Salt is a common ingredient found in almost every kitchen. However, did you know that spilling salt can be considered either bad luck or good luck, depending on your beliefs and superstitions? This article explores seven different spilling salt superstitions from around the world, shedding light on the cultural significance and interpretations associated with this everyday occurrence.
1. The Origins of Salt Superstitions
Humans have always had a fascination with salt. Salt was often used as a form of currency in ancient geographies, as it was a valuable trade item for its ability to preserve food and add flavor. The word “salary” even stems from the Latin word for salt.
It’s no surprise, then, that salt has many superstitions attached to it. I’ve already mentioned that spilling salt is bad luck, but there are many ways to break a salt superstition if you happen to spill some grains on accident. We’ll get to that soon, but first, let’s dive into the history behind them.
Giving the Devil His Due
One of the earliest instances of the spilled salt superstition is tied to the idea of the Devil. The story goes that the devil is always trying to cause trouble, and creating a mess is one of his favorite things.
He won’t pass up an opportunity when it comes to food, as eating together was (and still is) a great way to form social bonds and become closer with people. So whenever you’re eating in a group, you should sprinkle some salt over your shoulder to keep the devil at bay.
It’s also said that since the Devil hangs around where evil is done, he’s bound to knock over some salt once in a while. To prevent any negative effects from occurring when he makes a mess, you should toss some over your left shoulder.
Although this is the most well known origin story for the salt superstition, other cultures have their own unique takes on spilling salt. For example, the Celts believed spirits dwell in natural elements such as sand. Salt was thought to ward off evil spirits or even keep them bound. Spilling salt simply let loose those pesky entities.
The Purest Element
Some believe the varying beliefs and superstitions may stem from salt’s status as one of the four elements in “nature.” This concept, developed by Empedocles from around 494-434 BCE, states that everything on earth – including humans – are composed of four basic elements: earth, air, fire and water.
The ancient Greeks also believe each element has two basic qualities: hot or cold and dry or moist. An equal combination of these makes up every object on earth including objects considered bad luck (such as an object falling off a shelf and breaking something).
Salt was commonly associated with Earth (or its Roman equivalent Terra). And while salt is often associated with cleansing and protection, it can also absorb negative energies— which is why spilling salt can actually be good luck despite popular belief.
2. Spilling Salt as Bad Luck
While many cultures believe spilling salt is a sign of protection, others think it’s only a bad omen if the spilled salt is not tended to properly.
When salt was an expensive commodity, spilling it was wasteful. And this led to the belief that if you spilled salt without flinging a few pinches of it over your left shoulder, you would be plagued with bad luck. Over the centuries, this has developed into a tradition where salt spillers throw a few pinches of the white stuff over their left shoulder while making a wish or saying a short prayer to ward off bad luck.
1. Wastefulness
The most popular reason for considering spilling salt as bad luck is the association with wasting something valuable.
Salt was once an expensive commodity, and many countries even used it as a form of currency. That’s why in ancient times when something so precious was wasted, it could only be explained by evil forces at work.
But even though salt is no longer as valuable as it once was, the superstition lives on. Spilling salt is still considered bad luck because it’s wasteful.
2. Evil Spirits
Another reason spilling salt is considered bad luck is the belief that good spirits look out for people. It’s believed that good spirits are always around to protect us from evil ones.
That’s why you can ward off bad things by throwing some of your spilled salt over your left shoulder. The gesture is supposed to hit any lurking evil spirits in the eye and dissuade them from causing trouble.
3. The Devil’s Arrival
The devil can also be behind your spilled salt-related misfortunes.
This is a superstition that was especially popular during medieval times when the devil was believed to be lurking around every corner.
At dinner parties, for instance, people would throw some of their salt over their left shoulders to keep the devil away. They also believed that if they didn’t perform this ritual and they ended up spilling their salt, it meant that the devil would soon arrive on the scene.
3. Spilling Salt as Good Luck
While most of the superstitions say that spilling salt is an omen of bad luck, there are a few of them that also consider this act as a sign of good fortune.
The following are three superstitions that say that spilling salt is considered a good omen:
1. A positive answer to your queries
If you ask an open-ended question or make a query and drop some salt on the table, it means that the answer will be in the affirmative. This superstition has been adapted from Russia. If the salt falls from the back of the hand, then it is a “yes.” If it comes from the palm, then the answer is negative.
2. Salt spills to drive away evil forces
An old superstition says that spilling salt is a fortunate event because it helps in driving away all the evil spirits around you. However, this superstition adds that you must not let anyone else collect the salt but you. You can toss a pinch over your left shoulder to drive away any lurking bad luck.
3. To seal a deal
This superstition originated in Greece. If you are negotiating with someone and they spill salt on their wine glasses or business cards, it is actually a positive sign. It means that they are ready to seal a deal with you and they really want to go through with it.
Before leaving the prior meeting, these people will purposely sprinkle some salt on materials like their business cards or wine glasses as a symbol of their commitment to work through your deal.
4. Salt Superstitions in Different Cultures
Other cultures have different superstitions about salt. Here are a few from around the world.
Greek salt superstitions
Greeks believe that spilling salt is good luck. According to Greek superstition, when you spill salt it’s because devils were around. So if that’s the case, all you have to do is spill salt and they’ll leave you alone. To get them out of your home entirely, take a pinch of salt and sprinkle it on your doorstep. This will stop the devils from entering your home.
This is similar to the Italian superstition mentioned above where they believe that spilling salt brings prosperity and makes the house devil-free.
Japanese salt superstitions
Japanese people believe that salt prevents evil, so it’s often used in rituals to keep evil spirits at bay. For example, sumo wrestlers commonly throw handfuls of salt during their pre-match routines. This is said to purify the ring and to cast evil spirits away.
In Japan, if you accidentally spill salt someone might tell you that you’ll have a fight with a family member, or that in some cultures would mean you’d have no financial luck. Rather than throw the spilled salt over your left shoulder like in the West, Japanese people believe that stepping over it three times will get rid of any misfortune.
Irish salt superstitions
In Ireland there’s an old tradition of throwing salt along with seeds onto the roof of a new house. This tradition ensures that the house will be free from witches.
The person who throws the salt would say “With this salt, I give thee bread; With this grain, I give thee meat; With this seed, I give thee drink.” The idea is that throwing these grains would also ensure there would be an abundance of food and drink in the new house.
5. Rituals to Ward Off Bad Luck
We’ve talked a lot about bad luck and the many ways you can be rid of it, and we feel that we should at least provide you with one more option to keep your luck up. The list is endless, but some rituals are popular enough to make it on the list.
Mirrors and salt:
Apparently, these two have quite the history when it comes to superstitions. When you break a mirror, it’s seven years bad luck, so in order to avoid that, people would throw salt over their shoulder after an accidental breakage. Mirrors may not have the best history when it comes to superstitions–this also applies when a person dies in front of a mirror–so in order to keep bad occurrences from happening, throwing salt over your shoulder was a good option.
While the act of breaking a mirror is often followed by throwing salt, you aren’t limited to just this action. There are actually several things you can do with salt to cleanse yourself. We can provide many examples, all with their own benefits. Some examples include:
- Burning sage in cornmeal and placing a bowl of water nearby to absorb negative vibes
- A salt bath which is said to help purify the body and soul
- Placing salt at your doorstep as a way of protection
General advice:
If you want general advice on how to get rid of bad luck? Not just mine but common ones include finding a four-leaf clover, finding a penny heads up on the floor and wearing red underwear while gambling.
Yes–you read that last part right. Gambling involves a lot of luck-based actions. It’s often recommended that players are required to wear red underwear in order to win big in games like the lottery or poker. While there isn’t any real science backing this, we do like the idea.
Good luck charms:
These are popular across many cultures, and each have their own selection of good luck charms. A few good luck charms include rabbit feet, horseshoes and ladybugs.
6. Historical References to Salt Superstitions
As far as we can tell, the superstition that spilling salt is bad luck gained traction as part of an ancient Roman myth. Many people believe that their superstitious neighbors are carrying on an ancient tradition when they toss a few grains of salt over their left shoulder after spilling it.
There are a few theories as to why the Romans believed spilling salt was such bad luck. One story goes: In the early days of Rome, generals used salt as currency to pay their soldiers. The general would keep a bowl of salt on the dinner table to show off his wealth. If a clumsy guest knocked the salt over, they were held responsible for robbing the general of his fortune.
In another story, the Romans considered salt to be a symbol of friendship and loyalty. Ancient Roman legends tell us that the first written covenant in history was dissolved in saltwater. As a result, any alliance formed without this essential part of their legal system was doomed to fail.
These myths about the high value of salt are echoed in a few superstitions from other cultures. For example, an old German tradition has it that you can seal an agreement by salting each other’s bread. Many cultures consider finding a grain of salt on your plate to be a sign of good luck.
There is also some historical evidence that many people considered throwing salt to be a form of blessing. In ancient Rome and Greece, people scattered salt around a banquet table to ward off evil spirits before they ate.
The Romans also had many superstitions about birds. It was said that if one flew into your home, it meant someone in your family was going to die. According to some sources, the idea that you could reverse this bad luck by sprinkling salt on its tail comes from this ancient myth.
One legend tells us that Mary Magdalene died in France after landing there on a raft without oars or sails. In honor of her miraculous travel, French chefs began refining their recipes with their most valued ingredient: salt. When they spilled some while cooking, it was said that they would throw some over their left shoulder to thank her for her gift.
In his book Natural History, Pliny the Elder sourced many Roman myths about daily customs. He listed throwing spilled salt as part of an ancient tradition to repel evil spirits, stating “if an enemy should overspread it with dust . . . this is looked upon as being a prescription against all wickedness.”
7. Popular Sayings About Salt and Luck
There are a lot of phrases involving salt. Many come directly from the folklore and superstitions because they’re so ingrained in our culture. Here are a few.
Don’t Take It With A Grain Of Salt
The phrase “take it with a grain of salt” means to not take something someone is saying too seriously. Often, there’s a bit of speculation that could go either way. It’s hard to say if those who say this phrase actually know what it means. The earliest recording of the phrase comes from Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist. He wrote about a remedy for poison, and part of that remedy included taking the poison with a grain of salt. It’s easy to see how then that phrase evolved to today.
Rub Salt In The Wound
When you rub salt into someone else’s wound, you’re making their pain worse. This term has been around for over 400 years, so it definitely wasn’t coined because people knew about the bad luck associated with this seasoning. It was first seen in a translation by George North. The French have an equivalent phrase – remettre du sel dans la plaie or “putting salt on the wound.”
Worth Their Salt
If someone is worth their salt, they’re worthwhile or deserving of their praise or pay. This phrase is said to be attributed to the fact that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, which gives us the word salary (from salarium).
Below The Salt
In Medieval Europe, there would be salt cellars on the large communal tables. Only important guests had access to the premium, refined salts. Everyone else got lesser products or no salt at all. So if someone was “below the salt,” it means they weren’t important enough to sit at the head table.
Salting Something Away
If you’re salting something away, you’re putting something away for safe keeping or saving it for something else.
8. Modern Interpretations and Debunking Superstitions
Many believe that superstitions have no scientific or rational explanation. However, superstition has a fascinating psychological aspect that researchers have studied for years. Superstitions can actually be a byproduct of cognitive bias and associative learning. A cognitive bias is a systematic pattern in judgment and decision making. Such biases can lead to illogical or irrational interpretations of reality. For example, confirmation bias allows people to seek out and remember information that confirms their beliefs. In other words, superstitious people are more likely to believe bad luck follows when they break a mirror or spill salt.
Additionally, the idea that there’s something “magical” about coincidences makes it easier for humans to attach meaning to random events. This is an example of associative learning at work. Superstitious people look for meaning in random occurrences and attach cause-and-effect relationships even when there aren’t any.
To better understand the psychology of superstition, consider the concept of operant conditioning. It’s a learning process where an association is made between behavior and the consequence of the behavior. If someone performs an action and something good happens afterward, they will most likely repeat the behavior.
By this definition, superstitious beliefs persist because people think doing something will result in a positive outcome, even when there is no evidence that suggests a cause-and-effect relationship exists. For example, if someone believes getting married on any other day except Friday brings bad luck, they may avoid getting married on Fridays. If they then have a successful marriage by avoiding Friday weddings, they will continue to believe that Friday wedding superstitions are true.
Despite these somewhat logical explanations for superstitions, some continue to believe they bring bad luck in the real world without question.
But research has found there are many reasons why people hold onto superstitions beyond cognitive bias and associative learning. For instance, studies have shown that superstitious beliefs can help provide psychological comfort in times of anxiety or stress.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that participants who held their supertitions had higher levels of coping self-efficacy than those who were told to abandon their beliefs.
Another 2010 study published in the same journal found that self-reported superstitions were positively related with experiences of luck (both good and bad). The study concluded that Chicago Cubs fans were more likely to hold onto various rituals due to their need for control during high-stress situations such as losing games in the playoffs.
In conclusion, the superstitions surrounding spilling salt are diverse and fascinating. Whether you believe in them or not, these traditions offer an intriguing glimpse into the various cultures and beliefs that have shaped our world. So the next time you accidentally knock over the salt shaker, consider the superstition associated with it and appreciate the rich folklore that surrounds this simple act.
