Superstition – Belize

“Depending on which one of your hands is itching, you will either get money or give money away.”

Subject’s Analysis:

Suzanne told me this one while laughing and calling it ridiculous. She said, “It’s so stupid some of the things that my parents believe in.” She doesn’t believe in this superstition. Like many other habits/superstitions that she has learned, she acquired this one during childhood, from her Belizean parents. She also added that as the superstition goes, if you itch the itch then the omen becomes null and void.

Collector’s Analysis:

I think that this superstition is not true in the slightest. However, how would I know? Who doesn’t scratch their itches just on reflex alone? When something itches it is only natural to scratch it immediately, as a matter of comfort, even while asleep people itch themselves. This suggests that it is merely subconscious. I wouldn’t know if this ite is true or not because I have never actually tested it.

I think that this superstition deals with the worlds stigmatism of left vs. right. According to a wikipedia article about “Right-handedness” somewhere between 70-90% of the world is right handed. The ariticle goes on to note that, “ The left hand is used in times of inauspiciousness, as a sign of disrespect, and for wiping oneself after using the bathroom. In Islam as well, one is required to use the left hand for tasks such as wiping oneself after using the bathroom, and the right hand for eating.” In addition the word “right” also has positive connotations, and can be used to reply to something in the affirmative. So it is only right that a culture with a stigmatism towards things that are “right” would believe that the right hand brings in money(good), and the left hand loses money(bad).

Citations:

“Right-handedness” wikipedia.org. 14 apr. 2008. 30 Apr. 2008. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right -handed>.

“Muslim Restroom Etiquette.” Truthandgrace.com. Jan 2002. 30 Apr. 2008.

<http://truthandgrace.com/muslimrestrooms.htm>.