15 Freaky Food Superstitions

For some, they may just be spooky superstitions; but for others, they're based on a cultural belief and are taken seriously. And some of the freakiest superstitions just happen to involve food.

Beware of the devil lurking near your loaf of bread. It's been said (mostly by the Irish) that if you don't cut a cross into the top of the dough before baking it, the devil will sit on your loaf...  or so goes one of the origin stories for Hot Cross Buns. Other superstitions around bread say that you should only cut one end of the loaf, otherwise you'll free the devil and he'll fly all around your house. Watch out for holes in your loaf, as they've been said to symbolize a coffin and indicate that someone is going to die soon, and keep your loaf upright, since an upside-down loaf reportedly brings bad luck.

Whatever you do, don't sniff basil. According to ancient Greek superstition, smelling basil might make a scorpion appear in your brain.

Always crush an eggshell after it's cracked. If not, a witch will supposedly use the pieces to build a boat, set sail, and cause terrible storms at sea. A superstition believed to have originated in England says that after boiling an egg, you have to push a spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let out the devil, who likes the sulfurous smell of yolk because it reminds him of home.

One of the most universal food superstitions is that it's bad luck to spill salt. If you do spill the salt, it's recommended that you throw a pinch over your left shoulder to blind the devil and prevent him from stealing your soul. In Hungary, salt is also thrown on the entrance of a new home to keep evil out.

Each family member should take a turn stirring the Christmas cake mixture, or bad luck will befall them — this applies mainly to unmarried girls, who, legend says, will remain alone for another year if they miss their turns.

According to European folklore, you should always carry a piece of garlic with you to avoid the Evil Eye, which will give you bad luck.

In Chinese culture, a long noodle represents a long life. If you cut noodles before serving them to someone, it's said that the life of that person will be cut short.

Ancient Egyptians supposedly always kept onions around to keep evil spirits away.

English superstition says it's bad luck to have someone else pour you a cup of tea. Also, be sure the lid is on when brewing, and be careful not to spill. Otherwise, in both cases, you might get a visit from a stranger.

It's generally believed that you should never hand a hot pepper to a friend, or your friendship will end in discord. Instead, place the pepper on a table for your friend to pick up (though why you're passing peppers around in the first place is another question).

This might seem like an odd rule, but don't bring bananas on a boat. For centuries, fishermen have banned them from their boats. Rumor has it that an illness once befell a fisherman (who knows where) who ate a banana, and thus the "curse" was born. (Banana boats are presumably exempt from this prohibition.)

If you're chewing gum at night in Turkey, you're said to be chewing the flesh of the dead.

Be careful when serving cake to friends. It's generally believed that tipping over a slice of cake while it's being served will bring you bad luck.

Europeans who believe in vampires ward them off by sprinkling mustard seed on their roofs.

Rice, which represents health and good fortune, was traditionally thrown at weddings so that evil spirits wouldn't bother the happy couple in their marriage.