12 Craziest Food Superstitions
As you carve that pumpkin and lovingly place individually wrapped candy bars into plastic tins this Halloween, take a few moments to reflect on some of the creepy superstitions about food that have long scared the bejeezus out of humanity. It's not as if any of these are real, right? Right? (Cue eerie music.)
Photo By: Dark Bird 77 / ThinkStock
Photo By: Tameek / ThinkStock
Photo By: Olga Aleksandrovna Lisitskaya
Photo By: Iodrakon / ThinkStock
Photo By: Lauri Patterson
Photo By: Julien Trombini
Photo By: Elisabeth Coelfen
Photo By: Richard Griffin
Photo By: Martin Poole ©Martin Poole
Photo By: Infinityyy / ThinkStock
Photo By: Craig Hill
Photo By: Michael Chart
Garlic Wards Off Vampires
Not only did people actually wear garlic to evade Dracula and his minions, but they would even force people to eat entire cloves in order to prove they were who they said they were. Oh yeah, garlic was also stuffed in every orifice of a dead body to ensure that said body would not transform into a bloodsucker. What a waste. That garlic could have been used to make a delicious bowl of Aglio e Olio.
Eggs and the Devil are BFFs
Did you think deviled eggs got their name because of all that mayo? Nope. It used to be said that the devil was constantly on the hunt for hard-boiled eggs. Apparently, hell smells like sulfur and, well, boiled egg yolks do too. If one didn't crack the bottom of the shell with a spoon, thus letting the devil out, one would be damned to eat Lucifer along with one's egg. That doesn't sound so bad. He probably tastes like chicken. Really spicy chicken.
Eggs and Witches are BFFs
Speaking of eggs, did you know that witches use the shells to create massive storm-causing warships? In other words, be sure to throw away all of those shell pieces or said witches will use them to build said ship and then cause said storm. That's probably how Dorothy got to Oz.
Bread Is a Harbinger of Death
Have you ever sliced into a freshly baked loaf of bread, only to find a large hole in the middle that was created by an air pocket? No, that's not just the perfect place to hide a block of cheese; it's also a symbol that death is soon to be visiting your house. At least, that's what people used to believe. Yikes.
Cutting Noodles is Bad Mojo
People tend to enjoy bowls of noodles in long, noisy slurps. That is by design, as Chinese people used to believe that a long noodle meant a long life. In other words, if you were afraid of getting broth on your tuxedo shirt and decided to cut the noodles into smaller pieces, you could have a piano dropped on your head the very next night.
Parsley Is Not to Be Gifted
We all know the very best gift to bring to a housewarming party is a parsley plant. Unfortunately, our ancestors say that is extremely bad luck, with death and serious misfortune to follow. So, yeah, you'll have to curb your tendency to hand out bunches of parsley everywhere you go. Drat.
Peppers and Friendship Do Not Mix
Do you want out of some friendships? Then start handing out hot peppers. It has been said that giving someone a hot pepper is a surefire way to break up a friendship. The proper way to hand someone a pepper is to place it on a table and then have him or her pick it up, without the offending capsicum actually changing hands. It's cool that the Friendship Gods gave us such an easy out.
Cross Your Bread, or Else
Ever notice how loaves of bread often have a cross etched into the top? That's not just because it helps the bread rise (which it does). It's really to keep the devil away. You see, Lucifer really hates bread and loves nothing more than to ruin loaves by sitting on them. The cross keeps him away. Yes. The king of hell has nothing better to do than fly around and sit on loaves of bread all day. That’s almost sad.
Birthday Cakes Are Not What They Seem
The placing of candles on birthday cakes dates all the way back to ancient Greece. That's the good news. The bad news? The candles were used to chase off multitudes of evil spirits, who were inexplicably drawn to birthday parties. Similarly ridiculous, "ancient" people believe that blowing out a bunch of candles will grant good luck.
Pop a Pin in That Onion
Did you know your house is filled to the brim with evil spirits? If Beetlejuice is any indication, they are quite literally everywhere. Our ancestors used to believe that sticking a pin in a small onion and placing it on a windowsill would force those spirits to dispel and find somewhere else to haunt. Also, that would have made Beetlejuice a really short movie.
Loose Bananas Sink Ships
Next time you are heading out to sea, leave the nanners at home. Bananas, it was believed, were bad luck on the open sea, causing fishermen to have dry spells and entire ships to get lost at sea. Of course, the superstition doesn't address what banana boats are supposed to do.
Be Careful Around Chopsticks
Digging into a bowl of rice with chopsticks? Be sure to avoid sticking them upright in the rice in between bites. That is an omen of death! Also an omen of death? Trying to eat rice with chopsticks if you are an inexperienced newb.