Last week, it was Friday the seventeenth, the Italian equivalent of our Friday the thirteenth. That’s right, in Italy the unlucky number is seventeen instead of thirteen. When flying with Alitalia you’ll notice there is no row seventeen and in most hospitals rooms with the number seventeen don’t exists. But what is it with that number that the Italians fear it so much?
Although most of us consider Friday (including me when I still had a full-time office job) – with the traditional Dutch fried snack in the canteen and happy hour at four o’clock – as one of the best days of the week, that is not exactly the case in Italy where the catholic church still has a substantial impact on daily life
Its origins lay with the ancient Romans. The number seventeen was written as XVII, which is an anagram of VIXI. In Latin this means ‘I lived’, which was subsequently interpreted as ‘I am dead now’. Not exactly the one sentence overflowing with the desire to enjoy life, they thought, so better to avoid the number as much as possible. And then there is Friday. Although most of us consider Friday (including me when I still had a full-time office job) – with the traditional Dutch fried snack in the canteen and happy hour at four o’clock – as one of the best days of the week, that is not exactly the case in Italy where the catholic church still has a substantial impact on daily life. It was on a Friday, Good Friday, that Jesus was crucified and for that reason alone, it isn’t considered the best day of the week. Therefore, unlike in the Netherlands, getting married on a Friday is not usual in Italy. Put seventeen and Friday together and you have a very good reason not to leave your house this day, like many Italians.
I texted a friend who had the exact same feeling. Could it be the position of the moon?
When I woke up last Friday, I was still blissfully unaware of what diabolical day it was. And yet there was something strange to be perceived, as if it was something in the air. I was very restless and couldn’t focus on anything. For the first time in days it finally cooled down a little, so it couldn’t be the heat either. I texted a friend who had the exact same feeling. Could it be the position of the moon?
While I was fitting a hat and I was looking at myself in the mirror, I mentioned my peculiar feeling to the owner of the shop. For him it wasn’t a mystery at all: it was Friday the seventeenth!
Later that day I would meet up with a friend to shoot some pictures in the centre of Rome. By means of inspiration he sent me some pictures he had in mind, and based on those I decided I needed a hat. A nice and large sun hat. Finally, I had a goal that morning and I went on my way. The streets were completely empty, and while I was fitting a hat and I was looking at myself in the mirror, I mentioned my peculiar feeling to the owner of the shop. For him it wasn’t a mystery at all: it was Friday the seventeenth! I’d better be careful all day. I had to laugh. Ah, those Italians and their superstition. However, last summer in Naples I’ve had my fair share of superstition and by now I have learned to not just laugh it off.
When the sky started to cloud over as well, I decided to text my photographer friend if he would mind postponing the photo shoot for a day. In the meantime, I had thrown the sun hat carelessly on my bed
Once home with my beautiful new hat, that peculiar feeling hadn’t gone away yet. When the sky started to cloud over as well, I decided to text my photographer friend if he would mind postponing the photo shoot for a day. In the meantime, I had thrown the sun hat carelessly on my bed and left it there. So, what to do next? Even though I already knew quite a bit about the Italian rituals around superstition, I decided to look up more about it.
I will never do the latter again after the frightened looks of my friends I received when I once again didn’t think about it and enthusiastically toasted my acqua frizzante against theirs
I already knew that spilling salt and olive oil brings bad luck, just like making a toast with a glass of water. I will never do the latter again after the frightened looks of my friends I received when I once again didn’t think about it and enthusiastically toasted my acqua frizzante against theirs. Another funny fact is that where we have to ‘touch wood’ as soon as possible, the Italians hurriedly look for iron to touch to avert their misfortune. But that’s not all. Black cats bring misfortune, and seventeen November has been declared national “Black Cat Day” by the Italian animal protection authorities to draw attention to the thousands of black cats killed by superstitious Italians. Being a cat lover this breaks my heart of course, and in fact, this day, the seventeenth of July, is a happy day to me as it was exactly 23 years ago that our cat was born who wouldn’t leave my side for more than eighteen years and demanded everyone’s attention at every single family celebration as a full member of the family.
They didn’t elaborate however on whether this superstition of sneezing cats being omens of good fortune still applies in times of corona
However, there was also some good news about cats. Because, so I read, it would bring good luck upon you when you’d hear a cat sneeze. Perhaps the notorious sneezing disease (yes, that really does exist) that hit our beloved cat when he was still very young was the reason for his otherwise very prosperous life, I thought. They didn’t elaborate however on whether this superstition of sneezing cats being omens of good fortune still applies in times of corona. Of course, the list went on and on. In Italy students don’t get it in their heads to climb the leaning tower of Pisa, because legend has it that if you do so before you have your degree, you will never graduate in your life. When you get a sharp object as a present – that nice cheese platter with the accompanying knives you got for Christmas for example – you are obliged to prick the generous giver with the object (sorry, Mom). But if you consider this a little exaggerated, fortunately gifting a round coin in return is also a good way to save your relationship, which otherwise will unfortunately be destroyed. On New Year’s Eve, you wear red underwear and making reservations for thirteen people is out of the question thanks to Jesus and his last supper they had in a companionship of thirteen. There’s the widely feared evil’s eye, a look of envy, that brings misfortune to the one who it’s aimed at, and you are never allowed to put framed pictures of loved ones on your bed during the cleaning to prevent bringing bad luck upon them. It’s not easy, living in Italy.
But Italy wouldn’t be Italy if there wasn’t a trick to avert this misfortune too
The fear of remaining alone forever seems to be deeply rooted too. Because if you happen to say exactly the same thing as someone else at the same time, you will unfortunately never get married. The same applies when someone accidentally touches your feet with a broom or when you sit on the corner of the table being single. But Italy wouldn’t be Italy if there wasn’t a trick to avert this misfortune too and luckily an act as simple as touching your nose is enough to secure those wedding bells again.
By now I have sent and received so many lupo messages that I don’t even notice it any longer how strange it is to wish someone ‘in the mouth of a wolf’
When I send friends a good luck message for an exam or any other important occasion, I tell them “in bocca al lupo”, which translates into “in the mouth of the wolf”. Literally wishing someone good luck will not result in success at all, so the Italians believe. The other person may then not answer your sincere wish for success with “grazie”, but with “crepi il lupo”, in other words, “that the wolf may die”. By now I have sent and received so many lupo messages that I don’t even notice it any longer how strange it is to wish someone ‘in the mouth of a wolf’.
Immediately my gaze went from my laptop to my new sun hat that was still lying gracefully on my queen size bed. Oh God
The list of Italian superstition was really endless and after half an hour of research, I had had my share. But then another superstition caught my attention that should absolutely not be ignored, according to this website. I held my breath when I read that you should never, but really under no circumstances, put a hat on a bed. It was an old superstition that dated back to the time when priests came to visit seriously ill people, took their hats off and, you guessed it, put them on the bed. Immediately my gaze went from my laptop to my new sun hat that was still lying gracefully on my queen size bed. Oh God, I really wasn’t going anywhere today anymore.