Sweden

Swedish Superstitions Americans Probably Have Never Heard Of

Around the world, people grow up learning superstitions, some common and others unique to their culture.

We’ve shared a few Swedish superstitions that left our American staff intrigued – who knew heather in the home caused death (superstition has it)? So when we came across a Facebook thread of Swedes and Swedish-Americans sharing superstitions they learned growing up, we were eager to share them with our readers.

Here are 13 of those Swedish superstitions.

Leaving keys on the table causes bad luck. There are hooks at the front of the home for a reason…

Walking over A-covers is bad luck, but walking over K-covers is good luck.

If you don’t like how things are going in life, change the direction of your Dala horse.

Killing spiders causes rain.

If your birthday cake falls off the side of your plate, you will never get married.

Gifting scissors or knives is bad luck. There’s even a rhyme to explain why: Saxen klipper, kniven skär, vänskapsbanden mitt isär.

Picking up coins from the ground brings luck, but according to some, you must spit on the coin(s) three times.

If your left palm itches, you’re going to lose money. If your right palm itches, you’re going to gain money.

Steel will keep witches away.

A kitchen witch, sometimes called a cottage witch, will ward off bad spirits and bring good luck.

Hide a single almond or raisin in the Christmas rice pudding. The person who finds it will get married during the coming year.

Spit three times if you see a black cat.

On New Year’s Eve, leave the front door open to let the new year in, and open the back door to let the old year out.