SUPERSTITIOUS CUBA
I could not
decide which country to write about for a long time. However, when I saw a man
walking along the street and smoking a Cuban cigar, I understood it is a good sign.
As a result, I managed to find a lot of various and impressive Cuban superstitions.
As Cuban society consists of atheists, catholics and
African religion followers,
their superstitions and beliefs created a bright and impressive mix which is
worth our attention:
Having the
last drink, never say "el ultimo", or you will die soon.
- A little bit of rum is poured in the room’s corner as an offering for the dead.
- Making a toast with a glass of water will bring you tears, but spilling water accidentally on the dinning table is good luck.
- If you leave a glass of water at your bedside overnight and there are bubbles in the glass the next morning, a good chance that you are surrounded by good spirits.
- When the New Year comes you take a full bucket of water and throw all the water on the street to “clean” your house from all the bad things.
- If you have an enemy and want to protect yourself from him, freeze his name. It is believed that if you put a piece of paper in the freezer with the full name of the person who is trying to harm you, neither bad thoughts nor actions from that person can hurt you.
- If you are pregnant, and a boy you know but have not seen in a while runs TOWARDS you, you are having a girl. If he runs AWAY from you, you are having a boy.
- Never place your purse on the floor, or your plans will be destroyed.
- Placing scissors on the bed will bring you a fight with a loved one (especially if your SO will sit on them).
- Wearing your clothes inside out means that you will receive a present very soon.
- Itch in the palm of your left hand means you will soon get some money, while in the right one means shaking hands with someone (either friend or just guest).
I hope you
found something interesting for you. Just remember that itchy palms and inside
out clothes could also be a signal that it's time to wash your hands and be more attentive next time)) See you next week.
It is always interesting to hear about other country customs and culture as it is always very different then our own here in Canada. I will have to remember these if I ever go to Cuba. Thanks Nadiia!
ReplyDeleteMy family has been going to Cuba for over 30 years, so hearing about these customs is close to my heart!
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting that in their culture, an itchy left palm means getting money. Whereas in Canada, left palm is money leaving and right palm is money coming in. I think I'll go with theirs.. ;) Thanks Nadiia!
I found these so interesting. But to be honest I also found them a little ridiculous, but that's just because I personally don't believe in superstitions. I found it interesting that each country/culture has their own beliefs. I might have to try some of these if I ever get to Cuba!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to remember these things if I ever go to Cuba. I like the one about pouring rum in the corner of the room. I just hope there aren't any animals getting drunk off some dead guy's peace offering.
ReplyDeleteLike Vanessa, I don't believe in superstitions. But these Cuban myths can teach us a lot about their cultural history. It's cute that they're still around.
I will embarrassingly admit that at times I can be very superstitious - but some of these seem so crazy haha! I went to Cuba this past summer and I wish I knew about some of these before hand. Great post Nadia! (Lexa)
ReplyDeleteI love this! Super interesting post, Nadia.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to go to Cuba, so having little insights of their superstitious culture makes me even more excited for some reason.
A few of them even made me think of Panama's superstitions. :)
I have a couple of Cuban friends and there are some many superstitions that they amaze me. and believe me, we Colombians have many too, but there is something about African religions that make Cubans much more interesting. Love the blog. My mom believes in the left hand itch. Yet, you can only scratch it with the same hand to get the money :). She says it works everytime. Although having a job and being organize with the money does help.
ReplyDeleteI really like reading about all the superstitions. I admit I have some myself and I never really know where they came from. I always sleep with a glass of water beside my bed... I will have to see if there are bubbles in there tomorrow morning. Some other random superstitions (that I don't know how I got) itchy palms means you will be coming into some money soon, itchy feet means travel, clothes inside out is lucky - unless you change it back to right side round - then it is unlucky. Great, fun blog Nadiia!
ReplyDeleteI have never really been big on superstitions but I think they are very interesting to read about. This is a great blog Nadia!
ReplyDeleteIf spilling water brings good luck, I'd be the luckiest man alive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting read, I genuinely enjoyed it.