Every country on earth has its own unique customs and traditions, and Spain is no different. From the legendary siesta to the art of shared dishes that is a tapas tour, visiting Spain is immersing yourself in a culture full of practices known around the world, as well as some you wouldn’t expect.
However, some of the most unique customs and traditions are related to luck. It is true that Spain has many superstitions that are the same as in much of the western world, such as not breaking a mirror (they are expensive, you know) or not walking under a ladder (you never know what is at the top))
But there are some superstitions that are unique to Spain and other Spanish-speaking cultures that visitors from English-speaking countries may not be familiar with. Let’s start with the most important superstitions in Spain: those related to drinking.
Superstitions about drinking in Spain
Eating and drinking in Spain doesn’t just come with its own set of cultural etiquette. There are some superstitions, especially related to alcohol, that you should be aware of, so that your Spanish food partners are not surprised by the bad luck that you can accidentally cause.
- When you offer a toast, look everyone in the group in the eye. Only in the English-speaking world do people look at their drink when they clap. However, in much of Spain, you’ll want to make eye contact with as many of your drinking buddies as possible while toasting. The rigidity with which this rule is applied in Spain suggests that some believe that it is bad luck if they do not look into each other’s eyes.
- Never fold your arms when toasting. Drinking becomes even more complicated when you consider the fact that in Spain it is considered bad luck to cross your arms when toasting your drinks. Wait your turn to applaud the guy in front of you; don’t crouch under other people who are lifting their glasses.
- Never toast with a glass of water. If you do, you will be cursed with seven years of bad sex!
- Your last drink in a bar is your » penultimate «. Even if you plan to go straight home after finishing that beer, it’s still your “next to last” drink. According to Spanish superstition, your » last «, the last drink, would be the last in your life!
More superstitions in Spain
Here in Spain, superstitions are not only relegated to the bar and the table. There are a few more that come into play throughout everyday Spanish life.
- Tuesday, not Friday, the 13th is unlucky. In fact, the Spaniards even have a saying that warns people not to run great risks that day: “Tuesday , 13 neither case nor you embark.” Literally: «Tuesday the 13th, do not marry or marry. [a ship or plane] ‘.
- A lighter should not be shared between more than three people. This probably just means that you shouldn’t pass your lighter to more than three people in one night. Given how often complete strangers will ask you for a light in Spain, it is unlikely that you would need to prevent someone from using your lighter tomorrow if two people were to do so today.
- You should not pass a salt shaker from hand to hand. Instead, it should be placed on the table, for the other person to pick it up for themselves. And don’t spill the salt either, of course.
- When pouring liquid from a bottle, the bottom of the bottle should face away from the body and pour into the body. If the opposite is done, that glass should be thrown into the street; after all, it’s bad luck.
- If, while sweeping, the broom hits the feet of only one person, that person will never marry. And regardless of marital status, sweeping someone’s feet will supposedly give them bad luck in general.
- Cats have seven lives, not nine . And don’t let a black man cross your path, that superstition endures in Spain just as it does in the English-speaking world.
- Eat 12 grapes, one with each chime of the clock, at midnight on New Year’s Eve . It is said to bring you good luck in the New Year.
