Strange Italian Superstitions You Probably Don’t Know About
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Buongiorno! Italian folklore includes unlucky numbers, protective gestures and familiar childhood characters. Here are ten superstitions and traditions, with useful Italian vocabulary.
Beliefs differ between regions, families and individuals. Read these as examples of folklore and language, rather than things every Italian believes or instructions for controlling your future.
Beware of Friday the 17th
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Venerdì 17, Friday the 17th, is associated with bad luck in Italian folklore. Thirteen can have positive associations, but attitudes vary; these beliefs do not mean that Italians generally refuse to travel or leave home on a particular date.
Several explanations circulate for seventeen’s reputation. One familiar story rearranges the Roman numeral XVII into VIXI, Latin for “I have lived”, interpreted as suggesting a life that has ended. It is an explanation of a superstition, rather than proof of a single historical origin; vixi is not the Latin word for “death”.
Useful words: la fortuna (luck), la sfortuna (bad luck), superstizioso / superstiziosa (superstitious).
La Befana
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On the night before Epiphany, 6 January, the folkloric Befana visits children and fills stockings with sweets or gifts, or symbolic coal. She is usually pictured as an elderly woman flying on a broom. Families’ gift-giving customs vary.
Epiphany is a Christian holiday; the Befana is a popular folkloric figure associated with it. In one legend, she is invited to accompany the Wise Men but sets out too late and continues searching. Versions of the story differ, so it should not be presented as biblical history.
Useful words: la calza (stocking), i dolci (sweets), il carbone (coal), la scopa (broom).
Read our Italian Christmas vocabulary and traditions guide.
Il topolino dei denti
In some Italian families, a topolino dei denti, or tooth mouse, exchanges a lost baby tooth for a coin or gift. Other families tell the story of a tooth fairy. Topolino means “little mouse” and, capitalized, is also the Italian name of Mickey Mouse.
A related Spanish story is Luis Coloma’s Ratón Pérez, written around 1894 for the young Alfonso XIII. The Spanish Royal Library preserves its manuscript. This documented story should not be confused with proof that Coloma invented every tooth-mouse tradition.
Useful words: un dente da latte (a baby tooth), il cuscino (pillow), una moneta (a coin).
Tocca ferro
Toccare ferro, “to touch iron”, is a gesture intended to ward off bad luck, comparable to English “touch wood” or “knock on wood”. You might hear Tocca ferro! after somebody mentions a welcome piece of good fortune.
Iron objects and horseshoes occur in various protective traditions. The specific claim that this expression comes from touching a knight’s armour is not established here and should not be treated as certain history.
Example: Finora è andato tutto bene. Tocchiamo ferro! — “Everything has gone well so far. Touch wood!”
In bocca al lupo
In bocca al lupo! literally means “into the wolf’s mouth”, but functions as a wish for success before an exam, performance or other challenge. It can serve a similar purpose to English “break a leg”. You can also use ordinary wishes such as Buona fortuna!
The traditional reply is Crepi! or Crepi il lupo!, “May the wolf die!” You will also hear Grazie! and Viva il lupo!; usage and personal preferences differ. A simple “thank you” is therefore also an option.
The Accademia della Crusca discusses the expression’s history through the wolf as an image of danger and the protective force attributed to words. A single story about hunters is not a securely established origin.
Getting off on the wrong foot
Some traditions associate the right side with good fortune and the left with bad luck. The familiar expression alzarsi col piede sinistro means “to get up on the wrong side of the bed”, or to start the day in a bad mood.
Sinistro can mean “left” or “sinister”, depending on context. This linguistic association does not mean that using your left foot causes misfortune, nor that all Italians observe a rule about which foot touches the floor first.
Example: Oggi mi sono alzato col piede sinistro. — “I got up on the wrong side of the bed today.” A female speaker uses alzata.
The broom and marriage
One old superstition says that a broom brushing an unmarried person’s feet foretells that they will not marry. Versions vary, and some specifically refer to women.
The belief reflects older expectations around marriage and domestic work. It is folklore, not a prediction of somebody’s relationships or evidence that they are a “bad housewife”. The explanation that it began as a test of housekeeping skills is a circulating story rather than established history.
Useful words: spazzare (to sweep), sposarsi (to get married), i piedi (feet).
Spilled olive oil
Spilling oil is associated with bad luck in some Italian folk traditions, much as spilled salt is in other traditions. Explanations often connect the belief with the value of oil and the waste involved in spilling it.
Stories about how long the bad luck lasts or how to reverse it differ. There is no reason to treat seven years, a lifetime, or rubbing oil behind your ears as a factual consequence or remedy. If you spill oil, clean it up so nobody slips.
Useful words: l’olio d’oliva (olive oil), rovesciare (to knock over or spill), pulire (to clean).
Hats on beds
Placing a hat on a bed is regarded as unlucky in some Italian traditions. It is often connected in popular explanations with illness or death.
Stories involving doctors or priests visiting a sick person circulate, but they do not establish one verified origin. This is a belief you may encounter, rather than a rule observed by every household.
Useful words: il cappello (hat), il letto (bed), portare sfortuna (to bring bad luck).
The Maiorchino cheese game
Our final example is a local tradition rather than a superstition. In Novara di Sicilia, in the Messina area of Sicily, players send wheels of Maiorchino cheese rolling along the town’s streets. This is a different town from Novara in Piedmont.
The game is associated with Carnival and local cheese-making heritage. The Sicilian regional government describes the community’s Maiorchino tradition. Routes, teams and event arrangements should be checked with the organizers for a particular edition.
Useful words: una forma di formaggio (a wheel of cheese), far rotolare (to make something roll), una squadra (a team).
Explore our guide to Italian stereotypes.
Explore traditions with curiosity
These ten examples mix superstitions, family stories and local celebrations. People may believe them, joke about them, or simply recognize them as folklore. They offer useful vocabulary and conversation topics without predicting your luck, health or relationships.
Have you encountered another Italian tradition? Share its name and where you heard about it in the comments.
