17 Bizarre Superstitions You Probably Didn't Know About

Every country has their own culture and beliefs and they also have their own superstitions too. In the UK, there are plenty of common superstitions from avoiding walking under ladders, to broken mirrors being a sign of bad luck. Some of these may sound farfetched but some superstitions can be scientifically rationalised, such as the well-known saying; red sky at night Shepard's delight, red sky in the morning Shepard's warning. This is based on the reddish glow of the sky in the morning and evening caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region.

Nevertheless, other superstitions are just plain weird, like the belief that sleeping with your pyjamas inside out and a spoon under your pillow will mean there'll be snow the next day. The Solar Centre have discovered the most bizarre superstitions from around the world that you probably didn't know about.

In South Korea, people will never sleep in a closed room with a fan on as it is believed the fan will end up killing you while you sleep. However, if you leave a window slightly open you will be OK.

In India, when there's a solar eclipse many people stay indoors as they believe the sun's rays become toxic during this period. Even local newspapers report on this, warning people to stay indoors. In some parts of India people also fast during a solar eclipse as they believe any food cooked will be poisonous.

According to folklore, if a ladybird lands on you this brings good luck associated with good weather, financial luck and granting wishes. The number of spots on the ladybird indicates how many months of good luck you will have.

In Senegal, it is better to keep any holiday or travel plans to yourself as it is said that if you share plans, they are destined to be ruined by the ones who learn about them.

When passing through a graveyard in Japan you are meant to tuck your thumbs under. This is because the Japanese word for thumb means ‘parent-finger' so by tucking it under you are protecting your parents from death.

Stepping in dog poop is generally considered to be bad luck, but in France it is only bad luck if you step in it with your right foot. But if you step in it with your left foot it is actually good luck.

In some European countries killing a spider means it will rain the next day. This is believed because the rain needs to come to wash away the spider's web.