Tag Archives: bad luck

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.

Women, Children & Pregnancy

Women, Children and Pregnancy

1. Luck | 2. Parenting | 3. Cures | 4. Menstruation | 5. New Mother | 6. Sex

Bad Luck / Good Luck

*When a baby is just born you say “God Bless You” to prevent the child from getting the evil eye

*Mal de ojo/ The evil eye is especially thought to cause illness in babies. It happens when somebody looks at a child with envy and makes compliments without without saying “God bless you”. If children become sick suddenly and without any physical reason and a doctor has no explanation is is for sure caused by mal de ojo.

*The “Ásabache” is a black hand or fist, sometimes a red and black bean that is used to ward off the mal ojo/ evil eye. Usually worn around the neck, even on a gold chain. Always a good baby shower gift.

*Never remove the ‘asabache’ until someone says it’s nonsense

*Put a small bracelet of beads on the child’s ankle or wrist to ward off evil and to bring prosperity.

*Be aware of brujas/ witches who try and eat babies (the Legend of the Bruja)

*The name is an important part of the person and can be used to bring evil to the person if it is known. Because of this a persons real name is usually kept secret. If your real name is known then you could be bewitched or sold to the devil by a Vendegete, or cursed by a brujo/ witch.This is why nick names, known here as Apodo, are given to children by their parents. These names usually are nothing like their given name but usually has something to do with their appearance. This way, by using the fake name it conceals their true identities from anyone trying to curse them.

*A small bag worn around the neck of little children is filled with garlic to ward off evil spirits, evil eyes and sickness.

*A small piece of black fabric must be tied around the right arm of a new born This fabric draws in and collects negative energy keeping it from the baby.

*In some areas of Dominican Republic prior to baptism they are given a baño/ bath to ward of the evil eye. This bath contains a mashed clove of garlic and three grains of salt added to the Agua Bendita/ Holy Water. This mix is sprinkled on the child.

*If a child dies without being baptized they pass the time playing tricks on humans. For example, when you can’t find your eyeglasses or sewing scissors, even though sure you left them in a particular spot, it is probably because they were hidden by the Duendes.(more on Duendes)

Parenting

*Some parents in Dominican Republic hang a baseball glove on the crib of a newborn baby boy as a good luck charm because they wish him to become a great baseball player.

*If you let a child see his or her reflection before they’re two years old they won’t talk.

*Do not get your baby’s haircut before he is one. If you do he won’t talk!

*If the hammock of the boy is rocked without him in it, this will cause the boy to become crazy.

*When a child bends over and looks at you from between their legs, it is said that they want another little brother or sister.

*Permitting a dog or cat, depending on who is telling the tale, to sleep on a child’s bed will make them not be able to have children.

*Throwing a child’s milk or baby tooth on the rooftop when they lose it will make the new tooth come in strong and straight. (more information on this and the Ratoncito Pérez)

Cures

*If a baby is getting sick or congested take a hair off a menstruating woman’s head and tie it around the babies wrist for 24 hours and the child will not get sick.

*When a baby has hiccups, put a hair from the mother’s head on the baby’s head until the hiccups go away.

*To prevent hiccups when feeding a baby place a string from it’s blanket on the forehead.

*Whenever you say something nice about a newborn you must say que “Dios lo bendiga”/ God Bless. Not doing so may cause the baby to become ill or cause some other catastrophe.

Menstruation

*Do not eat guineos / bananas if you are menstruating.

*Do not squeeze limons / lemons when you are having mensuration.

*Girls during the time of their development cannot eat green fruit or fruta agria / sour fruit.

*If you pass over top of your husband when you are pregnant he will get all the morning sickness.

*A woman having her menstruation cannot enter a freshly seeded field because it will damage the crop

*Pregnant women are prohibited from eat cherries, lemons, codfish, and herring with fried eggs (typical breakfast)

*When a woman has her menstruation she cannot touch any cleaning products because she will get very sick.

Pregnancy

*Have as many babies as you can since they are all born with a loaf of bread under their arms.

*If your are pregnant and you hold a girl, and the baby kicks you will have a girl, and vice versa.

*You must never say no if a pregnant woman asks you for something that you are eating, if you do you’ll get a sty. To be on the safe side ALWAYS ask pregnant women if they would like some want of what you’re eating.

*A pregnant woman should not walk underneath a guanabana tree or eat guanabana as she may lose her child.

A very large Pineapple – Piña

*Pregnant women cannot eat piña / pineapple.

*Do not look at anyone that is deformed while pregnant of the baby will come out looking that way.

*Pregnant women should not go into the ocean.

*If you see a dead lizard in your house a woman will come out pregnant.

*If your face looks rounder, the baby will be a girl, and if you gain weight on your rear end, the baby will be a boy

New Mother

*A new mother cannot have citrus fruits.

*A women after having a child cannot wash her hair hair for 41 days or remove her socks for 41 days after giving birth.

*You must give a woman who just had birth sopa de gallina vieja / old hen soup.

*If you drop a spoon and the bowl of the spoon is up (it looks like a pregnant women) a new family member will be arriving soon.

Sex

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