, then that sure should set the alarm bells – these guys wish you no good. 

7. Eclipse is a bad guy

   

Don’t go out during an eclipse. And if you are pregnant – ugh, you’d better don’t move at all, your legs can’t be crossed. 

The roots of this superstition may lie in the fact that watching the sun during a solar eclipse can provoke retinal burns or so-called “eclipse blindness”. So, let’s not tempt fate. 

8. Don’t you ever dare to sleep with your head facing the north

   

It is called biomagnetism and probably it’s its guilt why you should be sleeping strictly with your head to the South.  They say the asymmetry with the Earth’s magnetic field can have harmful effects related to blood pressure and other diseases. 

Just in case, check out where your head is when you sleep. 

9. Don’t hang around a Peepal tree at night

   

Peepal is the tree ghosts like to gather around and mingle. If you happen to sleep around a peepal tree at night, the ghosts will kill you. 

Or they won’t as the real thing is that if you do go near the tree at night you will enjoy not the fresh air but carbon dioxide. Dizziness, headache, nausea, increased heart rate can be the outcomes of your neglecting behavior. 

10. Eat curd before you leave the house for success

    

A bit of curd and sugar before you go out can provide a headstart whatever business you are going to start that day.

In fact, the tropical climate of India highly recommends the consumption of curd which has a cooling effect on the stomach. Plus, the sugar provides instant glucose. That gives people instant energy. That can be a possible reason why people succeed when they eat them. 

Of course, there are more Indian superstitions like the black cat mentioned in the very beginning and the belief that keeping onions and knives under your bed will drive away bad dreams, etc.  But we are not going to do the eradication of these superstitions, right? Well, it has no sense as it’s part of Indian history and traditions. 

So, if you know more interesting Indian superstitions, feel free to tell us in the comments below!