Unlucky for some: Thirteen strange Italian superstitions

It's Friday 13th, but while that's not considered bad luck in Italy, there are plenty of things which are. The country is home to plenty of bizarre superstitions - here are some you should definitely be aware of.

Some Italians take superstitions seriously, often doing things 'per scaramanzia' - to ward off bad luck. So if you want to ensure good luck comes your way, here are some of the things to watch out for, according to traditional Italian beliefs.

1. Friday the 17th

First, the good news. Friday the 13th isn't a bad omen as it is in Western countries - but Italy has its own date that you should be wary of: Friday the 17th. Just as some Western airlines avoid including the 13th row on planes, you might find number 17 omitted in Italian planes, street numbering, hotel levels and so on - so even if you're not the superstitious type, it's handy to be aware of. The reason for this is because in Roman numerals, the number 17 (XVII) is an anagram of the Roman word VIXI, meaning “I have lived” - the use of the past tense suggesting death, and therefore bad luck. It's less clear what's so inauspicious about Friday.

2. Spilling olive oil

Thought there was no point crying over spilled olive oil? Think again; in Italy, this is very bad luck indeed. And it's not just because Italians don't want to see their top quality oil wasted (though the tradition likely has its roots in a time when olive oil was a luxury), but it's considered to bring ill fortune.

3. Toasting

In Italy, it is believed that you should never toast with a glass of water - the thinking behind that is that it suggests bad luck because water is less expensive and flavourful than wine. In fact, the whole tradition of toasting is a minefield: it's also bad luck to cross arms with anyone as you clink glasses, to avoid eye contact while toasting or to set down your glass before having a first sip.

4. The Evil Eye

The malocchio is the Italian belief that a look of jealousy can bring harm to those it is aimed at - usually in the form of physical pain, such as a headache. Having birds or birds' feathers in your house is also a big no-no because their patterns are supposedly similar to the evil eye. To ward off the evil eye you must make a gesture similar to horns and point it downwards behind your back - some Italians take things a step further and wear a lucky amulet shaped like a horn.

5. Touch Iron

If you're from the UK or US, you might be used to saying 'touch wood' or 'knock on wood' after saying something that might tempt misfortune. In Italy, look for some iron - 'tocca ferro' is an abbreviation from 'toccare ferro di cavallo' (touch horseshoe) which dates back to when horseshoes were thought to ward off devils, witches and evil spirits. These days, superstitious Italians might still carry a horseshoe charm or a simple piece of iron around with them, just in case.

6. Lamp posts

When walking arm in arm with a friend, make sure to pass on the same side of a lamp post rather than splitting to go around it.  Italian folklore warns that straying from this rule could spell the end of the friendship.

7. Black Cats

In some cultures, black cats are thought to bring good luck, but it's quite the opposite in Italy, where they are considered unlucky due to associations with witchcraft. Hearing a cat sneeze, on the other hand, brings good luck.

8. Sharp Objects

If you receive, for example, a penknife as a gift, prick the person who gave it to you, or give them a coin in return. If you fail to do this, you risk ruining the friendship forever.

9. Beds

It is believed that if you put a photo of a loved one on a bed - for example while tidying, packing or doing housework - this will bring them bad luck. Meanwhile, placing a hat on a bed is unlucky too. These beliefs date back to a time when beds were associated with illness and death, and priests would remove their hats when arriving to visit someone in their sickbed.

10. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Local students avoid the monument. Tradition states that if you go to the top of the famous leaning tower whilst you are at university, then you will never be able to graduate. Several cities and towns around the country have their own version of this superstition: in Bologna for example, climbing the local tower before graduating is thought to mean you will never do so.

11. Touch your nose

Saying the same word at the same time as somebody else is thought to be an omen that you will never get married - but there's a way to reverse your fortune. Touch your nose immediately and the bad luck will be undone.

12. Thirteen's a crowd

Although in general the number 13 isn't as spooky as in other countries, at a dinner table it is meant to be very bad luck indeed. The superstition stems from the Last Supper and the fact that Jesus’ traitor, Judas Iscariot, was the 13th and final person to be seated, so if you find yourself at a table of 13, watch your back.

13. Seeing an Empty Hearse

Spotting a hearse with no coffin inside is thought to be an omen that your own death is approaching. To ward off this ill fate, men must touch their groin and women their breast as a gesture of good luck and fertility.

Welcome to 2017!

2016 was a tough year both in Italy and around the world but here are few stories to remind us that it wasn't all bad.

Italy opened its first wine fountain in October. Free wine 24/7!

Ever felt the need for a nice glass of red wine after a long walk? A free glass of red wine at that! The 'Fontana del Vino' is located in Caldari di Ortona (Abruzzo) along a popular pilgrimage route, the Cammino di San Tommaso. The fountain is not the first in Italy to offer wine but it is different from the others as wine will be accessible every day.

A postcard sent from a Nazi labour camp in 1944 finally arrives

A postcard sent by an Italian prisoner of war from a Nazi labour camp in 1944 was finally delivered, following a series of strange coincidences which led to a high school teacher stumbling across the card on the street.

People worldwide are learning Italian. 

Italian leapt to fourth place in terms of the most-studied languages worldwide. The number of foreigners studying rose to 2,233,373 in the 2015/16 academic year - up from 1,700,000 the previous year.

A cat sanctuary beach exists.

The remote Sardinian beach, where visitors can play with kitties in the surf or watch them lounging on the sand, was even named one of the island's best tourist destinations by travel website, TripAdvisor. The non-profit sanctuary was founded in 2011.

Saved puppy to train as rescue dog.

A puppy who was saved from the rubble in earthquake-hit Norcia will soon be able to assist the firefighters that saved him, after being adopted by the fire service. Rescue workers freed the border collie after days trapped in ruins in Norcia, one of the worst-hit towns by the October 29th tremor.

Pasta won't make you gain weight?

If you'd banished pasta from your cupboard due to concerns over weight gain, then think again: an Italian study found that the more pasta you eat, the less likely you are to gain weight. Hmmm

The world's oldest female celebrates her 117th birthday.

Emma Morano, from Verbania in northern Italy, celebrates her 117th birthday in November, making her the last known person alive who was born in the 19th century.

Cheese, wine and friends are the key to long life.

But you might have to move to Sardinia and adopt the local diet, which includes Cannonau, a red wine packed with antioxidant compounds which help slow the aging process, in order to be in with a chance of eclipsing 100.

Italy made the world's longest pizza.

The world’s longest pizza was made in Naples and is 1.8km long. It took 250 pizza makers six hours and 11 minutes. They used 2,000kg of flour, 1,600kg of tomato sauce, 2,000kg of mozzarella cheese, 200 litres of oil and 30kg of basil. The pizza made it into the Guinness World Records, and was donated to the needy.

Medical advances

The Molinette hospital in Turin achieved a world first by successfully transplanting a kidney in the place of the spleen in a six-year-old girl. The child had been on dialysis since birth because of a rare kidney anomaly and a malformation of the abdominal blood vessels.

An authentic Tuscan farmhouse located in a peaceful spot about 20 kilometres from Cortona. Owned by a couple of authors since the early 70's Cerri di Sotto hasn't been subject to any unfortunate renovation over the years and is therefore full of original features and character. Below is what the owners have to say about their lovely home. 

"Our first impression of the Tuscan house that was to be ours was of a grey stone building with a lichen-encrusted red-tiled roof standing above green and scented fields studded with the brightest scarlet poppies and blue cornflowers. The surrounding hills were green and lush with chestnut trees, and the valley was bisected by a dusty white road and a stream which we crossed by footbridge to reach the house. It was June and the air was full of the steady drone of bees. The crickets, disturbed by our footsteps, leapt before us as we walked through the meadows. Little has changed.

 

 

On entering the house we were enchanted by the great fireplace which soared to the red tiled ceiling with its massive chestnut beams. A fireplace which generations of farmers had sat around in the winters warming themselves at the ardent log fire and where families had sat at a long table enjoying good Tuscan food, much of it cooked over that same fire. The ancient tiles on the floor were made in the valley. And in 1917 as they replaced a stone within that fireplace, the farmers found a hoard of gold coins hidden in the wall. Though beautifully enlarged in the 19th century in typical Tuscan manner, there are renaissance bricks within its walls and some of its foundations are far, far older. Indeed, an Imperial Roman road runs down through the valley.

 

 

We have lived in this fortunate and venerable house since 1972. Whilst we have installed some modern amenities and insulated the roof, we have left the main building much as we found it with its original doors and windows, floors and walls. Inspired by the beauty of our green and secret valley and in the quietness of our fields and terraces and bubbling streams we have written six TV series and nine best selling books in this unique environment.

 Today, the white road from Cortona down to the Umbrian border has been resurfaced but the fields, the forests, the fig trees, the wild orchids, the crickets and the rare butterflies remain. A neighbour has placed beehives in a nearby field and the bees forage in our rosemary and provide delicious honey. And on the banks beside our door wild strawberries grow. It is a rare and happy place with a friendly, thriving and discreet community. In short, we have been blessed to live for so many years in a valley that is so verdant that Italian friends call it 'Paradiso'"