Today is Friday the 13th, which means that you are scientifically proven to witness approximately eighteen-zillion more superstitious measures taken against bad luck today than any other day of the year, according to my imagination.
Of course, you know to avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks today, or breaking any of those countless mirrors in your path — and that’s a good start. But are you also well-versed in the multitudinous superstitions connected to food?
For those of you suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th itself), this probably won’t help assuage your fears. However, knowledge is your greatest asset — so here are 7 (a lucky number!) food superstitions you should probably know about.
Have a good holiday!
Garlic
Garlic wards off vampires. It also wards off fellow human beings who are sensitive to smell. Allow me to recommend one of my favorite acts of micro-aggression: If somebody has wronged you, eat a garlicky snack and then sit next to them in an intimate setting (movie theaters, classrooms, and 3+ hour long bus rides all work).
Birthday Cake
As it happens, adorning birthday cakes with burning candles is a tradition that can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks. According to Wonderopolis, they often baked round shaped cakes (meant to symbolize the moon) as a way of paying special tribute to the Greek moon goddess, Artemis. They then decorated the moon with candles to represent the reflected moonlight.
Salt
Spilling salt is, apparently, a harbinger of doom. Luckily, you can counteract the bad omen by tossing a pinch of salt over over your left shoulder with your right hand — this will blind the devil who lurks there, and prevent him from snatching away your soul.
Noodles
According to Wish Good Luck, “what the people of China consider good luck is based on the shape of the ingredient.” As such, long noodles represent long lives; cutting your noodles, therefore, will earn you a shortened life-span and bad luck.
Bread
According to MyFatPocket, if you cut open a loaf of bread and see a hole, you better start prepping: that hole is supposed to represent a coffin, and it means that somebody is going to die soon.
Funny — I always took that crater as a sign that I should add another tablespoon of my preferred topping to my toast.
Cutlery
An old German saying suggests that if you drop a fork, you should expect a female visitor; drop a knife and expect a child visitor; drop a spoon and expect a male visitor. If you are clumsy and also not in the mood to host, you should probably just stick to eating with your fingers.
Oranges
Forget roses. If you want somebody to fall in love with you, you should present them with an orange, reports Times of India.