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Many believe that tossing salt over your shoulder wards off bad luck. If you’re curious about this superstition, read on to discover why people throw salt, which shoulder to aim for, and the origins of this practice.
Why is Throwing Salt Over Your Shoulder Considered Good Luck?
Superstition holds that spilling salt brings bad luck and invites evil spirits. In many cultures, it’s believed that these spirits lurk behind your left shoulder. Throwing salt over your left shoulder with your right hand is thought to blind the spirits and prevent them from harming you.
The belief suggests that while you’re distracted by cleaning up the spilled salt, evil spirits might take advantage of you. The Latin word for “left” is “sinister,” which has led to associations of the left side with evil. Conversely, the right side is often linked with goodness and angels in Christian tradition.
In Buddhism, it’s customary to throw salt over your shoulder after a funeral to ward off bad spirits.
Which Shoulder Should You Throw Salt Over?
While some believe it’s best to throw salt over the left shoulder, others prefer the right shoulder, or even both. Ultimately, the “correct” shoulder is the one you feel is best.
The left side of the body is considered the feminine, “receiving” side, where energy flows in. This idea supports the notion that evil spirits or energy might enter the body through the left side.
Origins of Throwing Salt Over Your Shoulder
In ancient times, salt was valuable, and spilling it was seen as bad luck. Salt’s ability to season and preserve food made it rare and precious. Spilling it was almost sacrilegious, so people began tossing salt over their shoulders to counteract the bad luck.
- Salt was so valuable that battles were fought over salt mines.
- Cities like Salzburg, Austria (which means “Salt Castle” in German), developed near salt mines.
- In ancient Rome, salt may have been used as currency. The word “salary” comes from the Latin “salarium,” derived from “sal” (salt). Roman soldiers might have been paid in salt or used their wages to buy it.
- Phrases like “salt of the earth” and “not worth their salt” highlight salt’s historical importance.
Salt in Christian Beliefs
In the Bible, salt symbolizes purity, integrity, grace, and God’s covenant. Spilling salt was seen as an evil act, influenced by the devil. This belief is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” where Judas is shown spilling salt, symbolizing betrayal.
This superstition also ties back to the story of Lot’s wife, who turned into a pillar of salt for disobeying angels’ warnings. Her betrayal and downfall reinforced the association of spilled salt with evil.
Christians began tossing salt over their left shoulder after spilling it to disable the devil and prevent him from causing harm.