Superstition Brazil - from Warts on the Fingers to the Eighth Month
Have you ever paid attention to the fact that almost every soccer star performs a certain ritual before stepping on the field, for good luck and to drive away bad omens? For example, Neymar, the internationally known Brazilian soccer star, touches the grass on the sidelines, makes the sign of the cross, and prays before entering the field. He is not the only one to do so. Pay close attention to the behavior of Brazilians during your Brazil trip. You will quickly notice that Brazilians are very superstitious people. The superstition in Brazil is a result of merged cultures, but some of the traditions are certainly known to us Europeans. Be it Friday the 13th or walking under ladders or black cats. All of these indicate bad omens and influence the behavior of Brazilians from north to south.
What is superstition about?
Do you think that lucky charms and unlucky days do not influence you? You are mistaken, as we all tend to think magically. But why is this so? Superstition is a universal phenomenon, according to psychologists. It is the waste product of our efforts to make the world predictable. Our brain is constantly searching for patterns and causal relationships in our environment. In itself, this is a great invention of evolution, as it enables us to filter out even the smallest correlations of our environment. However, our brain may lure us onto the wrong track in our search for meaning. One speaks of the first step to superstition when one tries to find cause and effect in independently occurring events. Often this is not a rational decision, but a pure perceptual illusion. Experiments designed to prove the origin of superstition show that in all of us there is rudimentary magical thinking and we can easily provoke it.
Top 10 superstitions in Brazil
The upside-down flip-flop, Knocking on wood, Milk and mango - a deadly mix, The eighth month, Warts on the fingers, Always using the same door, The itchy hand, You're on-trend with white, Dropping cutlery, All about handbags
- In Brazil, an upside-down flip-flop means the death of a close person. It is said that it was mothers who invented this story to make their children put the flip-flops down neatly. Since in the past, most of the floor was still dirt, which stained the surface of the flipped flip-flops.
- Knocking on wood dispels bad omens. In the past, people believed that gods lived in trees. Knocking on trees was about a call for help at the same time. Thus, knocking on trees summoned the gods to help drive away bad luck.
- This superstition dates back to colonial times when milk was a rare product and only the rich could afford it. To avoid confusion, slave masters told slaves that taking milk and mango together could lead to death.
- In Brazil, August, the eighth month, is considered the month of bad luck. Especially in rural areas, this superstition was so common that pretty much anything that could go wrong was avoided, such as travel, weddings, and business deals. One possible explanation for this superstition goes back to the seafaring nation of Portugal. Since many ships set sail in the European summer, i.e. August, often with no certainty of return, weddings in August were avoided.
- In Brazil, don't point your finger at the stars, because superstition says you'll get warts on your fingers.
- In Brazil, always leave the house through the same door through which you entered. It is bad luck to leave the house through another door.
- Is the left hand itchy? In Brazil, it means that you will receive money unexpectedly.
- There are countless customs and superstitions for New Year's Eve. If you wear white on New Year's Eve, you will start the New Year with good luck.
- Watch out. When eating, best not to drop your cutlery! Brazilians believe that if a knife falls to the ground, a fight will take place. You can avoid the fight by making a cross with the same knife on the floor. If the fork falls to the ground, male company is coming. If the spoon falls to the ground, a female visitor is in line.
- This superstition is one of the most famous in Brazil. Do not leave your handbag on the floor, because then you will lose money. If you pay close attention during your Brazilian vacation, you will notice that most Brazilians hang their bag on the chair, put it on their lap, or the table.
Sources: www.astrocentro.com.br, www.welt.de