Superstitious Shit Part 7

Spilling salt

For many years, salt was an extremely rare commodity and so the most basic reason for considering it unlucky to spill it was to do with its cost. A valuable preservative, it was also linked with health and longevity so some cultures believed that it might be bad luck to spill salt since it could reduce your longevity or happiness.

One prevalent explanation of the superstition is that Judas spilled the salt, which is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. It is also a religious symbol as it is used to make Holy water, and meals at the witches' sabbath were thought to be salt-free, as it was also believed to ward off evil spirits.

A German proverb held that 'whoever spills salt arouses enmity'. The most common anecdote is tossing a pinch of the spilt salt over your left shoulder, into the face of the Devil who lurks there.