In Slavic countries, people believe that meeting a black cat brings bad luck. The only way to neutralize the meeting with the black cat, is to spit over your left shoulder. In England, however, the black cat brings happiness.
In Greece, since ancient times it is believed that wearing a little bone of a bat protects from evil eyes. However, the killing of a bat, even in order to obtain a little bone, brings bad luck.
Also in Greece, and in many other countries, blue beads with painted eyes are carried in a pocket - again against the evil eye. Blue is considered, however, dangerous - it is believed that blue eyed people overlook.
In Greece, at the door of the house is placed a pot with a cactus to protect your home from evil forces. If your shoes have their soles up, it also brings bad luck.
In England, it is considered that if on the first day of the month you say "white rabbit", the entire month luck will be with you. If you see a magpie, the Englishman believes it brings bad luck.
Britons are convinced that if you open the umbrella on the threshold of your home or forget to put your new shoes on the table, you are calling their death. It brings bad luck to see a bat.
The Irish believe that the blacksmith can drive out evil spirits and diseases. In Italy, people believe that if you hear a cat sneeze, it brings luck. At the sight of a nun, Italians touch wood, for luck not to escape them.
In China, it is considered that the brooms are possessed by spirits. Therefore, a broom can sweep the floor, but not clean cobwebs from the statues of the household gods. If someone hits you with a broom, this is tantamount to a curse. It is bad if your head touches the broom.
Lucky number in China is eight, which sounds the same as the word lucky, and the number four brings bad luck because it sounds like the word death.
In Japan, people believe that you are calling death if you pierce a stick vertically in the rice. If three people are shot, the one in the middle will die, says Japanese superstition.
At night, mirrors must be closed with a cloth. And if you look in the mirror in the dark, your misfortune threatens, consider the Japanese.
