Freaky Food Superstitions
When cracking an egg, serving noodles, or pouring a pot of tea — all seemingly innocent actions — you might be surprised to learn that there are some longstanding superstitions behind them.
Superstitions have been around for as long as we have, often stemming from cultural and religious beliefs at different times and different places in history. In some ancient societies, lucky charms were worn around the neck to ward off evil spirits, or rituals were performed to protect one's home from the devil.
Click here to see the 15 Freaky Food Superstitions (Slideshow)
For some, they may just be spooky superstitions; but for others, they're based on a cultural belief and are taken seriously. And some of the freakiest superstitions just happen to involve food.
We're not always sure where superstitions come from. Oftentimes when something happens that can't be explained, people try to tie events together, creating superstitions; many probably grew out of what used to be called "old wives' tales" or religious beliefs. Some cultures adhere to some pretty wild superstitions about food and drink involving the devil, witches, evil spirits, scorpions, and really bad luck.
A few of them — including the belief that bad luck comes from spilling salt — may sound familiar. But others — like that chewing gum at night means you're chewing the flesh of the dead — may give you the creeps!
Since the spookiest season is upon us, we've shared some of those freaky superstitions so that you know how to ward off the devil and avoid the Evil Eye, and to never to bring a banana on a boat.
The Devil Sits on Your Loaf of Bread
Beware of the devil lurking near your loaf of bread. It's been said (mostly by the Irish) that if you don't cut a cross into the top of the dough before baking it, the devil will sit on your loaf... or so goes one of the origin stories for Hot Cross Buns. Other superstitions around bread say that you should only cut one end of the loaf, otherwise you'll free the devil and he'll fly all around your house. Watch out for holes in your loaf, as they've been said to symbolize a coffin and indicate that someone is going to die soon, and keep your loaf upright, since an upside-down loaf reportedly brings bad luck.
Smelling Basil
Whatever you do, don't sniff basil. According to ancient Greek superstition, smelling basil might make a scorpion appear in your brain.
Read on for more freaky food superstitions.
Haley Willard is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter @haleywillrd.