Tag Archives: supersition

Shoes, Bad Luck, and Disrespect

Age: 19
Greenwich, CT
Location: N/A

Context: My friend brought this up when I was talking to her about specific things our families do/believe in. She is originally from Connecticut but now lives in Los Angeles to attend USC. She informed me that this belief was taught to her by her parents and assumes that it might be a part of her Indian heritage.

Content:
Interviewer: “Can you explain to me what you were mentioning about your shoes and their significance?”

Interviewee: “This is something that I saw my parents do growing up. I’m not sure really if it’s a culture thing or just maybe respect thing, but I was always taught that when you’re sitting down to always point your feet at the ground like the bottom of your foot.

For example, I’m sitting down and crossing my legs, the leg that is crossed over should not be pointing at anyone like the bottom of my shoe should not be facing the person next to me or like facing upwards.”

Interviewer: “When you were taught this as a kid, did your parents explicitly tell you why the bottoms of your shoes shouldn’t be facing anyone?”

Interviewee: “I think this is just a sign of disrespect, but also just know bad energy that’s just being put out towards another person.”

Analysis:
This belief functions as a folk custom that reinforces ideas of respect in everyday interactions. The bottom of the shoe becomes a marker of impurity and negativity, so pointing it at someone communicates disrespect or bad energy. Even without a clear origin, the rule seems to be learned through observation and then repetition on the observer’s part. This shows how cultural values are often transmitted implicitly through families. Overall, it reflects how folklore shapes body language and social etiquette by attaching morality to ordinary actions such as crossing your legs.

Holding Breath When Driving By a Graveyard

Age: 20
Hometown: Ponte Vedra, FL
Location: Graveyards

Context:
My friend who goes to USC told me this superstition when I was mentioning some of the ones I had. She is originally from Florida and was first taught about this as a small child from her older sister. She told me that her sister thinks she first heard it when she was really young in elementary school.

Content:
Interviewer: You were telling me about a certain action you have to take when you are by a graveyard, can you tell me about that?

Interviewee: ” Yeah, so I always hold my breath when driving past a graveyard so any spirits like in the graveyard so | don’t breathe them in.”

Interviewer: “Do you remember where you learned this or how long you’ve been doing it?”

Interviewee: “I learned this from my sister as a kid she told me about it and ever since then I’ve been doing.”

Analysis: This is a superstitions folk belief that brings together a physical action with protection from a spiritual danger. Holding your breath turns a fear of spirts that seems a bit abstract into a simple behavior, allowing a person to have a sense of control over the unknown. The idea of “breathing in” spirts reflects how invisible threats are made tangible through bodily actions. Overall, it shows how folklore helps people cope with fear by creating a simple and repeatable ritual tied to a specific place.

Haunted School

Age: 22

Context: My friend told me about how, in Spain, kids would make up rumors about the school being haunted.

Text:

“People would say that my, like, the school when I lived in Spain, people said that the school was haunted. Um, because it was a really old building, but I don’t know if I believed all that. But this one girl was like really like specific about it and she was like, oh yeah, I saw ghosts going down the stairs one time, but she was just drinking a glass of water menacingly. And I was like, bro, that’s not even scary.

There was like legends about the school, I think. Someone said that it was a peanut factory, and another person said that people who have peanut allergies don’t go to our school, because of the peanut factory.

The other one was, we were like, we were like 8 or 9. But some other people said it was like a hotel for royal people, like royal people that stay at the building. It had like a courtyard. I think it had like tiles and stuff.”

Analysis:

I’m humored by this story because of its drastic variations of the same setting. As we discussed, it’s wild how legends become so imaginative and varied. These children grew up believing these stories, and it sounds like some of them even went out of their way to justify their beliefs by tracking the buildings’ history. Following the theory of diffusion, it’s clear that this has possibly evolved and slightly changed through word of mouth, with each class entering and exiting the school. I’d be curious to hear the current legends of the school today to see if any of them sound similar to what my friend shared.

Don’t Whistle Inside The House

Interviewer: Is there anything you used to tell me as a kid that you inherited from your family? 

TK: Sure, I used to tell you that you shouldn’t whistle inside the house. Do you remember?

Interviewer: Oh yes, I do. I never understood the logic behind that one.

TK: Neither did I. I guess I was told this so many times as a kid myself that it developed into a habit. 

Interviewer: Wow, I could have been a whistling prodigy if it wasn’t for you. 

TK: Sure you could have, sweetie. It’s never too late. 

Interviewer: To tell you the truth, I used to secretly whistle all over the house when you weren’t at home. 

TK: Funny, I used to do the same thing when I was a kid. 

Interviewer: What do you think is the logic behind this belief? 

TK: I think it has to do with upsetting house ghosts, but I can’t be sure. My grandma told me once, but I forgot.

Context: 

This conversion happened with my mother over a phone call. She grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia. This rule was passed down to her from her mother and grandmother. She doesn’t believe in the rule, but anytime I whistle inside the house to this day, she gives me the stern “stop that” glance. 

Analysis: 

This is an example of a household superstition. This taboo against indoor whistling is common in Georgia to this day. Whistling taboo is a good example of intergenerational transmission where the taboo is passed down throughout generations. One interesting detail is that the rule is enforced even if the original motivation behind it gets lost. The habit that forms through customary repetition regulates behavior and connects generations.

A Georgian Good Luck Superstition

Interviewer: What is something you do for good luck?

MK: Well, whenever you see a new moon, you must take a large banknote and show it to the moon. I was taught this by my grandpa when I was younger, and it’s supposed to bring good luck for the following month.

Interviewer: How exactly do you show money to the moon?

MK: Well, you take the note out of your wallet, unfold it, and tell the new moon to bring you wealth and prosperity in the following month. 

Interviewer: Has this practice brought you good luck in the past? 

MK: Well, I don’t know if I fully believe it, but it can’t hurt to try, I suppose. 

Context:

The informant is my grandfather, and the conversation was recorded during a walk in the park. He currently lives in Georgia, where he grew up. He is a secular person and does not allow many superstitions for himself but continues to perform small rituals such as this one that he inherited from his family. 

analysis:

This is an example of folk belief meant to bring good luck. The new moon is a marker for a transitional period. Prosperity-oriented traditions often are performed during transitional periods to break a pattern. The moon functions as a symbolic force that connects lunar cycles to economic cycles. This practice can additionally be read as sympathetic magic. The idea of “like produces like” is apparent. Showing money to the new moon will attract more money in the following month.