Finding a four-leaf clover, carrying a rabbit’s foot, and crossing your fingers are considered symbols of good luck by many. Athletes famously engage in superstitious rituals—basketball legend Michael Jordan reportedly wore the same pair of shorts under his NBA uniform for every game, and tennis star Serena Williams ties her shoelaces the same way before every match and always bounces the tennis ball five times before her first serve. Good luck superstitions, ranging from small gestures to elaborate observance, exist in cultures all over the world. Here are 14 of them.
1. THROW BROKEN DISHES AT HOUSES // DENMARK
In Denmark, people save their broken dishes throughout the year in anticipation of throwing them on New Year’s Eve. Danes chuck the broken plates at their friends’ and family’s houses as a way to wish the recipient good luck in the year to come. Some Danish (and also German) children opt to leave a pile of broken dishes on the doorsteps of their friends and neighbors, in a less aggressive manner of wishing prosperity.
2. SWEEP DIRT AWAY FROM THE FRONT DOOR // CHINA
In China, it’s believed that good fortune enters your life through your front door. Just before the New Year, Chinese people follow a tradition of thoroughly cleaning their homes to bid farewell to the previous year, but to avoid sweeping all that good luck out, the home is swept inward and collected in a pile to be carried out the back door, never through the front. In fact, no cleaning is performed at all during the first two days of the New Year so that no good luck can be swept away.
3. EAT A DOZEN GRAPES AND WEAR RED UNDERWEAR TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR // SPAIN
When midnight strikes to usher in a New Year, Spaniards eat 12 green grapes for 12 months of good luck. They eat one grape at each bell toll, chewing and swallowing quickly, and they wear red underwear while doing so. The superstition involving grapes dates back to century ago when there was a grape surplus, and the red underwear originated in the Middle Ages, when Spaniards couldn’t outwardly wear red clothing because it was considered to be a devilish color.
4. BIRD DROPPINGS ARE A SIGN OF GREAT THINGS TO COME // RUSSIA
Rather than view a bird defecating on them as a disgusting surprise, Russians welcome it as a sign of good luck and fortune. To Russians, bird droppings on you, your home, or your car signifies that money will be coming your way. Don’t worry, if multiple birds defecate on you, you’ll supposedly get more money.
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