Popular Superstitions in India

My previous article on the same topic got huge appreciation from around the world. Based on the same topic I have come up with more superstitions believed especially in India. Well, India is a country where anything can be believed in the same manner as existence of water on the planet earth. My mother and grandmothers believe in so many superstitions that sometimes they make me think like SERIOUSLY? And my mind processed the possible logic behind each and every superstition my elders threw upon me. 

1. Do not throw the left over (cooked) food and empty the milk in the night, if you do so, it will bring bad luck!

Logic- Earlier, guests used to visit anytime in the house as there were no phones for updating the arrivals. In India guests are always greeted as Gods (Athithi Devo Bhava) and they were welcomed with milk and food as a matter of hospitality. And if anybody gave sudden visit in the night, no host had an enthusiasm to get up and cook in the mid night! And in such case, if nothing is leftover in the kitchen, then guests had to sleep with empty stomach, and that naturally brings negative image of the host. So this was the statement made by our ancestors to grant everyone best host award  (with leftover food)! But of course, you can throw it in the morning if it's not good to consume!

2. If there are two or more females in the kitchen, one should not take out the Pan from the gas stove, if its placed by other female. It brings unnecessary arguments and quarrels in the house.

Logic- Well, in India kitchen is always owned by females, so all the kitchen phrases are made only for females. Logic behind this is very simple, if the Pan is heated by one female, about which the other female is not aware of, would possibly burn herself while taking it off, and may shout on the one who heated it, and that naturally causes quarrels. So, our elders made this statement that, the person who kept the pan on the gas should take it down by herself.

3. You should not pay anybody during Fridays and Amavasya (Dark night), if you do so, Laxmi (Goddess of prosperity) will disappear from your life!

Logic- Amavasya is naturally a dark night, and there were no lights during earlier time and people used to escape any transactions during this night, naturally to avoid loss of more money in the dark, as there were only coins in the earlier era. Loss of money means loss of prosperity. I don't know from where this Friday arrived in this statement! Might be because, Friday is considered as the worship day of Goddess Laxmi and people wouldn't be interested to spend on the day of worshipping the Goddess of prosperity and thus, they created this superstition. However, if we believe in this one, then we should never get out to shop anything on Fridays and Amavasyas, as no one will spare you a penny for a day...Shopkeeper will also find it a loss deal on Fridays and Amavasya!

4.Do not get out of the house or travel during the Amavasya nights, the ghosts will catch you!


Logic- Naturally as said above Amavasya is the dark night and there were no proper lights in the earlier time. People used to cover the distance by walking and it is obviously difficult to walk or travel in the dark without any lights. Well, coming to the ghosts, they have free time during these nights so they do not want any disturbance from the living people!!

5. Eating the curd & sugar / jaggery brings good luck while going out for an important task.

Logic- Curd is a food that calm down the acidity and improves digestion and also stabilises body heat with its cooling effects, where as sweet works like cherry on the top. While going out for some important tasks one's body and mind should be calm, so curd with sugar or jaggery does the job, hence the saying.

6. Eat, read, have house facing East.

Logic- With Sunrise, ultraviolet rays are not harmful and the body gets proper Vitamin D from sun during morning hours. So if a house is facing east you will get that effect. When you read and eat facing east the effect will be same and the mind absorbs all that you read and food that is eaten digest well. But if the house is facing east and has a wall or covered area in the front, that will definitely not give this result. On the contrary, if windows are facing east or have better light people will get the same effect of east direction.

7. Touch wood- When somebody says something that didn't happen or the good thing that they have experienced, this phrase is used.  E.g.- "I fell from bike but didn't get hurt, touch wood!" or "I have good healing ability, touch wood!"


Logic- Wood comes from trees and they are eternal forever and ever quality. Similarly, to have that everlasting good quality, this verbal talisman is used. This tradition has come from the west. 

8. Itching of foot - Means, you will welcome new guests or travel yourself to new place.



Logic- Well, I never travel or no guest visit me when my foot itches! However, it happens to me when I walk a lot. Based on personal experience, I think there is only logic behind this superstition. Whenever we go to some place or someone visit us, we do lots of shopping to please the host or guests respectively. And in this process people in earlier time used to walk a lot as there were very less options of transportation. That explains why the foot itch when someone comes or we travel to places.

9. One should not eat non-vegetarian food while going into the temple, before worshipping, and on auspicious days. It brings bad luck.

Logic- Eating nonveg is not prioritised in Hinduism. All Hindu's do not eat nonveg, however, few of them does consume it. But eating nonveg is prohibited while entering the temples, undergoing some auspicious rituals, worshipping, and on auspicious days. It is simple, since nonveg is a Tamasic food, it has a no sedative effect on the mind and body. In general, nonveg and alcohol are considered as unfavorable, they bring negative effect on the one who consume it. And naturally, it may ruin the auspiciousness of the day. Hence to avoid any mishaps with these food items elders made this proverb

So these are some popular superstitions in India.  If you liked this article, do comment in the comment section and share it. 

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing this nice article with logical explanations

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  2. thank you for giving us good information I really like this article

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