Category Archives: Superstitions, Beliefs and Bad Omens

Dominican Republic Superstitions / Supersticiones, Beliefs / Creencias and Bad Omens / Fucús

There are many superstitions, old wives tales and mystical beliefs in Dominican Republic as in all countries throughout the world. Here are listed the most unique and interesting to this island in the Caribbean.

Dominicans, in general, do not talk about the bad omens because it is said to bring more bad luck. Always remember, when a bad omen or fucú (also spelled fukú) occurs one must ward it off by making a cross sign with the index fingers remembering always to whisper, ever so softly, the word “zafa”. It is believed that by doing this you just MAY be safe if you happen to make a boo-boo and do or say the wrong thing. Don’t forget….

*Asabache Amulets

*Women, Children and Pregnancy

*To Marry or Not To Marry, Death and It’s Causes, Rain and Water, Food and Home Superstitions.

*Witchcraft, Misterosos, Possession, Cures And Other Miscellaneous Superstitions, Beliefs and Omens

Superstitions – Witchcraft, Omens And More

Witchcraft, Misterosos, Possession, Cures And Other Miscellaneous Superstitions, Beliefs and Omens

Many Dominicans do believe in witchcraft and other mysterious spiritual occurrences. Many of the beliefs come from religious and spiritual backgrounds and also from their African and Spanish heritage. This mix of a little bit of everything combines to make the Dominican culture so unique, interesting and wonderful.

Witchcraft, Misterioso, Possession and Cures | Miscellaneous Superstitions, Beliefs and Omens

Sign on the house reads in part translated "San Miguel grants good luck to all"
Sign on the house reads in part translated “San Miguel grants good luck to all”

Witchcraft, Misterosos, Possession and Cures

*Witchcraft is said to cause many illnesses here in Dominican Republic, especially if an illness or disease comes on swiftly or lasts a long time.

*Many illnesses are said to occur when a person hires a brujo/ sorcerer (male witch) or a bruja/ sorceress (female witch) to call upon the spirit of a diseased person to gain vengeance or because they are envious of someone. The end result is the person that used this means of getting even can become sick themselves. This because they became possessed themselves unknowingly. Because of this possession, they become physically or mentally sick.

*This spirit that causes sickness to the unsuspecting human is called the Bacá. This spirit is brought into existence to protect the owner of some property or to make another sick. Any person that the owner of this spirit comes in contact with will become sick or crazy.

Sign on a Brujaria "Artículos religiosos y para la suerte" (religious articles and for luck)
Sign on a Brujaria “Artículos religiosos y para la suerte”
(religious articles and for luck)

*Diseases can be caused by not giving enough attention to the misterios / spirits and making them angry. If you make fun of them, don’t take them seriously, do not believe in them or do not give them the sacrifices they feel are their due. If you cause the wrath of a misterioso they could possess the offending human and cause illness, both physical and mental. If there is no visible cause for these illnesses it is then advisable to get in touch with a brujo so they can tell you how to deal with this problem or to aide in getting rid of this trouble causing misterioso. Also, it is recommended, if you have an angry misterioso possessing you to go on a pilgrimage. Many times this pilgrimage will include, among other things, repenting of the sins and sleeping on the floor in front of an altar.

*Sometimes the healer or Brujo will get possessed by this misterioso himself so he can be spoken through thus knowing by feeling and seeing the illness himself. In this way he can best know how to deal with and cure the problem. These possessions can be complete body and mind possessions where the misterioso enters the Brujo or Bruja. Some just prefer to use Vista Clara/Clairvoyant where they do not have to be possessed, only inspired, by going into a trance. Some say God inspires them others say the misterioso does. After these visions, they can see how best to cure a person or disease. Sometimes by only asking the possessor to go away rids the person, others times it is necessary to prescribe a traditional folk remedy of herbs and natural ingredients or by some specific action. They can use card reading, reading of coffee grounds or read water in a glass with a candle behind.

*There are the ceremonies for expelling evil spirits that have taken possession of someone. Witches and exorcists expel them with rituals and procedures in which they employ various tools, techniques and materials such as trying to persuade them to leave; drawing crosses with garlic on the hands, forehead and back of the possessed person; striking the victim with whips of brooms made of the leaves and branches of certain plants and bushes (e.g. guandule, anamú). The churches also have ceremonies for expelling evil spirits that are led by the minister or an important member qualified to do this ceremony.

*Many times, after a person who has experienced and cleansed themselves of this possession, have themselves become spiritual healers. After a person has overcome a disease or illness caused by these misteriosos, it seems they have, in many cases, gained the special powers to aid others in how to overcome the misteriosos. It is said that the only way a misterioso would permit them to be healed is for them to become Curanderos/ Healers themselves. The Curanderos are usually Brujos, both at the same time. They are considered to be quite powerful.

*Some cures are just the traditional Ensalmar / praying for health. Some are instructed to write their wish on a piece of paper then place it inside or under a magical object, maybe a statue, a candle, or a special stone or trinket. Some cures can include an exorcism, especially when a bad spirit called an Envío possesses the person. The bad spirit can be sent into some living animal or creature.

Many different saints displayed.
Many different saints displayed.

*There is a bottle that can be used as a trap to put the evil spirit in. There is a trap inside the bottle in which the person spits several times and trap’s the evil spirit.

*A graveyard caretaker or Barón del Cementerio/ Baron of the cemetery can send the evil spirit away. A bath, in a tub, spring or river, can be used with herbs or medicines in the water that one must wash in on the designated days and hours. This bath can wash away evil and also bring good luck as well, all depending on the ingredients and procedures used for this cleansing. There are many different amulets, among them animal teeth. Sometimes an item is burned and the ashes are taken internally or rubbed on the body.

Brujaria or Santeria selling all types of cures and protections.
Brujaria or Santeria selling all types of cures and protections.

*Many of these healers have learned their trade passed down from their ancestors. Their knowledge of herbs and the mental states of the people make many of their cures really work. The herbal remedies are many of which modern medicines have been derived. I am not sure about some of these healing medicines but many times a sickness can be just in the head and maybe a little superstition to make the sickness go away is all that is needed. If you believe it is gone, it is gone. Also, the herbal healing methods have been used since the beginning of time and many really do work. Some seem to come from Indian traditions and African traditions as well. Many are believed the world over only in slightly varied forms.

*Many Dominicans do believe in witches. They go to a Bruja when they really want to win the lottery or when they feel wronged by someone. A wife who knows her husband is cheating will go to the bruja to get a spell to make her husband impotent. Witches are also called to make medical remedies for the sick. They know how to use herbs and all the natural remedies. Brujas will use herbs, animals, chanting, singing, dancing, small idols, card reading and smoke in their consults among other things.

A very frightening grave in El Batey. Something to stay away from.
A very frightening grave in El Batey. Something to stay away from.

*The places that sell these remedies, candles and other items are called Brujarias. These stores and shops can be found in many places throughout the country. They have all sorts of candles and items from luck charms to an item that can be used to inflict curses.

*A baka is an evil spirit sent to occupy the body of an animal. Be it a goat, cow, dog, cat or chicken this baka is used to protect and to bring harm to anyone trying to hurt its owner. If you hear a knocking at the door late at night do not open it as it could be a baka looking for its next victim.

*A piece of red cloth tied to an item, even tied onto a human wrist or ankle, is said to protect from the witch and her evil eye. The red draws the attention of the bad being thus sparing whatever it is tied to.

*I’ve heard if someone has placed an evil voodoo spell on you the only way for you to break that spell is to throw a stone and hit the witch right on the forehead. It must bleed. If it doesn’t bleed, then the spell won’t go away.

More information about brujas in the myths and legends section

Some Personal Experiences

*Once I saw an owl flying by. I was talking to a friend in the park about it. He told me that it was a bruja and to be very careful.

*Another time I was joking with a man that I was a witch and to be careful not to make me angry. Every time I saw him in the next year or so he would run up to me and greet me like I was his old friend. Once I acted a little angry when he did not greet me right away. He was apologizing with such fervor, acting like he was afraid. After I heard him telling his friends that I was a very powerful bruja. I then knew that he really did think I had the power. I had to explain to him that I was just joking, I was not a witch. Now, when I see him, he waves but does not make the big fuss over me like he used to.

Espiritista - Bruja and her tools of the trade.
Espiritista – Bruja and her tools of the trade.

Miscellaneous Superstitions, Beliefs and Omens

*If a fighting rooster sees himself early in the morning when his head is still under his wing, he should not fight that day because he will lose.

*Don’t cross your eyes while a rooster is crowing.

*If one has an itch in the right hand they will receive money, but if it is in the left hand they will lose money.

*Tuesday the 13th is the equivalent to Friday the 13th in the USA. No matter how you look at it, it is bad luck. There is a saying for this day “Ni te cases ni te embarques ni de tu familia te apartes”/ Do not get married, do not sail and do not be away from your family. It sounds better in Spanish and it rhymes.

*If you lose something burn a velon / candle in offering to San Antonio and you will find what you lost.

*Never work with wet cement after 4 PM or you will get the infamous “gripe”/ flu.

*There are ciguapas who live in caves, often near a river, who have backward feet. When pursued, their tracks lead the hunters to where they have been. (more on Ciguapas)

*There are the speedy zanganos, who are able to travel amazing distances in a very short time.

*There are the resguardos / amulets that are worn for protection against enemies that are purchased from suppliers. The most effective, they say (and you know who THEY are), is a bag with a small cross attached that contains a special prayer. Others include the tooth of a cow, a fragment of burro bone, and a black coral cross.

*Beware of Coats or also known as Bilín. He can become a burro or other animals as he desires. People here have a lot of respect for Bilín.”

*During the 30 years that Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic, many countrymen were arrested for violating various laws. For example, if you weren’t farming at least 10 tareas (about 1.5 acres), the soldiers marched you off to jail. Some of these men were able to avoid arrest by making themselves invisible whenever soldiers were in the area; others turned themselves into stumps or rocks, or at least that is what you saw when you looked at them. A few men could escape from the soldiers by changing into eels and disappearing under the water when they crossed a river or stream on the way to jail.

*You are never to work or do anything of great effort on Corpus Christi Day. That is a “cosa mala”/ “bad thing” (which, for Dominicans, is one of those things that nobody really knows why is offensive to God, just that it is offensive).

Corpus Christi day march.
Corpus Christi day march.

*Having sex on a Good Friday (Easter Friday) is a bad thing. People who do, supposedly, will be stuck the rest of the day in whatever position they were in.

*You must always say God willing (“Si Dios quiere”, “si díos lo permite”, “con díos delante”), if you are talking about seeing someone tomorrow or if you are going into town (A man told his family that he was going to town and left out the important phrase. He walked, and walked and walked but he never ever made it to town!!)

*Never pick up coins from the ground. They might have evil spells, and if you pick them up, that spell will fall on you.

*If someone is calling your name don’t turn around on the first call. You must wait for the third call because it might be a zombie calling you to steal your soul.

*If the first transaction of the day for a salesman is on credit the salesman will have problems with the clients for the entire day.

*To mention Christopher Columbus’s name is very unlucky. Instead of using his name, Dominicans call him “The Admiral.”

Superstition – Marriage, Death, Water, Home

Dominican Republic Superstitions – Marriage, Death, Water, Home

The Dominican Republic has many superstitious beliefs that have been passed down through the ages. How to ward off bad luck before it happens and what to do if you make a mistake and those bad omens find you. Read, learn and remember how to prevent bad things from happening to you the Dominican way.

To Marry or Not To Marry | Death and It’s Causes | Rain and Water | Food and Home Superstitions

A Santeria in Dominican Republic where you can purchase all your protection needs.
A Santeria where you can purchase all your protection needs.

Marriage and No Marriage

If you are married or planning on being married or maybe you never want to be married. You might want to read about these superstitions before making any decision.

*It is a catastrophe if one gets married on Tuesday, Friday or in the month of November.

*If a woman opens an umbrella in the house she will never get married

*DO NOT go to a wedding dressed in black this gives bad luck to the couple.

*If a single woman in serving something on a tray and the tray is left empty she should hold it upside down or she won’t get married.

*If a young girl walks under a ladder, she will never marry.

*You can’t sweep a single person’s feet or they will stay single.

*If you cross a set of hands already in a handshake with another handshake, someone will be getting married.

Something buried at the Ruinas del Monasterio de San Francisco.
Something buried at the Ruinas del Monasterio de San Francisco.

Death and Death Causes

How to prevent death and illnesses and what to do if death comes close.

*If you have two lights turned on in a room this will cause death.

*If a dog howls with persistence somebody in the neighborhood will die.

*If a dog barks at night without reason then he is seeing a ghost.

*If all the hens cluck at the same time there will be a death in the family.

Small grave yard in the Batey of Dominican Republic
Small grave yard in the Batey of Dominican Republic.

*If a person goes to the cemetery while ill they will die of that disease.

*Do Not sleep with your feet towards the street. Since this is the way the dead are put to rest this will bring bad luck or even worse death.

*Every time a bottle of alcohol is opened some of the alcohol must be poured onto the floor por los muertos/ for the dead.

*When seeing a funeral procession on the highway make sure to cross yourself or you could be possessed by the dead.

*If your windows are open and a funeral is going by you have to close the windows and wake any sleeping babies. Throw a bucket of water down the steps for good measure.

*Every time you pass a graveyard don’t forget to cross yourself for protection and respect, at both the beginning and end of the graveyard.

Rain and Water

When to avoid bathing, rain or getting wet and when to just dive in and get soaked. These superstitions are used to protect you from the bad omens of fucús.

*If things are going bad, a dip in the ocean will wash away the bad spirits.

*Don’t bathe in the morning – again, you will get gripe (the flu or a cold).

*You must place a cubo de auga / bucket of water at the furthest corner of your house the week of New Year’s. Exactly at midnight you dump the water out the backdoor. The belief is you gather all the bad spirits and feelings of the previous year and you dump them out never to return. (more New Year traditions)

*If you go into a rain shower when the sun is shining you will get sick.

*Taking a bath with rose petals is said to bring Quitar la mala suerte / good luck. Usually done by people who have not won the lottery.

*To make it not rain make a circle of pebbles in your yard. Cover these stones with ashes and say the anti-rain chant “San Isidro Labrador, quita el agua y pon el sol!”

*To protect your crops during a storm with strong winds mount your machete, upside down, on the wall in the farthest corner of the home.

Caught in a rain storm at the Palacio de Borgellá.
Caught in a rain storm at the Palacio de Borgellá.

*If you are caught in a thunder and lightning storm its best to stop talking and close the mouth. Also remove and teeth that are removable because they, the metal in them, are said to be lightning conductors and they can be blown right out of your mouth.

*When the first rain in May falls El Agua de Mayo catch the water with your hands and wash your face. This will get rid of wrinkles and purify. Save some in a jar to use later for whatever ails you.

Food and In the Home Superstitions

Learn how to cleanse a new home before you move Dominican style. And be careful, if you eat certain foods or even drop a utensil this can cause dire consequences or bring unwanted visitors to your home. Some things can even cause death!

*Do not ask a neighbor to lend you salt in the morning. This will bring bad luck.

*Never hand a salt shaker directly to someone, you should always place it on the table first.

*If you drop a fork and the tines of the fork point to the roof (up) an angry sibling will arrive. If the tines of the fork point to the floor the siblings will arrive looking for food or lodgings, a celebration.

*If you drop a knife in the kitchen, a male visitor will be stopping by. If you drop a spoon, it will be a female.

Watermellons for sale
Watermellons for sale but do not eat the seeds.

*If you eat the seeds of a watermelon (Pastilla) you will get stomach pains and die.

*Don’t eat piña/ pineapple too soon after eating eggs.

*You should never drink coffee standing up or any plans that you have made will not happen (se te barajan los planes).

*You cannot eat avocado and drink milk right before bed or you will get bad stomach cramps.

*If a farmer chews tobacco while he plants yucca, the yucca will be bitter.

*Young women just entering puberty may never eat citrus fruits.

A straw or palm frond broom setting outside before use for good luck.
A straw or palm frond broom setting outside before use for good luck.

*A new straw or palm frond broom, before the first use, must be set outside for a day for luck

*Placing a broom behind the door one will receive visitors

*To get rid of a guest who has overstayed their welcome place a broom behind the entry door with the bristle end up.

*Never sweep out the front door of a business.”There go your profits”.

*Place above the front door some sábila/ aloe. This collects all the negative energy of people coming and going.

*If you come across a set of crossed branches on your doorstep, watch out. Someone had done a “job” on you.

*Cover all your mirrors during thunderstorms.

*Standing in a doorway during a thunderstorm could cause the home to be struck with lightning.

*The first time you enter your new house (residence) bring with you oil, salt, bread, a candle and a picture or Jesus or whatever saint you choose. The candle and picture are to bless the house and the oil, salt and bread will always make sure you have food in the house.

*If a wasp comes into the house it brings bad luck.

*Don’t put money under your mattress or you will never get a good nights sleep.

*Never open the fridge after you iron.

*A glass of water placed on a shelf with the image of Santa Clara placed behind it to “they clarify all the ways”.

*Place a sprig of Perejil/ parsley in your home and it will bring you money.

*Bells placed in the doorway ward off evil and are placed there as an advanced warning should spirits enter the home.

*Turning a chair on one leg will bring misfortune.

Asabache Amulets

Higa, Figa and Ásabache Amulets

Spanish seamen, being very superstitious, thought it brought bad luck to pass by some of the “cursed islands”. To deflect this bad luck some thought that by passing a cursed islands on the north side would bring better luck while others thought that passing by on the south side was better.

It was the perception that the devil brought storms and that many places were cursed. This is why the crew had to use something to protect themselves against this evil. Especially the evil eye.

The higa or
figa, it is thought, was first used as a good luck charm, worn around the neck for protection. It seems that some were also quite large and they were also used to protect the animals such as horses or dogs. There have been many found in shipwrecks and along the beaches many of which are on display the Museo de las Cases Reales de Santo Domingo.

Asabache charms made from amber and black coral
Asabache charms made from amber and black coral

Ásabache or Figa

are small hand shaped luck amulets. The hand is clenched into a fist with the thumb sticking up between the index and second fingers.

These amulets have can be made from many different substances including coral, wood, ivory, natural crystal, jet and gold. They can be made from any material that could be formed into this fist shape.

There have been other items found, such as spoons and boxes, that are embellished with the
figa.

In some countries the figa is considered to be obscene because of the hand gesture it represents.