In Cameroonian folklore, it is considered rude to accept anything with your left hand.  My roommate, Ayee, shared this interesting superstitious piece of Cameroonian folklore with me one night in our apartment, when such an incident occurred.

My roommate Ayee often borrows my roommate Rachel’s stapler on a regular basis.  Ayee was handing Rachel’s stapler back to her, and Rachel was accepting the stapler with her left hand.  Ayee then went on to explain how, in her Cameroonian culture, it is considered highly disrespectful to accept anything with one’s left hand, especially money.

Such a superstition addresses the issue of respect in the Cameroonian culture.  Ayee was first introduced to this piece of folklore from her own culture when, as a young child, she accepted a $5 bill from him and was scolded by her mother for doing so.  Upon that incident, Ayee’s mom shared the origins of this folkloric superstition with her.