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10 Superstitions About Travel

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Any lucky charm can bring good fortune when you’re on the road, but a St. Christopher medal is traditionally associated with lucky travels [source: Webster]. Once viewed as a martyr who carried the Christ child across the river on his back, St. Christopher was known as the Patron Saint of Travelers. Unfortunately, his status was downgraded in the early 70s, as many of the stories associated with Christopher were likely rooted more in legend than in fact. Despite his lack of status with the church, the St. Christopher medal remains one of the most popular charms for travelers and may be worn around the neck or simply carried in the pocket for luck.

10: Lucky Charms

Travel is designed to take you out of your comfort zone and introduce you to new places, people and experiences. While this trip outside your daily life is a coveted part of any vacation, it can also be unnerving or downright anxiety-inducing. To help ease the strain of travel, many voyagers have turned to superstitions designed to help them arrive safely at their destination and ensure the trip goes smoothly. From lucky charms, to when you should leave, to choosing the right flight number, these superstitions run the gamut, leaving nothing to chance. Before you plan your next vacation, check out these 10 travel tales to discover some that might help ease your travel fears.

9: Starting Out

When planning your journey, superstition dictates that you should choose your dates carefully. It’s considered bad luck to start your journey on a Friday, which could be blamed on the fact that the crucifixion of Jesus took place on a Friday, according to Christian lore. The only thing worse than a regular Friday would be starting a journey on Friday the 13th; expect bad luck and a troubled trip if you start out on this day. Looking to get your trip started right? Set out on a Sunday, which is considered a lucky day to start a vacation, likely due to its link to Jesus’s resurrection.

8: Look Ahead

When you set out on your journey, you’ll bring bad luck to your voyage if you look back toward home after starting out. It’s also considered a really bad idea to head back home for any reason, including to pick up something you may have forgotten. Play it safe, and just replace the forgotten item when you reach your destination. Better yet, make a detailed packing list to avoid forgetting anything in the first place.

If you’re saying goodbye to someone about to leave on a journey, get those goodbyes over with quickly; it’s considered bad luck if both of you wave goodbye and then you proceed to stand there and continue to watch the departed traveler until he or she is out of sight.

7: Number 13

The number 13 finds its way into all kinds of travel superstitions, just as it plays a role in so many other superstitions in everyday life. It’s allegedly bad luck to stay on the 13th floor of a hotel or building. This should be easy to avoid, as so many hotels simply skip the 13th floor, preferring to go right from level 12 to 14. When renting a car, take a minute for a bit of mental math, as it’s bad luck if the numbers in the license plate add up to 13 [source: Webster]. At the airport, avoid gates or seats that include this fatal number. Once again, just like hotels, airports make this easy to do by largely skipping the number 13 when assigning gate or seat numbers. If you’re heading overseas, keep in mind that other countries have their own version of the unlucky 13 legends. In Asia, the number four is connected to death and bad luck, while Italians fear the number 17 and its own connection to death in their culture.

6: Airport Safety

Travelers have all kinds of superstitions designed to get them safely through airports and ensure they survive the flight. This may range from kissing the ground when they land to stepping onto the plane with the same foot each time. Turns out, some airports have their own bizarre superstition for avoiding accidents. When construction crews finished the new control tower at the airport in Austin, Texas , in 1996, they added an evergreen tree to the very top of the tower. This custom of placing a tree on the top of a building originates in Scandinavia, where it’s said that placing a cedar tree on top of a building brings luck.

5: Travel Cues

Rather than bring luck to your journey or ensure you make it home safely, some travel superstitions are designed to let you know that future travels are coming. Itchy feet are a sign that you will take a trip — this superstition being so well-known that the phrase “itchy feet” brings to mind a sense of wanderlust these days. Some more dated customs state that finding a ravel on your dress or spotting a spider running down its web are hints that travel is in your future. Wondering where you’ll go? Another superstition suggests that listening to the cry of a dove will offer clues. According to legend, the direction of the call of the first spring dove tells you which direction you will travel.

4: Baggage Claims

Eager to hit the road? Grab the nearest empty suitcase, bag or carry-on and run around the block with it on New Year’s Day [source: Capo]. If superstition holds, you’ll soon find yourself on a journey. Before you leave, celebrate an old Russian custom to bring a bit of luck to your trip: Pack your bags, and take a seat on your suitcase. Have friends and family gather round for a moment of quiet reflection and goodbyes. Finally, no matter what you do, never put wet clothes in your suitcase, as it’s considered bad luck [source: Thomas and Thomas]. Hang that swimsuit up to dry, or carry it separately just in case.

3: Superstition at Sea

Traveling by boat comes with a whole host of superstitions all its own. While it’s common knowledge that riding aboard an unnamed boat brings terrible luck, the name of the boat itself matters too. It’s bad luck to board a boat whose name ends in the letter “A,” which is likely due to the demise of both the Brittania and the Lusitania during World War II. It’s also a bad idea to travel on a ship that has had a name change. Just ask Ernest Shackleton, who changed the name of his vessel from Aurora to Endurance right before setting off on what would become a disastrous expedition to Antarctica in 1914.

2: Lucky Destinations

Of course, the whole point of travel is to enjoy your destination, and some spots come with their own long-standing superstitions. When you’re in Rome, throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain ensures you will one day return to the city. Visitors to Ireland can win the gift of gab by planting a kiss on the Blarney Stone in County Cork’s Castle Blarney. Even destinations in the United States have their legends: If you find yourself in Springfield, Illinois, head to the birthplace of former President Lincoln. Rub the nose on the bronze bust above his tomb, and you’re guaranteed to have a lucky day.

1: Doomed Numbers

Beyond unlucky 13, certain numbers are unlucky solely because of their relationship to travel disasters. Many airlines refuse to incorporate the numbers 666 or 911 into flight numbers due to the negative connotations associated with these numbers. In addition, many airlines retire the numbers of crashed flights to ease fears of superstitious passengers — and also as a sign of respect for those lost. After flight 261 crashed in 2000, Alaska Airlines retired this particular flight number. U.S. Airways retired 1549, the number used to identify Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s miracle landing on the Hudson, while most airlines avoid 191 after both Delta and American lost flights with this number. Finally, all flight numbers lost on September 11th have been retired by most major airlines.

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Travel superstitions: What are lucky charms and why you should travel with one!

• by Christina Miller
• November 05, 2020

Every culture has its own superstitions to stay on the right side of fate.

In the Mediterranean, people ward off the misfortune of the evil eye with a Nazar amulet. In India, they hang chillies and lime outside their doors to keep out the Hindu goddess of misfortune. Mirrors are used in China to frighten evil spirits and so many more! In Catholicism, a Saint Christopher pendant is used for good luck when travelling. These also make a cool travel gift for him or her!

Lucky charms are the best way to ward off bad luck and misfortune when travelling. Travelling can be daunting! Stepping into the unknown with new challenges and risks is scary. There are so many things that could potentially go wrong.

This is why so many people won't travel without a lucky talisman to bring them luck and safety. With a little bit of faith, a lucky travel charm can give you and your family the faith that you will travel and return home safely.

Continue reading to learn about common travel superstitions and why you should be travelling with a lucky charm! Discover different types of travel charms from various cultures that you can carry with you on your next journey!

Travel superstitions

Humans have always been very superstitious creatures and still are to this day! Travelling is no stranger to superstitions. There are a number of superstitions that people take very seriously when going on a trip.

Travelling is outside of your everyday life and routine which can be anxiety-inducing for many people who ponder what could possibly go wrong.

Turning to superstitions can help ease the nerves and give you faith that everything will go according to plan. Superstitions include carrying a travel talisman, choosing the right flight number, room numbers, travel dates and other location-dependent rituals.

Here is a round-up of the most well-known travel superstitions:

Carrying a travel charm like a Saint Christopher pendant

Saint Christopher is a Catholic Saint. He is the patron saint of travellers, drivers, sailors, storms and gardeners.

A Saint Christopher pendant is a traditional and iconic travel charm that you can wear during your travels.

Many people believe in luck and the power of carrying lucky charms. Carrying a travel charm like a Saint Christopher pendant is a declaration of good luck.

Wearing a Saint Christopher charm is a request for his blessings and good luck. People believe that he helps to ward off misfortunes such as accidents, robberies and poor health when you are travelling. A St Christopher pendant is a good gift for travelling abroad and for frequent flyers.

If you’re wondering what to get someone who loves travelling as a gift, this is an amazing small travel gift for him or her.

Avoiding unlucky numbers

The number 13 is the most traditional bad luck number that is avoided by superstitious travellers. People will avoid staying on the 13th floor (some hotels don’t even have a 13th floor!), staying in room 13 and flying on the 13th. 

Other numbers like 666 and 911 are associated with bad luck due to their negative connotations and are also avoided.

Airport rituals

The airport is one of the most superstitious places when it comes to travel. Airports and flying can be one of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of a trip, especially if you are afraid of flying. 

There are many superstitions associated with the airport to ensure you survive your flight. These include kissing the ground when you land, stepping onto the plane with the same foot each time and avoiding certain flight numbers and dates.

Airports also have their own superstitions to avoid accidents as well. For example, planting an evergreen tree on the top of the control tower. This custom originates from Scandinavia, where it’s believed placing a cedar tree on the top of a building brings good luck.  

Sailing superstition

Understandably travelling by sea comes with a whole host of superstitions.

Sailing in a boat that is unnamed is said to bring terrible luck. It’s also bad luck to travel on a boat whose name ends in “A”. This likely stems from the demise of the Lusitania and Brittania ships during WWII.

You are also supposed to avoid travelling on boats that have had their name changed. 

Destination superstitions

Some famous places around the world have lucky rituals you can participate in for good luck or to make a wish. 

One of the most famous spots for this is at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain ensures you will one day return. Visitors to Ireland can plant a kiss on the Blarney Stone in Castle Blarney to be endowed with eloquence and good fortune in matters of persuasion.

So what exactly is a lucky travel charm?

A travel charm is something you carry with you when you are on the road to bring you protection and good luck. You can get a travel charm for yourself or buy one as a going-away gift for Christmas or as a birthday present for someone in your life who loves to travel.

Many people around the world believe in superstitions and the power of carrying a lucky charm wherever they go. Carrying a travel charm is a declaration of good luck and faith that you will travel and return home safely.

Many travel charms, like the St Christopher pendant , have religious origins. But whatever your beliefs there is a lucky travel charm for you. You can buy one , find one, make one or receive one as a gift. All you need to do is have faith and believe it works! 

Reasons why you should carry a lucky travel charm 

There are many reasons to travel with a travel charm. Whether you are worried about your plane crashing, being involved in a terror attack or something as simple as losing your wallet, carrying a travel charm can give you faith that you have luck on your side! 

A travel charm gives courage and confidence to take on the world without fear, even if you don’t fully believe in occult powers!

Lucky travel charms are designed to attract positive circumstances, people and objects in your life on the road. This includes protection from mishaps just as accidents, theft and sickness, amazing people and wonderful adventures while travelling. With good intentions, lucky charms boost the notion of good luck on your travels.

Getting someone a gift for good luck for their travels is very common with so many people travelling and living overseas today. Lucky travel charms make an amazing gift to wish someone a safe journey and return home.

People who can really benefit from carrying a lucky travel charm include:

• People on a gap year
• Business travellers
• People who have long daily commutes
• People living and working abroad
• Long term backpackers
• People travelling to more dangerous countries
• Anyone who is stepping onto a plane bus or train to take a trip no matter how long or short.

Types of lucky travel charms

There is a wide variety of lucky travel charms, there is something that will suit any traveller. Travel talismans can come in the form of rocks and stones or gems and crystals, feathers, animal claws and shark teeth.

More modern travel charms include jewellery like rings, necklaces and bracelets and random good luck objects like a soft toy or a certain pair of socks.

Different countries and religions have their own unique travel charms.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most well-known travel charms from around the world:

• St. Christopher Pendant, Catholicism: St Christopher pendant s are traditionally associated with travels. St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and is known as the Saint who carried Christ, and therefore the weight of the world, safely across a river. The St. Christopher pendant remains one of the most popular lucky charms for travellers. There are many different designs and styles of Saint Christopher pendants available. Check out the extensive range of silver men’s and women’s St Christopher pendants (& other lucky travel charms) at Off The Map Jewellery. They make a great luxury Christmas gift for him or her.
• Nazar & Hamsa: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries carry the Nazar or Hamsa symbol to ward off the misfortunes brought by the evil eye.
• Pyanska (Egg), Ukraine : This is a painted Easter egg from the Ukraine which is believed to bring luck.
• Pimenta, Brazil: A Pimenta is a charm made out of glass chillies and can be worn as a necklace to bring luck. 
• Kavacha, India: A Kavacha is a necklace which has a prayer scroll or water from the Ganges inside which give this amulet protective powers. 
• Ganesha amulet, India & Thailand: Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and therefore wearing him can ensure your trip runs smoothly.
• Horseshoe, USA: A horseshoe is a traditional symbol of good luck in the west. Keep it pointed up to stop luck from spilling out or pointed down to let the luck flow. 
• Dream catcher, The Americas: The dreamcatcher is a protective talisman that is used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. It can also be worn on a keyring or in hanging in your car to bring luck on your travels.
• Four-leaf clover, Ireland: One of the most famous symbols for luck around the world is the four-leaf clover from Ireland
• Fish hook (Hei-Matua), New Zealand: The fish hook represents prosperity, abundance, fertility and strength. Hei-Matua is a symbol of power and authority. Hooks are also good luck charms, particularly for those travelling over water.
• Star of David, Judaism: The Star of David is the most powerful talisman for Jewish people

When it comes to travelling there are so many steps you can take to keep happy, safe and to have luck on your side. Travelling with a lucky travel charm is just one of them!

For a lucky travel charm to work all you need is the belief that it will work and it does. Just like magic!

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Travel superstitions – 10 famous landmarks that bring visitors luck and love.

August 5, 2014 by Travel Maestro 1 Comment

Travel superstitions abound: Always step onto a ship with your right foot first, but never start a journey on a Friday. When someone else starts a journey, spill water behind them for good luck. If you’re longing for travel excitement, in Mexico put your suitcase on the front porch on New Year’s Eve, or in Russia, just sit on your luggage before embarking on a trip.

There are also travel superstitions that portend bad luck: Don’t risk the wrath of Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of fire, by slipping black sand or a lava rock into your suitcase; same for spiriting away rocks from the sacred Aboriginal mount Uluru. In North American and Europe, many airlines skip seat row 13 and hotels skip floor 13 – the official word for this superstition is Triskaidekaphobia. In China and Japan, the number four is considered unlucky, so hotels usually don’t have a fourth floor and avoid “four” room numberings.

Famous Landmarks with Travel Superstitions

• Trevi Fountain , Rome, Italy – The beautiful baroque fountain is probably the most famous fountain in the world. Common travel superstition is that if you toss coins into the fountain (using the right hand over the left shoulder) you will return to the Eternal City. Thousands of visitors do just that – around €3,000 is collected nightly and donated to local charities. Travel Maestro tip: As of July 2014, the fountain is drained, scaffolded and fenced off for restoration.

• The Blarney Stone , Cork, Ireland – An old travel superstition promises the gift of gab, flattery or eloquence to those who climb the steps of Blarney Castle, lean backwards, upside down to kiss the rock that was embedded in the castle’s tower battlements in 1446. Travel Maestro tip: Castle assistants and protective crossbars are in place to help you maneuver into position without falling over the parapet’s edge.

• The Charles Bridge , Prague, Czech Republic – The 14th-century bridge that connects Old Town and Mala Strana is lined with statues, but an enduring travel superstition is that rubbing the plaques below the statue of the martyred St. John of Nepomuk will bring a traveler good luck and a safe return to the beautiful city. Travel Maestro tip: A stroll across the iconic bridge as the evening lights come up on the castle is especially romantic.
• Hagia Sophia , Istanbul, Turkey – Built in the 6th-century as a Christian cathedral, converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in th15th-century, and now a museum, this extraordinary structure is renowned for its impressive mosaics and revolutionary dome. Legend has it that all ailments will be cured if you stick your thumb in a small hole in the “Weeping Column” and it emerges moist. Travel Maestro tip: Don’t leave Turkey without an “evil eye” souvenir to protect you from evil wherever you travel.

• Laughing Buddha , Hangzhou, China – The Lingyin Temple dates back to 328 AD and is believed to be where the practice of patting a Buddha’s belly for luck began. Travel superstition decrees that the Laughing Buddha’s belly offers a font of good fortune, if tickled properly.
• Sensoji Temple , Tokyo, Japan – Those who are in pain or ill gravitate to Tokyo’s oldest temple where the holy incense is said to have healing powers. Travel superstition suggests the ailing take some of the incense to rub on the area that hurts.
• Lincoln’s Lucky Nose , Springfield, Illinois – In Oak Ridge Cemetery, a bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln adorns his tomb. The nose of the statue is polished from visitors, including several U.S. presidential candidates, rubbing the nose for good luck.

Have you visited other lucky landmarks in your travels? Do you have any travel superstitions of your own? Did they work? Tell us about them in the comments below or on our Facebook page .

Wishing you safe and lucky travels!

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25 Bad Luck Superstitions from Around the World

By austin thompson | mar 24, 2023, 1:39 pm edt.

Spilling pepper, complimenting a baby, and cutting your fingernails after dark are just a few of the things that will earn you bad luck around the world.

1. PUTTING YOUR CLOTHES ON INSIDE OUT IN RUSSIA INVITES A BEATING.

If this does happen to you, though, all hope isn't lost: Put your clothes on the right way immediately and have a friend symbolically hit you, which will minimize the potential threat.

2. MIXING BEERS IN CZECHIA (A.K.A. THE CZECH REPUBLIC) IS BAD LUCK.

When you're visiting Czechia—the world's number one per capita beer-consuming country—do not pour a beer into a glass that has beer of a different kind in it; bad luck will surely follow.

3. TUESDAY THE 13TH IS UNLUCKY IN GREECE.

While Americans are generally superstitious about Friday the 13th, Greeks are traditionally wary of Tuesdays, and especially Tuesday the 13th . The rationale for the superstition goes all the way back to Tuesday, April 13, 1204 (on the Julian calendar), when Constantinople completely fell to the Crusaders. That wasn't the only unlucky Tuesday for the Greeks: On Tuesday, May 29, 1453 , Constantinople fell to the Ottomans. One 19th-century travel writer said that he heard that Greeks even avoided shaving on a Tuesday.

4. IN SOME LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES, IT'S UNLUCKY TO GET MARRIED ON A TUESDAY.

The unluckiness of Tuesday is also present in several Latin American cultures, to the point that in some South American countries the movie Friday the 13th was Martes 13 , or Tuesday the 13th. There’s even a saying : “ En martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes ,” which means that on Tuesdays you shouldn't get married, go on a trip, or leave your house.

5. IT'S BAD LUCK TO SHAKE YOUR LEGS IN SOUTH KOREA.

In South Korea, people are told not to shake their legs, otherwise their wealth and good luck will fall out .

More Articles About Superstitions:

6. IN SOME FISHING REGIONS OF CHINA, IT'S BAD LUCK TO FLIP OVER A COOKED FISH.

It’s thought that this will lead to a ship capsizing . If it’s a whole fish, some families will use chopsticks to pick meat from the bottom of the fish when they're done with the top.

7. IN SOME PARTS OF EUROPE, LIGHTING A CIGARETTE FROM A CANDLE IS BAD NEWS FOR SAILORS.

Another piece of sailor-related bad luck from parts of Europe says that if you light a cigarette from a candle, a sailor will die . The common explanation is that sailors used to supplement their income by selling matches, so bypassing the match step took money away from a sailor.

8. WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL RWANDAN SOCIETIES AVOID GOAT MEAT.

It's not permitted because it's thought it could make women grow a beard .

9. IN ITALY, BREAD PLACED UPSIDE DOWN IS BAD LUCK.

In Italy, it’s considered bad luck to lay bread upside down, either on a table or in a basket. Although there are several explanations, the most popular is that the bread represents the body of Christ, and as such needs to be treated with respect.

10. IN SWEDEN, IT'S CONSIDERED BAD LUCK TO PUT KEYS ON A TABLE.

Why? Because, in the old days, prostitutes would put keys on tables in public areas to attract clients. So, to avoid risk of misunderstanding, a superstition rose up to prevent people from doing this accidentally.

11. DON'T PASS MONEY BY HAND IN TAJIKISTAN.

The same goes for items like keys, needles, and scissors. They should be placed on a table and then picked up by the second person.

12. AFTER STARTING A JOURNEY IN PARTS OF EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA, IT'S BAD LUCK TO RETURN HOME FOR SOMETHING YOU'VE FORGOTTEN.

If you absolutely must return home, you need to look in a mirror (and in some traditions smile ) before setting off again.

13. IN AZERBAIJAN, IT'S BAD LUCK TO SPILL SALT OR PEPPER.

It will start a fight . The way to remedy this is by putting sugar on the spilled salt and/or pepper, and leaving it there until it’s cleaned up.

14. ACCORDING TO AN OLD PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN SUPERSTITION, A FEMALE VISITOR ON NEW YEAR'S DAY MEANS BAD LUCK.

An early 20th-century Pennsylvania German superstition says that if your first visitor on New Year’s Day is a woman, you'll have bad luck all year long. If your visitor is a man, though, you'll have good luck. It was also considered bad luck to take a bath or change your clothing between Christmas and the New Year (and if you change your underwear between the holidays, "you will be full of boils").

15. IN TURKEY, IT'S BAD LUCK TO DRINK WATER THAT REFLECTS MOONLIGHT.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture , those who drink water that reflects moonlight will have bad luck. Bathing in that water seems to be OK, though; according to the ministry, "People, who bath[e] under the moonlight and in shadow, will shine as bright as the moon."

16. TRIPPING OVER SOMETHING WAS BAD LUCK IN 19TH-CENTURY NEW ENGLAND.

According to , a book published in 1896, the only remedy was to go back and walk over the thing again. "If it is a stone you have fallen over," the text notes, "go back and touch it."

17. IN SERBIA, COMPLIMENTING A BABY WILL BRING IT BAD LUCK.

Instead, you need to say that a newborn is ugly .

18. ACCORDING TO ONE EARLY 20TH-CENTURY AMERICAN SUPERSTITION, ALL DISHCLOTHS SHOULD BE BURNED BEFORE A MOVE.

Same goes for cloths used for general house cleaning. That way, all of the bad luck you've “ wiped up ” in the old house won’t go with you to the new house.

19. ACCORDING TO 19TH-CENTURY WELSH TRADITION, IT'S BAD LUCK TO CUT THE NAILS OF AN INFANT LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD.

Some versions of this superstition warn of just general unluckiness, while others say that a child whose nails are cut before 6 months of age will become a thief . According to the book , instead of cutting nails, the mother should instead "bite them off as they grow."

20. IN SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES, IT'S CONSIDERED UNLUCKY TO CUT YOUR NAILS AFTER DARK.

Proposed reasons for the superstition range from the practicalities of wielding sharp things near your hand at night, to concern that separating a nail in the darkness could attract spirits.

21. IN SOME MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES, IT'S BAD LUCK TO OPEN AND CLOSE SCISSORS WITHOUT CUTTING ANYTHING.

This superstition might have something to with the two sides of metal touching each other .

22. HEARING A MARSH CRAKE OVER THE WRONG SHOULDER IN NEW ZEALAND COULD LEAD TO BAD LUCK.

A New Zealand superstition held that hearing a Kāreke (marsh crake) over your right shoulder was good luck, but over your left shoulder would lead to having a “ crook trot ”—old New Zealand/Australian slang for bad luck

23. IN GERMANY, YOU SHOULD NEVER WISH SOMEONE HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARLY.

In general it's thought to bring misfortune, but one German interviewed for a TV segment gave more colorful consequences for wishing someone an early happy birthday: "My grandma always said you'd have blue children ."

24. IN SOME PARTS OF AFRICA, OWLS ARE SYMBOLS OF BAD LUCK.

Supposedly, seeing or hearing one of these birds hoot is bad news : It could mean anything from bad luck to poor health to death. Some even believe that they’re sent to deliver curses .

25. NEVER MIX WINE AND WATERMELON IN ARGENTINA.

This old wives’ tale says that combining them will cause certain death (or sometimes just an upset stomach).

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New Year’s Superstitions To Travel More

Page Contents

As you know by now, there are all sorts of  New Year’s superstitions  and  New Years traditions  from around the world. From eating 12 grapes to preparing  good luck foods for New Years Eve  or wearing the right color underwear, these traditions & superstitions can get quite interesting. 

Did you know that there are New Year’s superstitions for travel? So, what’s your dream trip? Do you picture yourself in  Italy ….enjoying the historic sites or perhaps wine tasting in Tuscany? Do you prefer a Nile river cruise to explore the ancient pyramids of  Egypt ? A cooking class in  France ? Hiking the  National parks , or do you plan to sail the Caribbean on a new  cruise ship ? 

Whatever your dream destination is, some superstitions are said to increase your chances of travel in the New Year. We know that some of them sound strange, but they could increase your chances of making 2024 the year of travel for you.

With Your Packed Suitcase In Hand, Run (or at least walk) Around The Block 

This superstition is prominent in Colombia and several other Latin American countries. If you want to travel in 2024, you first need to pack your suitcase the right way. Put items in it that you would wear at the destination that you want to visit. So, if you long for a beach getaway, pack summer clothes; if skiing is on your list, pack a couple of winter clothes. Then, run around the block at midnight on New Year’s Eve. While your neighbors may think you are crazy, it could bring you lots of travel in the new year. If you don’t want to run around the block, you could also run around your house, or even 1 room, seven times. Don’t forget your luggage.

Write Down Your Travel Goals 

Lists are a great way to track things you want to do. For those with travel on their minds, writing your travel dreams down is essential. While simply writing down your dreams is a good start, there are a few extra steps you can take to manifest your travel aspirations. Get clear on the details – write out your #1 dream destination and 2-3 runners-up. Jot down specific experiences you hope to have, like seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris or snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef. Then, break your travel goals down into budget and timing. Research costs for flights, hotels, and activities and create a savings timeline for when you’d like to take your trip. Mark your target travel date on your calendar. Envision what it will feel like to save the money and embark on your adventure. Display your written travel goals prominently on a Dream Board in your home. Revisit and revise them regularly. Track your savings progress. All of this conscious manifestation could help turn your travel dreams into reality! Visualize yourself traveling and write down where you want to go and why. Then, put your list in a prominent place where you can see it daily. Why not create a travel vision board? Read more on  How to Create a Travel Vision Board.

Stand On A Chair With A Suitcase In One Hand And An Umbrella In The Other 

If you want to avoid running around your house with a suitcase, there is a similar practice that can bring you some travel luck. At midnight, stand on a chair with an open umbrella in one hand and a suitcase in the other. This may increase your chance of traveling in 2024. Clearly, this one could be a safety hazard.

Walk-In And Out Your Front Door, then Repeat

Do you have a certain number of times you want to travel in 2024? If so, grab your suitcase and walk in and out of your front door that many times. While doing this, try to visualize the places you want to go.

Put Your Luggage Outside Of Your Front Door 

For some added luck on New Year’s Eve, place your luggage outside your front door and leave it there until the next morning. This will encourage travel in the New Year, and it certainly beats running around the block with a packed suitcase or standing on a chair with an open umbrella.

Feng Shui “Your Helpful People Corner”

The bagua is the feng shui energy map of your home. The northwest corner of your home or office is your helpful people corner. When you activate this corner, it is believed you will attract blessings, have increased contacts, more helpful people in your life, and more travel as well. To activate this area, you would need to use metal. Metal is said to open up opportunities. Consider a metal picture frame of a past trip, a metal sculpture, or a framed map that ties into travel as well. Anything that moves, such as a TV, fan, or pendulum clock, is also good. This will bring movement and change in your life. Add images or messages of thanks and gratitude to manifest helpful people and more blessings to come to you. The helpful people and blessings feng shui bagua area also support the energy of travel, so if you want to travel more, be sure to express this energy here. Earth elements will bring about travel.  Consider crystal rocks, Himalayan salt candle holders, clay pottery, or pictures with landscapes.  It could also be as simple as your paint color, a throw blanket or pillow with earth tones such or taupe, light yellow, or beige.  Read more on Feng Shui Good Luck tips for the New Year.

If you are interested in superstitions, we have plenty of blog posts with fascinating superstitions from the Super Bowl, holidays, Friday the 13th, and more.

Chinese New Years Superstitions & Traditions Strange Superstitions Around the World Friday the 13th Bad Luck Superstitions St. Patrick’s Day Superstitions Super Bowl Traditions & Superstitions Christmas Superstitions Coin Superstitions Around the World Eye Twitching Superstitions

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9 Boating Superstitions: Maritime Good Luck Charms and Other Myths

There are many longstanding maritime traditions and many of these are steeped in what some would call old wives tales. From lucky charms to why boats have names, we've compiled a list of nautical superstitions.

You may be more familiar with the notion that black cats are bad luck. However, sailors have a superstition that cats are good luck on a boat because they protect ships from dangerous weather. Cats are considered a positive onboard omen- not just for their rodent control. Some sailors believe that cats can even predict the weather. If a cat falls or is thrown overboard, it means a storm will come to sink the ship. If the ship survives, it is said to be cursed with nine years of bad luck.

2. Pineapples

Pineapples are believed to bring good luck, better fishing, and calm seas. Pineapples are considered good luck on boats because of their historical association with hospitality and prosperity. The superstition may have originated in the Caribbean, where pineapples symbolize abundance and fertility.

Pack the pineapple and abandon the banana. Bananas are considered bad luck on boats. This unusual superstition began in the 1700s but is still adopted today. When trade ships sailing from the Caribbean & Spain started to disappear, legend has it that only these yellow snacks would be found floating amongst the wreckages. Seafarers believed the bananas had caused the ship to sink, which led to many rumors back at the docks and throughout the seas. 

4. Goodbye, farewell

Ancient mariners believed uttering certain words, including goodbye, automatically doomed the voyage, keeping the ship from returning to shore. It’s still a popular belief among captains and fishermen today. It's like saying, "good luck" instead of, "break a leg" to an actor- boaters consider saying goodbye to be bad luck. 

5. “Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight; Red Sky in Morning, Sailors Take Warning.”

The variations on this saying come down to meteorological predictions dating back to biblical times. When the sky is red at sunset, high pressure and stable air are approaching from the west. By contrast, at dawn, red indicates approaching rain, and possibly stormy seas. While you can always depend on the weather app on your phone, this saying has rang true for sailors for hundreds of years.

6. What’s In A Name

Some sailors believe the boat takes on a life of their own after they are named. Ancient sailors used to honor their gods by naming their boats after them, hoping the honor would bring them protection and good fortune at sea. You've probably noticed many boats are named after women, and are often referred to as "she." This is also an ancient tradition stemming from the fact that European languages identify the boat as an object as feminine. But, it also could be that, despite the myth about having women onboard being unlucky, sailors took comfort in a feminine, motherly presence when faced with danger. Today, many boats are named after important people in the boat owner's life, such as their wife, and the best times to name a boat are at high tide, when the sun is at its peak, or under a full moon. It's interesting to note that it is not recommended to rename a ship as renaming a ship is seen as an attempt to deceive the gods of the sea. 

7. Christening

Some boaters believe that a christening ceremony brings good luck and safe travel to the vessel. At the ceremony, the "sponsor," usually a woman, breaks a bottle of champagne or wine against the bow just before the ship enters the water for the first time. This ceremony is still used today, and a boat is often given its name during it. Ancient Greeks used to pour wine out as an offering to their gods, and some say the wine represents the blood of a human sacrifice. These offerings were given in exchange for safe passage through the seas. 

8. Whistling

Whistling is prohibited while at sea because it is believed to invite a storm by stirring up the wind, or literally, "whistling up the wind." Some sources can trace this back to the British Royal Navy, where only the cook was allowed to whistle onboard. Others pin it to when out-of-work sailors would handle the stage ropes in a theater, using whistles as their cues. An off-cue whistle could land a stage prop on someone's head, which is why whistling is also prohibited in theaters. No matter the original reason, whistling onboard a boat is considered bad luck. 

9. Right foot First

Lastly, always board the ship with your right foot first to bring good fortune. Stepping aboard with your left foot is considered a bad omen, likely because the left side of the body, like being left-handed, used to be associated with the devil. 

Whether you believe in these superstitions is up to you, but you now know to bring pineapple for luck, avoid saying goodbye, and board with your right foot! You are ready to set sail on your next fortuitous boating adventure. 

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Outside Cappadocia, Turkey, blue glass evil-eye charms decorate a tree. The bad-luck repelling symbols are displayed (and sold) all around the country.

From evil eyes to sacred hearts, a look at lucky charms around the world

Talismans of good fortune—Japanese waving cats, Egyptian scarabs—serve as meaningful souvenirs and symbols of hope in hard times.

Four-leaf clovers in Ireland. Painted dala horses in Sweden. Chinese golden toads, Egyptian scarabs. Whether you grasp such good luck charms in your palm, wear them around your neck, or mount one near your front door these talismans or amulets are meant to provide a shortcut to a better future, a warding off of evil spirits or bad forces.

Of course, there’s no proof any such tokens, which travelers commonly pick up as souvenirs, actually work. But these cultural symbols both educate and enchant us.

Some totemic objects stem from faith (Buddhas in Southeast Asia ), others from tradition (colorful, geometric hex charms hung on barns in U.S. Amish country). But all seem both unique to their birthplaces and universal to human nature. “The fact that they come up in every culture through time shows how much luck and superstition is embedded in our DNA,” says Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and author of The Luck Factor.

Signs of comfort

In times of trouble or doubt, many of us reach for a good luck charm. “People become superstitious when they have to face uncertainty in performance, such as athletes and actors,” says Wiseman. “We are living through very uncertain times,” he adds. When things get dire, people look for anything that signals better days ahead. Rabbit feet were popular during the Depression; World War II fighter pilots often flew with fuzzy dice.

In rural Peru, clay toritos de pucará represent the balance of good and bad in the universe. They’re commonly attached to house rooftops to protect family life.

Scan the global news, and you’ll find these bits of hope in urgent use during the coronavirus crisis. In parts of Indonesia , people are making tetek melek , traditional homemade masks crafted from coconut palm fronds, hung above doorways to ward off danger. Mexican President Andréa Manuel López Obrador even brandished several of his own amulets during a spring press conference addressing the pandemic.

Throughout Mexico and Central America, people have long sought solace with milagros (miracles). The tiny metal charms show up in churches and souvenir shops alike, often depicting body parts or creatures in need of healing or divine intervention. Their meanings veer between literal and figurative: A milagro of an arm might be used to banish tennis elbow or gain strength; a dog charm could keep your perro healthy.

The little shiny things are often plastered on a small wooden or metal sacred heart ( corazón ). Widespread symbols of both Catholic faith and romantic love, corazones are also rumored to shield users against heartbreak and heart disease. In central Mexico’s colonial San Miguel de Allende, the corazón is both a city symbol and a ubiquitous souvenir meant to hang on your wall, sold milagro-covered, decoupaged with Frida Kahlo’s face or stamped out of tin.

Evil eyes, helping hands

Apotropaic objects, symbols that banish bad spirits, have been with humans for thousands of years. Among the oldest are evil eyes, those blue and white circles and orbs piled up in bazaars and souks in Mediterranean and Arabian regions. They’re supposed to avert a destructive glance, also known as the evil eye, a concept that dates back some 5,000 years to the Sumerians of the Euphrates Valley .

In Turkey and in other parts of the Islamic world, the unblinking eyeballs are everywhere, staring out from bowls, bracelets, and even doormats. Decades ago in Istanbul , I recall purchasing a porcelain blue evil-eye ( nazar boncuğu ) pendant. I saw it as beautiful trinket and didn’t realize its full meaning at the time. But perhaps my journey was safer because of it?

Another age-old Silk Road amulet: hand-shaped hamsas , plentiful in markets from Morocco to Israel . The graceful palms—which Jews call Hands of Miriam and Muslims know as Hands of Fatima—are rendered in brass, tin, enamel, and other materials. They’re available to go on necklaces, wall hangings, door knockers, coffee mugs, and what are surely meant to be protective candles.

(Related: Seeking handcrafted souvenirs? These are some of the world’s best markets.)

“A lot of these traditions and beliefs are more universal than just Moroccan or Muslim or Arab. They follow the trader paths—so people were sharing culture,” says Maryam Montague , an Iranian-American collector/entrepreneur in Marrakesh , Morocco. Speaking on Zoom from Peacock Pavilions , the hotel she operates there, she shows me an array of amulets from Mali , Morocco, Afghanistan , and beyond. Some are incorporated into her property’s boho interiors, others are personal.

Charms can also be abstracted or spun out into less-recognizable forms—evil eyes represented by triangular patterns in a carpet or rounded mirrors on a tapestry. Or, says Montague, one might see a hamsa not as a full hand but as some grouping representing five fingers: five dots on a glazed platter, five cowry shells studding a leather amulet. Montague helped me realize that a scarf I bought in Afghanistan years ago, covered with sequins, might have had more meaning than I knew.

Dive into a country’s folk art and artifacts, Montague says, and you’ll find “there are just layers and layers of magic” around you.

Lucky creatures

People believe in providence-bringing creatures throughout the world—lucky elephants in Thailand (exportable as souvenir bag charms, necklaces or T-shirts), the protective torito de pucará (ceramic bulls) that grace many rooftops in rural Peru and Bolivia .

An omamori , a silk pouch which holds prayers, hangs near a temple in Nagono, Japan.

(Related: What not to buy on a trip? Sea turtles, hummingbird charms, and other unethical souvenirs.)

Someday, if I’m lucky enough to visit Japan , perhaps one of those little waving cats, the maneki-neko , will greet me at the entrance of a restaurant or shop. They’re meant to attract customers and bring wealth and luck. The figurines appear to me to be waving their paws goodbye, but the movement, in Japanese culture, is apparently a beckoning one. They’re easy to find as souvenirs, but serious cat lovers can take a deep dive into the maneki-neko verse with feline-shaped cookies, cups, wind chimes, and key chains. Instead, I’ll buy some omamori , small brocade silk pouches holding written prayers, sold in Japan’s Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

Acts of faith

In many countries, ritualistic actions are believed to impact luck. In England , some people say the word “rabbit” the first morning of each month when they wake up. Serbs might spill water behind someone going on a journey or job interview. On New Year’s Eve, Spaniards wear red underwear and eat a dozen grapes as the bell tolls at midnight, supposedly to usher in 12 months of good fortune. Spanish friends of mine recount inventive strategies to get those grapes down in a flash: removing seeds ahead of time, pre peeling the skins.

I lived in Russia for years, and its protective habits rubbed off on me a little. I sometimes knock on wood or pretend to spit over my shoulder.

Whatever action or amulet a culture has to summon good and repel evil, their power appears to lie in the mind of the beholder. “ In a series of experiments , researchers have asked people to solve anagrams, carry out golf putts, et cetera, both with and without their favorite charms,” says Wiseman. “People obtained higher scores when they had their charm with them. The idea is that the charms reduce anxiety and that, in turn, helps performance.”

Related: mystical sites of europe

Does Wiseman keep a lucky token with him? His answer seems a bit superstitious: “Alas, I really don’t,” he says. “The downside of having a lucky charm is that you can become anxious when you lose the object.”

But a talisman can also be a tangible reminder of a culture visited, of a trip dreamed of before, during, and long after it happens.

In Morocco, shortly before the coronavirus hit, Montague went to the seaside city of Essaouria , where she picked up an antique Berber ring for her college-age son. It was made of a silver coin grasped by two tiny metal hands. Though it was more interesting than lovely—carved, heavy, nicked, and quite worn—the merchant who sold it to her insisted it would bring good fortune.

“I think the problem is we buy things purely for their beauty rather than their purpose or meaning,” she says. Her son, by the way, is wearing the ring and thriving. “He got straight A’s on his exams!”

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• Travel Updates

Do You Follow These 16 Indian Superstitions?

As cultural markers they’re amusing. Here are the most commonly known superstitious beliefs in India.

We have almost 5,000 years of history detailing language, religion, literature, art, culture, and ways of living. So it’s not hard to believe we may have picked up a few superstitions along the way. The Cambridge Dictionary defines superstition as “a belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.” Indian superstitions and beliefs are quite rampant. There are many beliefs and superstitions in India that range from amusing to downright bizarre. 

Just as a language will have different dialects in different regions, one superstition or belief might be practised in a variety of ways in different regions. While superstitions are usually attributed to a lack of education, well-educated Indians also follow these superstitions quite blindly. Here are some of the most commonly held Indian superstitions. You can observe at least one of them being practised almost every day in most areas. Here’s a closer look at some superstitions in India. 

Also Read:  12 Unique Customs And Traditions In India That You Should Know

Do You Believe In Any Of These Superstitions In India?

1. warding off evil with lemon and chillies.

Hanging a lemon and seven chillies strung together in the house at the front door or under the front bumper of your vehicle to protect against an evil eye and spirits is one of the most common superstitious beliefs in India. It is believed to have some scientific reason too, as to why this Indian superstition is practised. It’s said that lemon and chillies work as effective natural pesticides and natural antibacterials, thus protecting the home or whichever environment it is hung in. 

2. Crow Shit Brings Luck

If you are on your way somewhere and a crow shits on you, it’s considered good luck. This Indian superstition is based on a belief that if you suffer an inconvenience you’ll have good fortune in return. So the next time when you need a little luck, try chasing down a crow to make sure it uses your head as target practice.

3. Adding One Rupee To A Gift

Giving cash as gifts is common practice in various Indian occasions, ranging from birthdays to weddings and festivals. A one rupee coin is added to the total amount, for it’s considered auspicious. This Indian superstition is especially relevant when it comes to gifting cash as a wedding gift. Therefore, you’ll see one rupee coin embedded as part of the design on most gift envelopes.

In some parts of India, it is believed that if you give round figures like INR 500/1000 it signifies an end, but the added 1 rupee signifies that you wish the person to continue to get wealthy. In some other parts, this particular superstitious belief tends to involve superstitious mathematics. For a wedding gift, it is believed that a number not divisible by two means that the remainder of the equation brings the couple together. However, an even number leaves no remainder when divided by 2, and would, therefore, represent a nullifying metaphor of the marriage. 

4. Curd Before Going Out

One of the most common Indian superstitions is to have a spoonful of curd with a little sugar before going out or embarking on a new journey to guarantee good luck. It is believed that the sweet starting note makes any task shubh or good and the day goes well. The root of this Indian superstition of having dahi-shakkar or curd with sugar might be related to the tropical climate—where eating curd has a cooling effect on your digestive system, while sugar adds energy. 

5. The Mynah Chronicles 

While the Indian superstition of spotting a specific number of mynah birds or magpies might have originated from a British superstition, its origins cannot be determined. Seeing one common mynah bird is believed to bring bad luck, but seeing a couple of them is supposed to bring good luck. There is a bonus: If you see six of them together, it means you are going to receive some money. 

6. No Cleaning The House After Sunset

Cleaning or sweeping the house after sunset is believed to scare off the Hindu goddess of wealth Lakshmi. There is some simple logic behind this Indian superstition. When it originated, there was no electricity, so it was a matter of practicality to have finished all the housework in daylight when everything was visible. 

7. Cutting Hair And Nails After Sunset? Don’t!

Another one of the most common superstition in India determines when to cut your hair and nails. If you cut your nails and hair on Thursdays and Saturdays it is said to bring bad luck. It is believed that such an act angers the planet Saturn (Shani), bringing on misfortune. In some parts of India, cutting your nails after sunset is also considered bad luck.

8. Kajal Dot On A Baby’s Forehead

The evil eye is a big deal in India. Therefore, Indians use different methods (or practices) to avoid it. The belief that even toddlers can be the victim of an evil eye spurs a superstition that calls for protection. In order to prevent unfortunate accidents, a lot of infants in India have a small spot (or several) of kaajal on their forehead and/or cheeks, even under their feet. Sometimes their eyes are lined with black kaajal too. This is supposed to ward off the evil eye.

9. Itchy Palms Can Mean Different Futures

According to Indian superstitions, an itchy palm indicates some internal energy moving to your palms. The reason for this is that the right palm is supposed to be dynamic or active, while the left hand is receptive or inactive. So when your right palm itches, it’s believed money will come in, but when your left palm itches, it will flow out. 

10. Omitting The 13th floor

This isn’t just among the superstitions in India, fear of the number 13 is a common superstition around the world. It’s said to have originated from the fact that Jesus’ 13th disciple Judas was the one who betrayed him. It has trickled down to India too, along with the advent of Christianity. So much so that certain airlines often leave the 13th row in flights empty, while some hotels are built without labelling the 13th floor. 

11. Upside Down Slipper 

In some Indian households, it is believed that leaving your flip-flops turned upside down will bring bad luck. 

12. Eye Twitching  

Yes, eye twitching is related to your destiny according to Indian superstitions. But, it also depends on which eye twitches. As well as your gender. A twitching right eye brings good luck for men, while a twitching left eye brings good news for women.

13. Black Cat Crossing The Road

A black cat crossing your path is meant to signal that tasks get delayed or postponed. To reverse it, a passerby must spit, and drivers must make short crosses on the right side of their windshield. Some even wait till others walk by so that they are saved, the logic behind this is that the others will bear the brunt of the ‘curse’. 

14. Don’t Step Out During An Eclipse

According to Indian superstitions, observing the sun during a solar eclipse should be avoided. Doing so may cause retinal burns or eclipse blindness. It is also suggested to not consume anything during the celestial event. Pregnant women are advised to remain indoors during the entire time as well.

15. Swallow Tulsi Leaves

This one is a popular Indian belief as our ancestors believed that Tulsi is goddess Lakshmi’s avatar and hence, it is often prayed to as well. The leave of Tulsi Mata is supposed to be swallowed and never chew to not show disrespect to the goddess.

16. Don’t Go Near A Peepal Tree At Night

Peepal trees are quite notorious in the Indian society. Our ancestors believed that peepal trees are where ghosts reside and it is considered a dangerous place at night. There are many who believe that if you sleep around this tree at night, the ghosts will kill you.

17. Taking Bath After A Funeral

It is believed that when the funeral rites are performed on the body of the deceased, it can be home to any kind of bacteria or infections. During these rites, the infections can spread in the air. Hence it is advisable in Indian customs and traditions to take a bath soon after attending a funeral to wash off unnecessary infections.

18. Breaking A Mirror

According to this superstition, if a mirror breaks, it means seven years of bad luck. The curse can only be nullified if one takes the pieces outside and buries them under the moonlight. Also, if an undisturbed mirror in a house suddenly falls and smashes, it means that there will soon be a death.

19. Not saying Goodbye Before Leaving

It’s advisable to not say goodbye to someone or tell them something when they are going out the door. Our ancestors believed that calling someone’s name while they are going is bad luck. If one does so, the person leaving will be unlucky in whatever activity he/she was about to undertake.

20. Don’t Buy Black Shoes On Saturday

Buying black shoes on a Saturday is supposed to be inauspicious. According to Hindu Mythology ,  wearing black shoes on Saturdays disappoints Shani (god of justice in the Hindu religion) and this might bring failure and create hurdles in your life.

Which Of These Bizarre Indian Superstitions Do You Follow?

Some Indians believe that the mysticism associated with the power in inanimate things has considerable influence over one’s life. Some of these have been handed down generations from our ancestors, who are revered to be wise. This is the reason why we can’t seem to let go of many age-old beliefs. Let us know if we have missed any of the most bizarre superstition in India in the comments below! 

Some good luck superstitions in India are eating curd before going out for an important task, spilling salt, and hanging lemons and chillies at the gate.

A black cat crossing the road symbolizes bad luck in India, shaking your legs, eye twitching, a clock that is stuck, and buying black shoes on Saturdays.

Some of the Indian superstitions are followed because of Indian mythology, many are passed down from our ancestors and simply followed out of habit, while some are based on scientific reasoning.

If a black cat crosses your path, it is meant to signal that tasks get delayed or postponed. To reverse it, a passerby must spit, and drivers must make short crosses on the right side of their windshield. Some even wait till others walk by so that they are saved, while others just bear the brunt of the ‘curse’. 

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13 Oct 2017 - 3 min read

13 Weird Travel Superstitions from All Over the World

1. add a clove of garlic.

For people in Bosnia, you should place garlic in your suitcase. We’re not sure if it’s the smell or the presence of the garlic itself, but apparently it brings good luck. If you were able to cross borders and go through immigration without complications, you have the vegetable to thank.

2. Sit on your luggage

If you see people sitting on their suitcases at the airport, it doesn’t always mean that they’re tired. In Russia,some believe that sitting on your luggage before a trip brings good luck.

3. Keep money around

It’s always good to have extra money around, right? For most people, spare cash in their bags and suitcases are there for when they need it, but for Filipinos, you’re not supposed to spend it. If you manage to leave it untouched, you’ll be blessed with more money the entire year!

4. Spill some water

This might upset your mom a little bit -- but tell her it’s for her own good. In Serbia, pouring water behind a person about to travel attracts luck. Apparently, the act demonstrates effortless movement which translates into good fortune.

In India, it’s considered bad luck to call people out when they’re about to leave. If you have something important to say, you better start running after them instead.

6. Where’s your bed facing?

Most hotels in China are guided by the principles of Feng Shui. While in Japan, beds are faced either south, east, or west. Otherwise, north facing sleepers might attract the godsof death.

7. Hide your thumbs!

The word “thumb” literally translates to parent finger in Japanese. So, whenever a funeral hearse passes by, everyone is advised to hide their thumbs as a show of protection.

8. Don’t sweep

Make sure your host doesn’t start sweeping the moment you leave their home. In Bulgaria, it is believed that the act of sweeping is sign of sweeping a person away from life.

9. Don’t touch the Bible!

Most hotel rooms have a Bible or a Koran by the bed – don’t touch it! The Chinese believe that holy books are put there for a reason. It’s best not to disturb whatever it is that’s decided to protect you during your stay.

10. Say Tvi Tvi

In Norway, the phrase “Tvi Tvi” is said to put a curse on someone. It’s also said as a precaution before a trip because it is believed that spirits will not bother someone who’s already cursed.

11. Is this bed taken?

If you’re traveling alone and happen to book a room with two beds – make sure to put your stuff on top of it. The Chinese believe that empty beds invite unwanted guests. So, if you don’t want a spirit sleeping next to you at night, make sure your suitcase occupies it first. For extra measure, make sure to pat the pillows to signal that the bed is in use.

12. Run around the house, fast!

In Latin America, they say that running around your house seven times not only increases good luck in travel, but also brings more travels if done during the new year.

13. Tabi-tabi po

It has been instilled in most Filipino children to say tabi-tabi po whenever walking on grassy, unexplored areas. Many practice this as a form of respect to the “entities” that may live in the area. They say if you forget to utter the phrase, you may anger a resting entity and get punished for it. You may want to keep these superstitions in mind when traveling. Until then, if you want to book your room and flight, do so with Traveloka ! ]]>

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Don't Tempt Fate With These 15 Bad Luck Superstitions

There's scant evidence to prove these bad luck superstitions are based on anything other than quirky legends. but society can't seem to shake them., shannon sanford, published jan. 15, 2024.

Bad luck superstitions aren't real, right? Still, you walk under a ladder; a red alert goes off in your head. You see a black cat slinking across your path; you keep walking. You look your inner child in the eye and say, “I have nothing to fear.”

And then a tiny voice inside you replies: " Recklessness! What if the superstition is real?"

While there's scant evidence to prove that bad luck superstitions are based on anything other than quirky legends, society just can't seem to shake them. From food you should supposedly never bring on a fishing expedition to the most "unlucky" color for a car, here are some of the wildest bad luck superstitions from around the world. They're likely harmless, but who are we to tempt fate?

The reasons why Friday came to be regarded as a day of bad luck have been obscured by time. Some common theories link the superstition to Christian tradition, saying a significant event, such as the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, supposedly took place on a Friday.

By the late 19th Century, the superstition surrounding the number 13 had become prevalent. People started going out of their way to avoid anything designated by the number, like hotel rooms.  

A wild bird flying into one's house is commonly perceived as a sign of ill luck, possibly even death. And, like most superstitions, the belief surfaced at a time when what made the world tick — science, knowledge of the world, and whatnot — was far more of a mystery than it is now.

Because of this superstition, some folks will not have pet birds, not even a budgie or canary. 

Many sources tie the amount of bad luck supposedly brought by breaking a mirror (i.e., seven years) to the Romans. The Romans are said to have believed that life renewed itself every seven years. Damaging a mirror was tantamount to damaging one's health and, therefore, brought about calamity that would not resolve until the next seven-year cycle.

While some jewels might be thought to bring you good fortunes, other gemstones aren’t so lucky. For instance, it’s said you must never give or accept a gift of opals or pearls. According to legend, the precious substances must be purchased to avoid bad luck.

Additionally, some people associate turquoise (the gem) with corruption and decay, pointing to its history of use in alchemy and necromancy. 

While green is commonly the color of hope and immortality, it is also deemed an unlucky shade in both Britain and the U.S. 

This centuries-old disquiet about the color green has, in modern times, expanded and affixed itself to the automobile. Just as ill luck is supposedly attached to green clothing, a similar presumption of lurking calamity is associated with green vehicles, thereby dooming those who encase themselves in emerald glory. 

Many NASCAR drivers have a strong aversion to peanuts in the shell, a distaste so strong that it's led to a ban on them in track pit stops.

This especially odd superstition is rumored to stem from two open-cockpit race wrecks in 1937. People who attempt to explain the belief say peanut shells were found in the cockpits of the drivers who died in the crashes — or, alternatively, shells were supposedly discovered embedded in the grilles of their cars.

Among sport fishermen, there exists a belief that bananas on a boat are unlucky. This rumor claims fish won't bite when bananas are onboard, or that the fruit will lead to mechanical breakdowns or other mishaps.

Some superstitious fishermen not only avoid bananas themselves but also items bearing the word "banana" or anything evocative of it. 

Folklore has long associated rats with calamity. Rats are believed to have a sixth sense regarding death and disaster; thus, by studying their actions, one can supposedly pick up timely warnings about impending misfortune.

As to why the above belief might be so, legend has it that rats can predict human events because they house the souls of the deceased, giving them special powers.

Numerous superstitions surround a bride's trip to the church at which she's getting married.

A windy wedding day symbolizes a turbulent marriage, and a rainy day signifies a sad one. A pig running across the road to the church is supposedly a sign of evil. Encounters with members of the clergy, police officers, doctors, lawyers, and the blind are also said to be bad signs. The worst of all omens is encountering a funeral.

There are also several superstitions about what should and shouldn’t happen at the wedding ceremony itself. For example, bridal tears during the ceremony are considered lucky, but tears at any other moment on a wedding day are said to foreshadow a marriage full of them. 

Other things that supposedly bring bad luck for brides are getting married in the same church in which they were christened and getting married in the same year as a sister.

When it comes to cards, superstitions abound.

For example, the four of clubs is believed to be a blight upon any hand, turning good cards bad. According to that belief, players should feel particularly cursed if they are dealt the card on the first hand.

Also, frontiersman “Wild Bill” Hickok, so they say, was shot dead during a poker game in which he held two pairs, aces and eights. That holding has subsequently become known as the "Dead Man's Hand."

Beyond the luck (good or ill) inherent to particular cards, various acts one might perform while playing card games are said to influence one's fortunes. For example, it’s supposedly bad luck to drop a card during play, especially if it's a black one.

Possibly, there is some logic to this superstition: Someone who mishandles their cards likely isn't focused on the game and, thus, could make avoidable errors in play.   

Christmas cakes were usually eaten on Christmas Eve in the 19th Century, and it was deemed unlucky to cut into one (or any Christmas foodstuff , for that matter) before that day dawned. A portion of the cakes was preserved until Christmas Day itself.

Furthermore, mince pies must not be cut — unless you want to "cut your luck," according to legend. Those also were not eaten before Christmas Eve, nor after Twelfth Night (the Christian holiday).

Because January 1 is the first day of a new year, we have drawn a connection between what we do on that day and our fate throughout the rest of the year.

For example, it's considered bad luck to pay back loans, or lend money or precious items, on New Year's Day. If you do, according to superstition, you're guaranteed to be paying out all year. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the new year arrives.

Because lore is not often displaced by knowledge, numerous superstitions and taboos exist globally about menstruation.

Some such ideas include:

• Fruits or vegetables canned by a woman who's menstruating will spoil in the can.
• A woman who's menstruating and attempting to make bread will fail because the dough will refuse to rise.

By Shannon Sanford

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Home » Blog » Destinations » South America » Chile » Experiencing Bad Luck When Traveling

• Experiencing Bad Luck When Traveling

February 19, 2013 17 Comments »

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Equipment check…

I had seen those people before – the ones with the duct-taped boots or better yet the people who left their torn-up destroyed boots on the trail as an offering to the hiking Gods. I always thought, “What idiots!“, I couldn’t understand how these people could be so horrible at planning. How could they stupidly bring a half-ass pair of boots on such a hike? Didn’t they check their equipment before they packed…sheesh!

Now who’s the one wearing the duct tape? Me.

Does bad luck come in threes?

I should have known…they say bad luck comes in threes and I had started this Patagonia Adventure at the emergency room in El Calafate on a Sunday night trying to explain the term “bladder infection” to a doctor who only spoke Spanish. At the time I was close to tears of frustration, but looking back on it I can only laugh at how funny it was for me to explain my illness and pain in charades. Eventually, I did get an antibiotic prescription and took off for Torres del Paine Park for my planned 4-day Patagonia trekking adventure the next day.

We started off hiking on the first day of the ‘W trek’ in Torres del Paine. On our first day, we went from Ecocamp near the base of Los Torres to Los Cuernos Pass– a simple 11km hike. I stopped to take a picture of a daisy and that’s when I noticed it. The soles on my long-time hiking boots were separating from the boot. This was day 1 of 4 solid days of trekking the W – this was not starting off well I thought.

The traveler’s lifesaver

To top it off, upon the instructions of our guide, I hadn’t even packed another pair of shoes for the trek as I was trying to keep the weight for myself and our porter to a minimum. So much for trying to do the ‘right’ thing! I had no other solutions – I had to make this work. Luckily Brian, one of the men in our trekking group , had brought duct tape with him. Duct tape – the traveler’s lifesaver – the everlasting silver bond. The group stopped for a lunch break and I started the ongoing process of duct-taping my boots together in an effort to keep going. After all, I had waited too long to finally make it to Torres Del Paine  to give up now. Duct tape would be my new best friend for the next 2 days until we could get back to Ecocamp and work on other solutions.

The next day the sole on my other shoe started to separate and I found that the best way to keep them together was to literally duct tape my foot into the shoe. This meant I had to have scissors handy to cut myself out of the shoe at the end of the day! With two shoes in need of constant repair, we quickly ran out of duct tape – however, my resourceful guide, Claudio, found me a whole roll at the next Refugio.

Emergency repairs

The boots somehow lasted through the French Valley and Grey Glacier portions of the trek and we then hopped on a ferry to come back to Ecocamp and do the last and most challenging leg of the W trek – Los Torres. When we returned to Ecocamp my shoes were barely held together but Claudio took them from me to see if he could get them fixed. The next morning my boots were delivered to me minus duct tape and the soles intact. Phillipe, one of the resourceful Ecocamp staff, had worked into the wee hours of the night to actually stitch my heels back onto my boots…yes …stitch them. Phillipe ran out of time to stitch the toes back on – so I duct-taped the toes up and we started out on our 8-hour trek up to Los Torres.

The boots made it and my bladder infection cleared up – maybe just maybe my bad travel luck was starting to turn around! And what about the “bad luck comes in threes” theory? Well – I lost one of my favorite travel scarves in the process of the W trek somewhere. I will consider that the bad luck trifecta – and with that the bad luck streak had ended. Woohoo – things were right again in my travel karma! However, I certainly did learn a few lessons from the situation. Check your equipment before you go. Bring an extra pair of shoes when hiking. Always, always, always have a roll of duct tape with you!

Duct tape is an essential part of my hiking packing list!

Do you travel with duct tape or some other ‘miracle’ product?

17 Responses to "Experiencing Bad Luck When Traveling"

By Jodi Henderson February 19, 2013 - 2:03 pm

Hearing about your shoe issues initially caused a reaction in my head of “oh my gosh, I don’t EVER want to go through that”. But then I stop and remember that the “bad luck” moments are the ones that become the good stories later on. 🙂

As for “miracle” products, I haven’t traveled enough to have found the need for anything consistently. Except Kleenex. You never know when you’re gonna have a runny nose or a sneezing fit!

By Ruth February 19, 2013 - 6:37 pm

Wow, those guides were amazing. No, I am not really into bringing “miracle” products on trips and I only travel with two pairs of shoes (sandals and flats). I guess the desire to travel with minimum luggage has contributed to weird moments. Now, I am considering traveling with sturdy shoes after a close encounter with a snake while wearing Tevas. Another time I got a pretty bad cut in one of my knees after a fall and I did’t have shorts. I had to wear a skirt which is not the prefer piece of clothing when climbing ruins or getting in and out of tuk-tuks. So maybe it is time to reconsider what I pack. Glad you finished the trek.

By Stephanie Mayo February 19, 2013 - 8:22 pm

I can totally relate to shoe issues as well as blisters on top of blisters (FUN) so my pack always has duadurm

By Gemma Dunn February 21, 2013 - 2:00 pm

What resourceful guides! So glad the boots got fixed! I’d say your ‘bad luck’ definitely turned around 🙂

By Kaleb February 22, 2013 - 12:53 pm

Wow! Did you keep the boots? That is a treasure!

By Ryan February 22, 2013 - 10:40 pm

Good to see made it through with a smile on your face and a great story. Boots are highly over rated 🙂 But duct tape is definitely a necessity!

By Sherry February 22, 2013 - 10:43 pm

Ha – hilarious coming from you Ryan! I did actually see someone on the W trekking in their bare feet! Hope you are well – It’s lovely to hear from you! Guess what – I”m going to see Michael next week in Frankfurt Germany! A little camino reunion!

By Ryan February 23, 2013 - 8:42 pm

I am doing well. I am trying to figure out a way to do some Camino again this year.

Say Hi to Michael for me. It would be great to see all of you again. Have a drink for me 🙂

By Britany February 26, 2013 - 8:17 pm

Gotta love duct tape! I actually don’t have a roll in my backpack right now but thank you for the reminder! 🙂

By RenegadePilgrim March 1, 2013 - 7:28 am

When I go backpacking in the wildnerness I have a saying, “If I can’t fix it with duct tape or a maxi-pad, I can’t fix it!” I always carry duct tape with me when I travel…either in the backcountry or in a foreign country. It’s one of the most useful items in my pack. 🙂

By Sherry March 1, 2013 - 7:04 pm

A maxi pad…awesome! I can’t imagine the looks I would have just with a maxi pad on my boot! 🙂

By Jaryd Krause March 3, 2013 - 8:31 am

Haha love it! Duct tape the essential travel item everyone should have on the road, along with cable ties. They both work wonders and can pull you out of sticky situations so to speak haha, great blog 🙂

By Nancy April 3, 2013 - 6:35 pm

I see that on a lot of travel blogs — “Include Duct Tape!”. I’m actually going to tote along Gorilla Tape on this next trek (to Turkey). We’ll see…..

By Sherry April 4, 2013 - 2:34 am

What trek are you doing in Turkey? I’m planning the Lycian way in November of this year!

By Noah @ Somewhere Or Bust May 24, 2013 - 2:35 pm

I busted my snowboard boot while tightening my wire laces before hitting theslopes. I had to tape my foot into the boot with Gorilla tape, thanks to an anonymous bearded guy at Killington who traveled smart. I hiked the Tongariro loop in NZ with Britain’s equivalent of a Navy Seal. He told me Duct tape was one of three things in his MEDICAL kit. Haven’t tried Duct tape for treating a bladder infection, but it would have helped you to keep your scarf.

By Sherry May 24, 2013 - 3:09 pm

Good point about the bladder infection…but next time I will most definitely tape my scarf to my bag…:)

By Peter cattell February 28, 2017 - 8:52 am

Cable-ties are another essential for any repair

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• Trekking in Torres Del Paine with Ecocamp
• W is For…
• Kayaking Solitude in Torres Del Paine Patagonia
• Illusive Cape Horn
• Where Sheep Roam – Patagonia
• Group Dynamics Patagonia
• Perito Moreno Vs. Viedma Glacier Tour
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Who is Sherry Ott?

I'm Sherry, a corporate cube dweller turned nomadic traveler. I travel to off-the-beaten-path destinations to bring you unique travel experiences and photography. But it's not just about travel, it's also about life experiences of a middle age wanderer.

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Why is 13 considered unlucky? Explaining the power of its bad reputation

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of South Carolina

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Would you think it weird if I refused to travel on Sundays that fall on the 22nd day of the month?

How about if I lobbied the homeowner association in my high-rise condo to skip the 22nd floor, jumping from the 21st to 23rd?

It’s highly unusual to fear 22 – so, yes, it would be appropriate to see me as a bit odd. But what if, in just my country alone, more than 40 million people shared the same baseless aversion?

That’s how many Americans admit it would bother them to stay on one particular floor in high-rise hotels: the 13th.

According to the Otis Elevator Co., for every building with a floor numbered “13,” six other buildings pretend to not have one , skipping right to 14.

Many Westerners alter their behaviors on Friday the 13th . Of course bad things do sometimes happen on that date, but there’s no evidence they do so disproportionately.

As a sociologist specializing in social psychology and group processes, I’m not so interested in individual fears and obsessions. What fascinates me is when millions of people share the same misconception to the extent that it affects behavior on a broad scale. Such is the power of 13.

Origins of the superstition

The source of 13’s bad reputation – “triskaidekaphobia” – is murky and speculative. The historical explanation may be as simple as its chance juxtaposition with lucky 12. Joe Nickell investigates paranormal claims for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a nonprofit that scientifically examines controversial and extraordinary claims. He points out that 12 often represents “completeness” : the number of months in the year, gods on Olympus, signs of the zodiac and apostles of Jesus. Thirteen contrasts with this sense of goodness and perfection.

The number 13 may be associated with some famous but undesirable dinner guests . In Norse mythology, the god Loki was 13th to arrive at a feast in Valhalla, where he tricked another attendee into killing the god Baldur. In Christianity, Judas – the apostle who betrayed Jesus – was the 13th guest at the Last Supper.

But the truth is, sociocultural processes can associate bad luck with any number. When the conditions are favorable, a rumor or superstition generates its own social reality, snowballing like an urban legend as it rolls down the hill of time.

In Japan, 9 is unlucky , probably because it sounds similar to the Japanese word for “suffering.” In Italy , it’s 17. In China, 4 sounds like “death” and is more actively avoided in everyday life than 13 is in Western culture – including a willingness to pay higher fees to avoid it in cellphone numbers. And though 666 is considered lucky in China, many Christians around the world associate it with an evil beast described in the biblical Book of Revelation. There is even a word for an intense fear of 666: hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia .

Social and psychological explanations

There are many kinds of specific phobias , and people hold them for a variety of psychological reasons. They can arise from direct negative experiences – fearing bees after being stung by one, for example. Other risk factors for developing a phobia include being very young, having relatives with phobias, having a more sensitive personality and being exposed to others with phobias.

Part of 13’s reputation may be connected to a feeling of unfamiliarity, or “ felt sense of anomaly ,” as it is called in the psychological literature. In everyday life, 13 is less common than 12. There’s no 13th month, 13-inch ruler, or 13 o'clock. By itself a sense of unfamiliarity won’t cause a phobia, but psychological research shows that we favor what is familiar and disfavor what is not. This makes it easier to associate 13 with negative attributes.

People also may assign dark attributes to 13 for the same reason that many believe in “full moon effects.” Beliefs that the full moon influences mental health, crime rates, accidents and other human calamities have been thoroughly debunked. Still, when people are looking to confirm their beliefs , they are prone to infer connections between unrelated factors. For example, having a car accident during a full moon, or on a Friday the 13th, makes the event seem all the more memorable and significant. Once locked in, such beliefs are very hard to shake .

Then there are the potent effects of social influences. It takes a village – or Twitter – to make fears coalesce around a particular harmless number. The emergence of any superstition in a social group – fear of 13, walking under ladders, not stepping on a crack, knocking on wood, etc. – is not unlike the rise of a “ meme .” Although now the term most often refers to widely shared online images, it was first introduced by biologist Richard Dawkins to help describe how an idea, innovation, fashion or other bit of information can diffuse through a population. A meme, in his definition, is similar to a piece of genetic code: It reproduces itself as it is communicated among people, with the potential to mutate into alternative versions of itself.

The 13 meme is a simple bit of information associated with bad luck. It resonates with people for reasons given above, and then spreads throughout the culture. Once acquired, this piece of pseudo-knowledge gives believers a sense of control over the evils associated with it.

False beliefs, true consequences

Groups concerned with public relations seem to feel the need to kowtow to popular superstitions. Perhaps owing to the near-tragic Apollo 13 mission , NASA stopped sequentially numbering space shuttle missions, dubbing the 13th shuttle flight STS-41-G. In Belgium, complaints from superstitious passengers led Brussels Airlines to revamp its logo in 2006. It had been a “b”-like image made of 13 dots. The airline added a 14th. Like many other airlines, its planes’ row numbering skips 13 .

Because superstitious beliefs are inherently false, they are as likely to do harm as good – consider health frauds , for example. I’d like to believe influential organizations – perhaps even elevator companies – would do better to warn the public about the dangers of clinging to false beliefs than to continue legitimizing them.

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10 Funny (and Unlucky) Short Stories from One Year of Travel

I’m so excited to share this one with you! I’ve gathered our top 10 most funny (and unlucky) travel stories from our round-the-world-trip, and put them into short stories in this blog post.

I want to show you that traveling isn’t always as glamorous as it’s set out to be. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that classic Instagram picture where you see someone sit in a bubble bath in the middle of the mountains with a glass of champagne is just not something that the majority of us will ever get to experience.

Traveling can be rough! In fact, two of these travel stories that I’m going to share are about poop, one has a sex worker in it, and another one is about bed bugs.

That’s as glamorous as it gets here on Worldwide Walkers travel blog – Sorry!

But all the mishaps that happened to us during our trip are what created these funny travel stories. And I honestly wouldn’t exchange any of them for a glass of champagne and a bubble bath in the mountains. Although, alcohol might have made some of these short travel stories a bit more endurable…

Anyways, this is our top 10 most funny travel short stories from our one-year trip around the world!

1. Getting bed bugs in Thailand

All right, so let’s start from the very beginning.

Glenn and I took a whole year out of our regular calendars and devoted this time to travel around the world. We left on July 10 2019, and we bumped into our first challenge only one week later in Thailand. I experienced every backpacker’s worst nightmare: Bed Bugs! UGH!

We had spent the first week getting over our jet lag in Bangkok followed by a celebration of Glenn’s birthday in Kanchanaburi. I finally started to adapt to my new lifestyle, and I was excited to go and explore some of the beautiful Thai islands.

So, we jumped on the night bus from Bangkok and made our way towards Chumphon where we got dropped off at 3 AM and had to wait for the 6 AM boat… That’s what happens when you always go for the cheapest option.

A few hours (and a couple of mosquito bites) later, it was finally time to board the boat! Little did I know that this boat would be the source of the next 2 weeks of hell for me. Because I apparently got bed bugs from this boat.

Later that same day, I remember waking up from a nap in our hotel in Koh Tao. My back was completely red and itchy. It looked like a rash, and I naturally started to panic (I’m an anxious type).

But Glenn calmed me down and convinced me to go to the beach and try to relax. And since I was convinced that it was just a rash (or some kind of allergic reaction), I said to myself, “what the heck, let’s go to the beach! The rash will be gone by tomorrow.”

Surprise, surprise – the rash wasn’t gone by the next day. In fact, it had gotten much, much worse! It was so red and fiery that I thought about calling my travel insurance – can someone please get me a doctor?!

I told myself to take a deep breath and just go and talk to the pharmacist around the corner, maybe they could help me. So, I walked into the pharmacy, lifted up my shirt and showed my back covered in the red burning spots. The lady in the pharmacy just said, “Oooh bed bugs.”

Excuse me? Did you say FREAKING BED BUGS?!

NO NO NO, I’d rather just have bad allergies acting up.

Come on, just tell me it’s a rash…

I actually (dumb tourist as I am) tried to convince her that it was a rash, but she just looked at me and repeated, “Bed bugs!”

So, I spent the next 2 days anxiously cleaning all of our stuff and looking for bed bugs, their eggs, and their excrements. It was pure hell! The following days, the swelling continued to get worse and itchier. I actually learned that the reason why my body reacted so badly is because I’m allergic to these small bloodsuckers.

Glenn on the other hand, he didn’t get a single bite…

It took more than 2 weeks for the bites to finally start to disappear. It was such an itchy nightmare!

But today it’s one of my “funny” travel stories. Who’s that dumb that they’d try to convince a pharmacist that they have a rash rather than just admit they have bed bugs? – ME!

If you want to read more about my story and learn what to do if you get these small bloodsuckers on a trip, then go read my blog post about it: Bed bugs in Thailand .

2. Fresh poop-laundry in Cambodia

This is quite the disgusting story… But it’s also one of my top 10 funny travel short stories! Although, it wasn’t much fun for Glenn – but we’ll get into that.

When you’re traveling full-time, you can’t do your own laundry. So, we often hand in our laundry to some locals in exchange for a bit of money.

And at this point of our trip, we were staying in a hostel in Cambodia where they recommended us to go and give in our laundry to the family living across the street. We gave the family $5 and they did all of our laundry – nice deal!

The next morning, Glenn went to pick it up. We were packing our backpacks because we were heading onto a new destination in Cambodia. So, we had to catch the bus and were therefore in a bit of a hurry.

We started packing our “fresh” clothes when suddenly Glenn saw a big brown stain on his toiletry bag. He looked confused – What could this be?

I told him to smell it.

(All right, I know it’s really mean to tell someone to smell a brown stain, but it might as well have been mud?! There was only one way to find out…)

So Glenn smelled it. And then he gagged.

It was poop. Fresh sh*t. From a human.

We looked around to detect the poop source and saw that the plastic, which Glenn had gotten the laundry back in, had a big piece of poop on it. He had put the fresh pack of laundry on the bed – on top of his toiletry bag, which explains how the poop ended up there. So, somehow the family across the street had put our clean bag of laundry onto a poop.

We quickly learned that there were small poop stains on several pieces of Glenn’s clothes.

It was really disgusting… but somehow I couldn’t stop laughing when I learned that it was only on his stuff and not on mine (I know, I can be quite the mean girlfriend). Glenn on the other hand, he did not think it was funny at all – he was so pissed off!

We didn’t go back to the little family to complain because they were living in a small shed, and you could see that $5 meant a lot to their economy. Their small children were running around naked, so we assumed that it was their poop.

We just let go of the incident and instead decided to embrace it for what it was – a funny (and disgusting) travel story to add to the collection.

3. Getting spiked in Cambodia

Sooo… out of all the short travel stories, this is probably one of the least funny ones – at least for Glenn.

Glenn and I don’t go out and party hard that often. We are the kind of couple who instead enjoy the bar culture where you can have some great laughs with friends, do a bit of dancing, and play a round of pool.

However, if you ever make it to Siem Reap in Cambodia, then it’s mandatory to go on a pub crawl with your hostel. It’s a pretty rowdy experience where everyone drinks a ton of shots and gets absolutely smashed before waking up the next day with a raging hangover.

Sounds lovely, right?

Anyways, we joined the pub crawl one evening – which was actually more of a club crawl.

When we made it to the last club, we were all moderately wasted, but not completely smashed. So, Glenn and I started playing beer pong with another couple from the hostel. The couple suddenly left, so I saw the opportunity to also leave the table and go play table football with some of the guys from the hostel.

Consequently, Glenn was left alone at the beer pong table. BIG MISTAKE!

A few moments later, I saw that he was suddenly playing with a very tall slim Cambodian woman who was wearing 3 layers of make-up, insane amounts of glitter, and the smallest mini-skirt I’ve ever seen. She also had very broad shoulders, a big jar, and an obvious Adam’s apple… You get the picture now?

I honestly thought it was a pretty hilarious scene. It was obvious that she was some kind of sex worker in the way she was dressed and in the way that she approached Glenn. But what she didn’t know was that he had come with someone else – me!

Glenn and the tall woman was playing against two Cambodian guys who obviously knew the woman. It honestly looked a bit shady from afar. It was obvious that they wanted something out of poor drunk Glenn.

But Glenn isn’t stupid, he knew what was going on. But the reason why he didn’t want to leave the table was because we had paid for the beer, and he wanted to drink it all. So he just kept playing until there was no more beer left… My boyfriend is Belgian and he just can’t let any beer go to waste.

What he didn’t know (until he chugged down a full glass) was that they had swapped out the beer with something else – he said it just tasted like water.

Strange. Where had the beer gone? He didn’t even see them switch around the drinks.

After some time, the whole situation only got stranger, so I decided to interfere – it was time to just leave and go home.

However, the minute we left the club, Glenn suddenly lost the ability to walk. He was all drowsy and he felt like he had to puke. I supported him the best I could and we started to walk home. Keep in mind that we drank the same amount all night, which meant that I was also drunk – but in no way was I in his condition… and Glenn can normally drink way more than me.

So I knew that something was completely wrong with him.

Long story short, Glenn slept by the toilet all night and had a complete blackout. It was obvious that something had been put in his drink – he couldn’t remember anything the next day.

The only time he had been drinking something unknown and different from what I was drinking was when he was playing beer pong with the Cambodian prostitute and her two male friends. They were obviously running a scheme and must have put some kind of tranquilizer in his drink.

If a situation seems strange, then remove yourself from it! Don’t be like Glenn and insist on drinking the last drop of beer – only to find yourself in a strange blackout within the next hour.

What a night. I honestly had a great time! Glenn… not so much. This night definitely deserved a spot in our hall of fame of funny travel stories!

Just a little side note to this story: Cambodians are some of the friendliest people on this earth! I don’t want to scare people off from going here with this story because getting spiked can happen anywhere in the world. To show how nice Cambodians are, I’ve added a picture of Glenn chatting and laughing with 5 friendly monks!

4. Learning about domestic violence in Vietnam

This is one of my favorite funny travel short stories!

This story both shows how incredibly friendly Vietnamese people can be towards foreigners, and how we humans can still manage to find a way to communicate without knowing each other’s languages – and in spite of big cultural differences.

This funny travel story takes place in Tam Coc, which is one of the most beautiful places in all of Vietnam! Read my blog post about things to do in Tam Coc , and you’ll see.

We stayed in a guesthouse and one night the owners invited us to join them for dinner. We gladly accepted! They had cooked an impressive feast, and we were excited to try some new Vietnamese food.

The only problem was that we didn’t speak Vietnamese, and they didn’t speak English. So after a while, we ran out of body language, and it became quiet around the table. I mean… you can’t rub your tummy and say, “mhmmm” all night. We had to find something to talk about.

So we pulled out Google Translate – every traveler’s best friend.

And it turned out to be so much fun!

The owner wanted to introduce his wife, so he said something in Vietnamese, which came out in a monotone robotic Google Translate voice like this, “My wife’s name is Bitch”.

We all fell into a coma of laughter!

His wife’s name is “Bich”, but Google translated it into “Bitch”. It was hilarious!

We had so much fun and ate so much fantastic food (which they insisted we shouldn’t pay for). However, the more rice wine we drank, the weirder the night became.

The man started telling us stories about how his wife was being violent to him all the while his wife was sitting right next to him and laughing about it. Then the wife tried to teach me how I should punish Glenn. According to her, I should take his money, so he doesn’t go sleep with other women, and then I should start slapping him – Give him the “100 hands” as she called it on Google Translate.

We don’t condone domestic violence in any way! But we also didn’t want to be rude to our hosts, who were both laughing about this matter. So, we kind of just laughed along…

Even though the whole night took a weird turn, we still had a really fun night! These people were so generous to us. And despite our cultural differences, language barriers, and different views on domestic violence – we still had one of the best nights of our entire trip.

It was definitely one of our best local and cultural experiences, and today it’s one of my favorite funny short stories from our one year of travel.

5. A dog pooped on my seat in Bolivia

Okay, so here goes my second poop story… Apparently one wasn’t enough.

This short story definitely deserves a spot in our top 10 funny travel stories – I still can’t believe the bad luck we had on this day.

This travel story takes place in one of the most incredible places in the world – Salar de Uyuni! Salar de Uyuni is the name of the famous salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia. It’s an area that doesn’t look like it belongs on earth. It’s honestly one of the most incredible places you can visit in this world! And I’m not exaggerating.

However, we made the mistake of choosing the cheapest salt flat tour that we could find. It’s a habit to look for the cheapest tours when you’re a budget traveler… But word of advice – don’t be a cheapskate when choosing a Salar de Uyuni tour.

Long story short, we ended up sitting with our knees in our faces in the back of a jeep for more than 8 hours with a really rude Bolivian family, a guide who didn’t speak English, and an ugly little dog.

The whole tour was one big mistake from our side. We should just have paid for something better from the beginning!

It was such a bizarre day because we were visiting one of the world’s most amazing places, yet we weren’t really enjoying it because of the weird tour we had gotten ourselves into.

And after several hours of disappointment in our fellow explorers, just before the tour was over and we were about to head home, then the rude Bolivian family’s little dog took a sh*t on my seat.

I was SO mad that I refused to get back into the car. I wasn’t mad at the little dog, but at the irresponsible family who had been feeding the dog candy and other kinds of crap all day.

The Bolivian family started to panic a bit when they saw how mad I became, but their solution was just to hand Glenn a tissue.

So, they wanted Glenn to clean their dogs poop? I honestly couldn’t believe how rude they were, and both Glenn and I refused to clean up after their dog.

The poor tour guide had also had enough of the family, so he just took the tissue and started cleaning the seat.

I was just thinking to myself, what kind of person doesn’t clean their own dogs poop?! They were such bad dog owners. After the seat had been cleaned with a tissue, they even wanted me to go back into the jeep and sit on it… They didn’t offer to change seats.

Glenn and I eventually reached a point where we just started to laugh because of how unfortunate the whole day had been. That’s why today this story made it into one of my top funny and unlucky travel short stories.

If you want to read more about this unfortunate day, then go read my blog post: How (not) to visit Salar de Uyuni

6. Getting stuck on a mountain in Bali

This funny travel story is one of those classic Southeast Asia backpacker stories that involves a scary scooter fall and a breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

We had rented a scooter from our guesthouse in Bali. It was in a very poor condition, yet we thought it was a great idea to drive to the top of the steep 600 meter high Mount Lempuyang, and visit the famous temple on the top.

But of course it turned out to be a very bad idea…

The hill was too steep for the scooter. I was driving with Glenn on the back, and I turned the gas as much as I could, but we were basically standing still on the hill. So Glenn had to jump off and start walking up.

We decided to take turns in driving and walking up the steep mountain.

It went fine, until it didn’t…

At some point during Glenn’s turn of driving, I heard him scream, “F******CK!”, and then there was silence.

SH*T! Did he drive off the mountain?

In a complete panic, I tried running up the steep hill. I made it around the corner and saw Glenn in the middle of the road. He had fallen with the scooter. But he was okay, and there luckily weren’t any scratches on him or on the scooter.

I was so grateful that nothing had happened to him!

Apparently, my scooter helmet, which was laying between his legs, had rolled off during a sharp turn. So he tried to reach out for it but consequently lost his balance on the scooter. He said that the only way out of the situation was to just let himself fall slowly onto the side.

The only problem now was that the scooter wouldn’t start. The battery was completely dead.

We tried several times, but after 20 minutes we had to admit to defeat. We were stranded on top of a mountain in Bali… At least we had an incredible view over the island and the ocean!

I remember how funny it was when Glenn tried to ask for help when cars were driving by. Glenn waived with his arms signaling them to stop and help us, but they didn’t get the message because the people in cars just smiled and waived back.

After about half an hour, Glenn randomly tried to start the scooter again – and it magically worked!

We were contemplating whether we should continue up the road to the temple (we were only 900 meters away), or if we should just ride back down.

We took the fall and the broken scooter as a bad omen and decided to just head back down the mountain.

So basically, we never got to see the temple… But riding up that hill in the first place wasn’t a complete waste because now we have yet another travel tale to add to our collection of funny stories.

I know so many travelers who have scary scooter stories, and now we have one too! Although, today we find it quite funny and mostly just laugh about it. But please be careful on the scooters in Southeast Asia… A lot of accidents happens.

You can check out some my blog posts about Bali here:

• Is Bali still worth visiting?
• 22 interesting facts about Bali
• Best things to do in Sidemen

7. Drunk on rice wine with locals in Vietnam

While writing these funny short travel stories, I find it a reoccurring theme that it’s often Glenn who is the subject of the stupid things that happen… Coincidence???

Glenn is also the main character in this story, which he later that day came to regret.

Long story short, Glenn and I was out exploring Hanoi when we started to feel hungry. We walked around in an area that didn’t have many food options, so when we saw a little local street vendor we decided to just go for it.

It was the kind of place where you sit on small plastic chairs, and you throw your leftover food onto the ground. Not very hygienic, but a great cultural experience.

The local people sitting at the little street food restaurant were excited about two foreigners joining them. One of the men told Glenn to come and sit next to him by slapping the little red plastic chair besides him. Glenn sat down, and he was quickly offered beer, cigarettes, and rice wine.

The man constantly filled up Glenn’s glass and yelled “trăm phần trăm!”

trăm phần trăm apparently means 100% – or bottoms up!

The Vietnamese man made it his mission to drink Glenn under the table. Glenn looked at his watch and saw that it was just past 12 PM, which is the appropriate hour to start drinking in his world according to Belgians, so he accepted the challenge.

The only problem was that Glenn had never had Vietnamese rice wine before, and it’s not unusual that rice wine has an alcohol percentage of 40%. So, I knew that Glenn would get completely smashed from this little game he was playing.

A lot of Vietnamese people started to join in on the scene, and all of a sudden Glenn was chugging rice wine with half of Hanoi’s citizens (yes that’s a complete overstatement! My point is that a lot of people joined).

When the bottles were empty, I decided that it was time to end the show and move on with the day.

Glenn was so drunk that he started hugging the old Vietnamese grandmother who was part of the street vendor family. To my surprise, the grandmother responded by touching and grabbing his biceps. It was such a hilarious scene from my sober point of view!

The street vendors didn’t want us to pay a dime because they were just so happy that we had stopped by to join them for lunch and a drinking game. It’s incredible how generous people around the world can be!

I saw that Glenn’s condition worsened by the minute, so I got a taxi to take us back to our hostel. 20 minutes later, Glenn had his head in the toilet and then passed out on the bed for hours.

Just a little advice; if you’ve never had Vietnamese rice wine before, then take it easy – it’s really strong!

You can watch this funny travel story in our travel vlog beneath:

8. Dehydrating on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand

Out of all our funny travel stories, this short story is probably the dumbest one. We absolutely have no one to blame but ourselves for this…

This is the story of when we dehydrated on Roy’s Peak Track in New Zealand.

It’s really dangerous to go hiking without enough liquids, so I don’t know how funny this travel story actually is – but at least we learned from it, nothing happened, and we can just look back and laugh about our stupidity today.

So basically, we thought it was a good idea to hike one of New Zealand’s toughest trails at noon on a hot sunny January day. Furthermore, we thought it was a good idea to do it without enough water.

We completely underestimated how tough this hiking trail was and therefore miscalculated how much water we would need… The hike ends at the incredible 1578 meter high viewpoint, and it was at this point that we officially ran out of water.

The remaining 8 kilometers turned out to be a nightmare.

We were walking back down for more than 2 hours in the blazing hot afternoon sun without any water. We both started to feel really bad – obviously dehydrating and feeling dizzy and powerless.

This just shows how IMPORTANT water or any type of liquid is while hiking. It’s super dangerous to go on a hike and not have enough water… ALWAYS bring more water than you think you can drink. More often than not you’ll end up opening that extra bottle.

We miraculously made it back to our van in the parking lot in one piece and drank everything we could find in the van. The only cold thing we had was milk, so Glenn started chugging all the milk. I didn’t care about cold or hot I just needed something liquid – and a lot of it! So, I took the gallon of water we had in our car and started drinking from it. Although, it was actually more like tasteless tea because it had been standing in the sun all day long.

It was honestly such a pathetic sight! I can’t imagine how stupid we must have looked in the parking lot of Roy’s Peak trail, panic-drinking everything we had…

Today it’s just one of our funny travel stories – “Remember that time we almost dehydrated and died on Roy’s Peak?” – and then we have a laugh. But lesson learned: NEVER underestimate a trail, it can be so dangerous if you start dehydrating because you didn’t bring enough water.

If you want to read the full story, then check our my blog post: How (not) to hike Roy’s Peak

9. Almost missing our plane to Chile

Come to think of it, this short story isn’t actually that funny compared to some of the other travel stories.

But it still deserves to be told because it was one of those, “What the F*CK!”-moments. It’s also one of those dreadful travel stories that many full-time travelers have experienced, and it feels so unfair and unnecessary.

That’s why we just have to laugh at it.

So basically we had paid A LOT of money for a direct flight ticket from Auckland in New Zealand to Santiago in Chile. The tickets were non-refundable, so we couldn’t afford to miss the flight.

Luckily, everything went smooth. Until it didn’t.

As always, I had done my research and checked all the necessary information we needed to know in order to enter Chile. I also researched whether you needed proof of an onward ticket or not, which you should ALWAYS check before going anywhere. After a small hour of research, I concluded that it was okay to fly to Chile on a one-way ticket, so I didn’t think more about it.

That is, until we were standing at the check-in desk in Auckland Airport and a lady from the airline staff asked me, “May I see your return ticket?”

I told her that we wouldn’t return to New Zealand, but instead move into Bolivia afterwards. We just hadn’t planned that far.

…She said we needed an onward ticket to get on the plane, and thus refused to let us check in.

I started panicking.

We had spent so much money on this flight ticket, and it was going to be my first time in South America. And now I maybe didn’t get to go?!

The thing is, you get nowhere in life if you just sit down and cry. So, I picked myself up and we started looking at our options. We looked into buying a plane ticket out of Chile, but we couldn’t decide for how long we wanted to stay in Chile. We also didn’t know which city we should fly out from… There was just too much pressure on us to start planning our whole South America trip in just 1 hour.

So, we found another solution.

There is a website that offers “fake” onward tickets for $12 per ticket… The tickets are actually real, but they automatically get cancelled 24 hours after you buy them. It honestly sounds super shady, but at this point we didn’t care. We just needed a quick solution to our problem.

So, we bought two random onward tickets online and hoped they would arrive in our mailbox before the check in closed. About 20 minutes later, we received our two “fake” tickets out of Chile to somewhere random in the US.

I was a bit nervous to return back to the queue for check-in, but at least now I had the proof they were looking for.

When we made it to the check-in counter, we didn’t get the same woman as before. We were now being checked in by the woman who was standing right next to the woman who rejected us.

We handed in our passports and ticket numbers, but when I asked her if she wanted to see our onward tickets she said, “No thanks”.

So that one lady sent me into a complete panic coma for nothing? Apparently it’s up to the individual to ask you about your onward tickets…

I felt so annoyed that she had to put us through the stress, yet I was super relieved that we were allowed to check in!

It’s just one of those typical travel stories that you only think is funny afterwards… I know that a lot of people have experienced this around the world. And it’s super annoying that it’s up to the airline to ask, and not just a permanent requirement for the country. Because then you can never be sure about what’s right or wrong.

When we arrived in Chile, nobody asked us to see anything. The immigration officer took a quick look at me and my passport and gave me the approval stamp in less than 2 seconds.

10. An uncomfortable hospital visit in Bolivia

Okay, this short story might be a little bit uncomfortable – but it actually turned out to be one of the most funny travel stories from our trip.

It’s not funny because I got sick. But the hospital visit turned out to be rather hilarious!

We started our trip in Bolivia at a 3500 meters altitude, which led to me getting altitude sickness. I was feeling awful, so I decided to call my travel insurance who advised me to go to a lower-altitude city and visit a hospital. They booked me in at a hospital in Sucre for the following day.

When Glenn and I showed up at the hospital the next day, we were the only ones there. So, it didn’t take long before a doctor was ready to see me.

The doctor was nice, but he didn’t really speak English, and we didn’t really speak Spanish… So it was limited how much I really understood of what was going on.

He took my temperature and listened to my lungs. Everything was luckily in order!

Then he guided me into a small room where I didn’t really know what I was waiting for. A few moments later, a woman came to take a blood sample from me. She took out a comically large syringe and just started tapping my arm. I remember thinking, why does she need so much of my blood to do a few tests?

But I just complied.

Then I was sent into another room where I (again) didn’t know what I was waiting for.

Another lady came in with another syringe, and she signaled me to drop my pants. She then give me a jab in the butt and injected something in me… And to this day, I still have no clue what was injected into me.

Then that same lady handed me two cups and a little wooden stick. The items looked like take away dressing cups, and the stick that’s left after eating an ice cream.

Basically, they needed a urine and stool sample from me. And I did what I had to do… Although, it wasn’t easy to do it in a dressing cup.

All there was left for me to do was wait for the test results, which arrived a few hours later.

The doctor told me that I did indeed suffer from a light altitude sickness, but that I also had salmonella. So here I was, battling 2 illnesses at once!

The doctor prescribed me 4 different types of medicine… which I also wasn’t 100% clear about what was.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a confusing hospital visit where my whole arm was tapped of blood, I got injected with something mysterious in the butt, and I had to poop in a dressing cup.

But the hospital did help me out a lot, and I was eventually cured for any illness I had – and for that, I’m grateful!

If you want to read the full story about me getting altitude sickness and going to the hospital in Bolivia, then you can find it here: Getting altitude sickness in Uyuni . Or check out my blog post from Sucre, which is the beautiful city where I went to the hospital: Things to do in Sucre

I hope you enjoyed my compilation of these 10 funny (and unfortunate) short stories from one year of travel. As you can see, we ended up in some bad situations on our trip, but we always tried to get the best out of it. The world isn’t as dangerous as you would think, and situations often gets better if we can find something positive in the negative. Laughter truly is the best medicine!

If you have any funny travel stories that you want to share, then feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear them. Thanks for reading and happy travels!

Hi, I'm Cecilie! And I'm the writer behind our travel blog. I only write about places that we've personally been to and want to recommend to you. I'm passionate about creating truthful travel guides, which can help you plan your own trip. When I'm not traveling or writing, you'll find me on a hiking trail, in a coffee shop, or in a shoe store around Copenhagen.

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Nice Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any traveler.

Thank you! Glad you found them informative 🙂

Losing and Finding My Way in Japan

by Norm Williams

For much of my career, I traveled the world as a salesman.  Our company hired people in each country we sold in to help with various duties. One year I went to Japan, and the sales agent chose the Kokusai Hotel in Kyoto for my stay due to the efficiency of its proximity to his office.  I left early on a calm, bright morning to find my way through a beautiful historic part of the city built in traditional Japanese style.   The cute, smiley hotel receptionist had written directions on a map, circled the area of my destination, and wrote out the address in Japanese in case I needed help.  Shyly, she said in broken Japanese-English and with her hand covering her mouth, “It’s in this area.  If you get lost, here’s the address.”  With an early start and a clear sense of direction, I felt comfortable about arriving on time – a business culture imperative in Japan. I thought I found the circled area on the map with ease.  I then compared the hand-written address to the kanji characters on the buildings to discern a match.  With no Japanese reading ability, I struggled as if trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs without the Rosetta stone.  I soon realized, “I’m lost, and not just in the usual way when I’m at home in the U.S.  I’m lost without local reading or speaking ability, not knowing anyone in the city to go to for help, and a cell phone without reception in this country to call my sales agent.”  Bewildered and disappointed that I could not find the way on my own, I began to wander.  I looked for help among the passers-by. 

I used my ignorant foreigner look, which I had patented around the world — the clueless, helpless, American businessman who is hopelessly lost, out of his element, and pleading for some host country compassion. I tentatively approached a businessman, presumably walking to work.  Being deep in thought, I surprised him as a foreigner.  But, kindly, he took pity on me. He looked at the address and, after a long pause, said, while shaking his head side-to-side, “Aaannnooo.”  To me, this sounded like, “I don’t know.”  Later I learned that “anno” is the Japanese form of “mmmm.”   We parted with a mutual look of apology.  I continued to beg for help as I disrupted Kyoto’s quiet, morning street routine.  A coffee shop appeared to be a prospect for a captive audience of potential helpers.  A lone, older man, enjoying his coffee and newspaper, sat in the corner, isolated.  I cornered him.  He had no choice but to help.   He took a long, discerning look at the address, then the map, then the address, then the map again.  He pointed to a spot on the map with an air of precision and confidence.  But beneath his veneer of clarity and calm, I thought I saw a man pinning a tail on a donkey piñata while blindfolded.  Time to move on, I thought. I learned later-on that addresses in Japan are codes to unravel.  They indicate a ward, a district within the ward, a subsection of the district called a chome, a block number within the chome, and, finally, a building number.  In Japan, they number buildings in the order of their construction. They are not in numerical order as in the U.S.  The address I looked for could be located anywhere on the block, not somewhere in sequence. In place of a conventional numbered street address, an address in Japan could read like this in the U.S.:  “Go down this alleyway, take

a right at the nightclub, continue past the graveyard, and it’s the red door on the right after the old oak tree.”    Next, I found a lady pulling boxes on a cart.  I guessed that a delivery person would know the area well.  After quickly reviewing the address, she waved me hurriedly in another direction as if she knew exactly where to go.  We eventually reached her old van in front of a gas station.  She took out a map. As she looked at it for a long time, a deep crease began to form in her forehead. Her air of confidence became a look of “I don’t know.”  Fortunately, her fellow worker, who sensed the problem, stepped in, analyzed the address and map, and then pointed with the certainty of a commanding general to an area of buildings across the street.  My translation of her gesture, however, was:  “It’s somewhere over there!”  Another pin-the-tail moment. By now, I trusted no one walking the street.  So, I waved down an expert – a taxi driver.  His response to reading the address was an elongated samurai grunt and finger-pointing fit in Japanese-English, “Why are you taking a taxi?  It is around here.  We don’t need to drive anywhere!”  But I could detect uncertainty in his expressions as he desperately tried to help me.  I responded to him in my best, polite international English that I had learned works around the world – simple words pronounced slowly and loudly with a local accent as if the person cannot hear me well enough. In English with a Japanese accent, I said,  “Pleeease driiiive meee tooo theee ahdresssss ah.  I wiiill paaay youuuu eeeeven if it iiis aaacross the streeeeet.”  Then it dawned on me that he did not understand any of my Japanese accented English.  So, I resorted to the universal sign language of desperation conveyed with an American G I Joe gusto that said through body gestures, “I don’t want to walk there.  I am very late!  Please drive me even if it costs $50 to go 10 feet!”

He interpreted my gestures differently from what I meant because he zoomed off with me towards the center of town.  He tossed me what looked like a Japanese language guide-book to the city with pictures of landmarks and pages of street maps.  It was like he was giving me a tour of the town as he pointed to various places.  Perceiving the misadventure ahead, I emphasized my unwavering interest in going to the phantom address by vigorously and repeatedly pointing at the address written on the paper.  He responded with more grunts mixed with smiles as if saying, “You can point all you want.  You are my prisoner.” After many miles, we arrived back where we began the city tour and parked outside the gas station.  A determined and, apparently, a compassionate man, the driver did not want to let me down now.  He went to the gas station’s workers and pulled them together for a conference.  For what seemed like an eternity, they diligently researched maps, considered directories, animatedly discussed possible locations, and pointed in various directions. Then the gas station workers appeared to bow to each other in a humble celebration. Grandly, one of them stepped forward from the group and pointed to a building directly across the street. In the same direction that the cart puller’s fellow worker had gestured to, and the taxi driver told me about, I wondered, in despair, “Could it be that the building was, all this time, just over there, and I hadn’t listened to them?” The elated cab driver, who dearly wanted to finish the job, eagerly waved me into the taxi.  Ecstatic, I jumped in.  With a simple U-turn, he would deliver me to the door of the building across the street.  But, of course, that would be too simple. We drove in Japan, and the strict traffic laws overrode any sense of simplicity. My cab driver pulled out, zoomed off, took a dozen or so turns down one-way streets, and we finally pulled up to the building that was across

the street. I could have walked back and forth between the building and gas station twenty times while in the cab.  Gratefully, I paid the taxi driver a ransom for my release plus a tip for the city tour.  As I walked into my sales agent’s office sixty minutes late, his lady assistant graciously approached me, saying, “He is waiting for you at the Kokusai hotel to bring you here.”  “Oh My God! What message did I miss that told me to wait there?” I thought in anguish. “I spoke with a half dozen Japanese, disrupted their morning routine, struggled endlessly to understand them, walked many city blocks, traveled unnecessary miles, felt the helplessness and hopelessness of being lost, arrived an hour late, and I only had to wait for the sales agent to quickly and efficiently take me to his office! Feeling quite humble, I entered the meeting room and sat down at the conference table. My sales agent began to speak, and I listened carefully to his direction.

Have just reread this post. Hope you’ll pass through this corner of the world again soon ❤️

I will as soon as I can ❤️

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• Superstitions

How to Get Rid of Bad Luck

Last Updated: March 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Stina Garbis . Reverend Stina Garbis is a Psychic Astrologer and the Owner of Psychic Stina. With over 30 years of experience, she specializes in providing personal and professional advice through astrology and tarot card readings. Reverend Stina has experience working with high-profile celebrities, sports figures, politicians, and CEOs. She has been featured in many publications, including Bustle, Vice, The New York Post, and Readers’ Digest and she also has a 200k+ following on TikTok. Stina holds an Ordained Minister License from The International Metaphysical Ministry University Seminary. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,986,113 times.

If you're superstitious or you just feel like you’ve been dealt a bad hand lately, you may be wondering how to get luck on your side. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to get rid of your bad luck .

Getting Rid of Bad Luck

• Alternatively, you can cleanse your body of bad luck by bathing in salt water. Simply add two tablespoons of salt to a bath of hot water.
• Another method is to sprinkle sea salt in the corner of each room and underneath each windowsill. This will protect your home from bad luck.

• You can either take all of the pieces of the mirror and grind them down to dust and scatter it in the wind or take a single piece of the mirror (big enough to reflect but not big or sharp enough to be dangerous to yourself or anything else) and wait until the next full moon .
• Depending on how close you are to the full moon you'll still get bad luck for a small while but if you use the mirror to reflect the full moon and gaze into it, it nullifies the bad luck. You can then bury the piece of mirror or keep it.

• Choose pungent scents like sandalwood or jasmine, and if you are burning more than one stick, make sure to use an odd number rather than an even number.
• If you are experiencing bad luck in your personal life, burn the incense at home. Carry the incense from one room to the next, letting the scented smoke fill all four corners of your home.
• If you are experiencing bad luck at work, burn the incense in your office.

• Keys : Key charms have been used to bring good luck since ancient times. Wearing three keys together is said to unlock the three doors of wealth, health and love.
• Shamrock and clover : Wearing fresh shamrock or clover, or wearing a charm in the shape of the rare four-leafed clover is a popular method of bringing good luck. Each of the four leaves represent a lucky characteristic; wealth , fame, love and health .
• Horseshoe : Horse shoes are said to be lucky, as they ward off the "evil eye". Hang one in your home for protection or wear a Horseshoe symbol on a chain - just make sure the ends are pointed upwards, otherwise the good luck can "escape". [5] X Research source
• Rabbit foot : A rabbit's foot is believed to bring good luck and protection in many cultures. However, not any foot will do - it must be the left hind foot. [6] X Research source In addition, the foot must be stroked or rubbed in order to activate the good luck.

• Buy a stick of sage or some dried sage and light it up. It should smolder rather than burn. Carry the sage around your home, waving the smoke away from you into every corner of the house.
• Open the doors and windows to let the negative energy exit. If you like, you can burn some sweetgrass afterwards to invite positive energy into your home. [7] X Research source

• Black tourmaline will protect you from negative energies, such as the ill-wishes of others. Rose quartz will encourage positive energy to replace the negative.
• Labradorite will protect you from psychic vampires or leeches, who will attempt to suck your energy and positive emotions from you.
• Amethyst will protect you from harm while travelling, and protect soldiers from harm.
• Other stones that can be used for protection from negative energies or evil spirits include: ruby, quartz, peridot, obsidian, jasper, moonstone, black onyx, emerald, turquoise, blue topaz, sugilite, citrine, carnelian and bloodstone.

• Improve your karma by making a donation to charity, or by helping people in need, such as the homeless, elderly people or orphaned children.
• It is important that you do these good deeds out of a sincere desire to help others. If you are only performing good deeds to win good karma and make your own life easier, the action is voided.
• Engaging in charity work will also help to put your own situation in perspective - you may think you have suffered from bad luck, but once you see the suffering of others you may realize that your situation is not so bad.

• You will need at least seven different types of flowers, in as many colors as possible (any color but white). Remove any stems and leaves, you just need to flowers themselves.
• Place the flowers in a basin of water and put it outside to soak in the sun for an hour. This allows the water to soak up the positive energy of the flowers.
• Bring the basin to the bathroom and use a washcloth to bathe in the flower-energized water. As you bathe, concentrate on a patch of light emanating from the center of your forehead. Allow this light to spread all over your body.
• When you have finished bathing, carefully collect the flowers, place them in a paper bag and dispose of them. Imagine your bad luck being thrown away with the flowers.

• Take some time during your prayer sessions to reflect on who you are as a person and whether you could take any steps to better yourself.
• Thank God for all of the good things in your life - this simple action could change your perspective on your perceived "bad luck" and make you realize that you are, in fact, blessed.

• Start by decluttering your home - remove any unwanted or disused items and throw them away. Then give your house a thorough cleaning - clearing cobwebs and removing dust.
• Try rearranging your furniture, to improve the flow of energy and repaint your walls to bring new life to your living space.
• Try listening to music and burning incense while you work and leave all of the doors and windows open to let the sunshine in - this will encourage positive energy to flow into your renewed living space.

• Try turning on all of the lights in your house and lighting candles , so there are no dark spots for bad energies to hide in.
• One practice which uses the power of light to protect you from bad luck and attract good luck in its place is to light three candles - two of them must be white, one for protection and one for cleansing, and the other one must be orange, to bring about a change in luck.

• Crossing an ocean or flying to somewhere in a different time zone works best.
• Travelling could also help you to realize that the bad luck is not on you, but on your house or job situation.
• Taking some time away may help you to understand the changes that need to made on your return, in order to get rid of bad luck.

Avoiding Bad Luck

• Breaking a mirror - this is said to bring seven years of bad luck.
• Seeing a crow - if a crow crosses your path, it is said to be bad luck. However, if two cross your path, the bad luck is reversed.
• Walking under a ladder- this is believed to be bad luck as a ladder leaning against the wall forms a triangle - symbol of the Holy Trinity. By walking through the triangle you are violating sacred ground.
• Putting shoes on any table - In England, putting shoes on the table was said to be a sign of respect for a dead miner. Therefore, by putting shoes on the table you are tempting fate.
• "Jinxing" yourself - this means saying out loud something bad that you think will happen to you. This is a form of tempting fate. To reverse it, knock 3 times on a table or any other surface but, make sure your knocking can be heard.
• Wearing opals is believed to be bad luck - unless you were born in the month of October
• Stepping on a crack in the pavement/sidewalk. As the old saying goes: "step on a crack and fate will break your mother's back!"
• Having a black cat cross your path is said to be bad luck. This superstitions comes from black cats' association with witches and magic.
• Opening an umbrella indoors is considered to be bad luck - a superstition that comes from the Ancient Egyptians (who used umbrellas for shade). In those times, opening an umbrella indoors was believed to be an insult to the God of Sun.

• Picking a penny up if it is tails up.
• Getting dressed with your left arm/left leg first.
• Seeing an owl during the day
• Knitting a pair of socks for your boyfriend - he'll walk away from you.
• Killing ladybugs or spiders (especially money spiders).
• It is bad luck to close a pocket knife unless you were the one who opened it.
• "Sleeping with feet towards a door will lose you your soul forevermore"
• If an owl hoots three times in your garden.
• Sleeping on or under a dinner table.
• Starting a venture on a Friday.
• Killing a bee within your home.
• Turning a loaf of bread upside down once it has been sliced will bring you terrible luck.
• Saying the word "Pig" at sea.
• If you ever drop a knife, picking it up yourself will bring you bad luck in money and love. You should ask someone else to pick it up for you.
• To start a new venture, meet someone new, or start a relationship on Friday 13th.
• Stabbing needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.
• If you buy a new pair of shoes, you must wear them on the wrong feet first or you will have bad luck whenever you wear them

• If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.
• You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.
• If you open your front door and are greeted by a magpie staring at you, this is a sure sign of death
• If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
• If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
• A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
• Dreaming of white is believed to foreshadow death.

Recognizing Signs of Good Luck

Community Q&A

Tips from our Readers

• When sleeping, avoid pointing your feet at the door. Though superstition, some report worse luck after doing this, likely just power of suggestion. But orienting beds for good energy flow could make you feel better.
• If constantly troubled by nightmares, consider displaying a dreamcatcher talisman above your bed. Native American culture says it traps bad dreams. Create one or buy one, then pass sage smoke through it to cleanse.
• Remove broken glassware and mirrors from your home, not because they actually invite bad luck, but because they pose a physical risk — children or pets could be injured by sharp fragments. Safety first!
• For peace of mind regarding superstitions, remember they have no scientific basis. Believing in your own ability to accomplish goals is far more constructive than worrying about luck.
• Seek counseling if frequent thoughts of self-harm follow breaking a mirror, rather than seeing it as "bad luck." Getting professional help for underlying issues is most important.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://thetakeout.com/til-why-do-we-throw-salt-over-our-shoulders-1825252016
• ↑ https://artsandculture.google.com/story/18-superstitions-from-around-the-world/QQIyTWmzJ9QvLg
• ↑ https://savvytokyo.com/japanese-lucky-charms-a-guide-to-omamori-for-the-new-year/
• ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna45988346
• ↑ https://www.history.com/news/rabbit-rabbit-feet-good-luck-explained
• ↑ https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/iid/publications/pdf/smudging_guidelines.pdf
• ↑ https://www.gemsociety.org/article/gemstones-health-benefits/
• ↑ https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/kindness-and-mental-health/random-acts-kindness
• ↑ https://www.worldvision.org/christian-faith-news-stories/keys-powerful-prayer-life-2023

About This Article

If all of the signs are pointing to bad luck as a cause of your recent misfortunes, you can get rid of it with a few tried-and-true superstitious tricks. For a quick fix, try throwing some salt over your left shoulder. If that doesn’t work, you can burn incense or sage to ward off negative energy and make your house smell good! Try carrying around protective charms, like keys, clovers, or crystals, to keep the bad luck at bay 24/7. To learn more ways to avoid bad luck, continue reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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11 Travel Hacks To Avoid in 2024

Posted: February 26, 2024 | Last updated: February 26, 2024

When it comes to traveling, frequent and casual travelers alike often look for ways to save money and time, or make the trip the best it can be. Common travel hacks include searching for flights in incognito tabs, traveling during the off-season, and using hotel booking sites to score the cheapest accommodations.

Read Next: Dave Ramsey: 7 Vacation Splurges That Are a Waste of Money Learn More: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money

While some of these travel hacks have served people well over the years, many of them either don't work anymore or don't work like they used to. Sometimes, these so-called travel hacks end up costing more money in the long run -- or they detract from the entire experience.

Before you book your next trip, here are 11 travel hacks to avoid in 2024, according to experts .

Hidden City Ticketing, aka Skiplagging

"Booking a flight with a layover at your actual destination, and then skipping the connecting flight will backfire because the airline will cancel the remaining parts of your ticket, leaving you stranded or facing additional fees," said Kat Fleishman , a luxury travel expert and CEO of Do-Tell PR .

This so-called travel hack referred to as "skiplagging" might seem more cost effective than booking a direct flight. However, you won't be able to check any bags if you do this. It's also technically legal, but could result in lost miles or lifetime bans from that specific airline.

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Buying a Cheap Flight Over a Pricier Train Ticket

You might save money by purchasing a cheap airplane ticket over a train ticket, but money isn't everything when it comes to traveling.

"Some train journeys may cost more than a cheap flight but the beauty of a train ride is the greater flexibility from the booking system to being able to jump off at a certain point in the journey -- much less stressful and also enjoyable," said Jessica Dante , a leading travel expert at Love and London. "Boarding is much also less hassle, there are no luggage restrictions and inevitably more leg room."

Plus, you could save money -- or at least break even -- by taking a train over a flight. Luggage fees can add up when you fly, and many airports are located far from the city center, which means you'll need to spend more money on a taxi or public transport to reach your destination.

Explore More: I'm a Luxury Travel Agent: 10 Destinations My Wealthy Clients Are Booking for 2024

Exchanging Money at the Airport

"Using currency exchange services at airports or hotels can be convenient, but they charge higher and hidden fees with really bad exchange rates compared to local banks or ATMs," said Fleishman. "It's better to withdraw local currency from ATMs or exchange money at local banks."

Traveling Only During the Off-Season

Off-season travel is often less expensive than any other time, but not always.

"There has been a lot of talk around the benefits of off-season travel recently, which presents this as a travel hack for getting the best prices. In some cases, visiting during these quieter periods can offer a unique and more affordable experience. However, sometimes, they are just less popular times to visit for a reason," said Jan Luescher, CEO of luxury travel social network, ASmallWorld .

"Visiting certain destinations during their quieter periods significantly limits what you can do there and causes you to miss out on some of the best things to do and see because they are not open or safe to visit at this time," she continued.

If you miss something you really wanted to do, it might require a second trip to the same place. Or you might not enjoy yourself quite as much as you'd hoped.

Booking Non-Refundable Accommodations Early

"While early bookings can secure lower rates, committing to non-refundable accommodations too far in advance puts a damper on flexibility," said Fleishman. "Plans can change, and unforeseen circumstances always arise, leading to potential financial loss. Always better to book a hotel with a flexible cancellation policy if you are booking in advance."

Be Aware: 9 American Travel Brands to Stay Away From

Buying Cheap Airline Tickets but Ignoring Layover Times

"Traveling further afield often means catching a connecting flight and a common hack or tip for planning an indirect journey is checking the layover time to ensure it gives you enough time to disembark one flight and get onto the next," said Luescher.

But even if you account for the layover time, you might be forgetting a very important detail: The size and layout of the connecting airport.

"It's easy to get lulled in a false sense of security that because these connecting flights are available to buy, the layover time must be fine," Luescher continued. "However, each airport and airline can have very different rules for connecting travelers that require you to set aside different lengths of time."

Most international airports, for instance, have additional security checkpoints or requirements. You might even have to claim and recheck your luggage during the layover, depending on your destination. This can cut into your layover time quite a bit.

Some airports are also massive, so it could take you even more time to get to your gate. If you don't account for all of these factors, you could end up missing your flight -- and having to buy a new ticket.

On the flipside, if your layover time is substantial, you could end up wasting valuable time that cuts into your trip.

Getting Bulk Airline Miles

Airline miles, or frequent flyer points, rack up for frequent travelers. When you have enough of them, you can redeem them for discounted future flights, rental cars, accommodations and more.

But don't buy them in bulk to try to get more points quickly.

"Buying airline miles or loyalty points at a discounted rate is not OK by the airlines and there's a risk of having your account suspended or worse," said Fleishman.

Searching for Flights in Incognito Tabs

"A common travel tip people have been following for years is that you should search for flights in private Incognito mode and clear your browser cookies to see the lowest fares," said Mercedes Zach, travel expert at ASAP Tickets , part of Trevolution Group.

"This approach comes from the belief that airlines are using browser cookies to track your searches and will show you higher prices if you do several searches for a particular destination within a short period of time," Zach continued. "In reality, airfare pricing is dynamic and constantly fluctuates and Incognito mode has no impact on it."

Just because a price drops for a specific flight doesn't mean it's because of the way you searched for it. If you want to get the best fares, set up alerts on Google Flights or a similar platform.

Discover More: 7 Cheap, Beautiful Places for a Winter Vacation

Using Free Wi-Fi

There are lots of hidden fees when it comes to traveling, so you might be tempted to find even small ways to save money. One such way is to use free Wi-Fi, but there are many scams that can end up costing you.

"Beware of hackers who set up fake Wi-Fi networks with names similar to legitimate hotel networks to trick travelers into connecting," said Fleishman. "Using unsecured networks can expose personal information. It's safer to use a hotel's official Wi-Fi or a virtual private network (VPN) for added security."

Booking Flights on Tuesdays

If you've been booking flights on Tuesdays in the hopes of saving money, chances are it isn't actually working.

"I have been with a flight booking agency for several years now and I cannot say for sure that Tuesdays are cheaper than other days. Flight fares are dynamic and constantly fluctuate," said Shreya Patel, marketing manager at Lowest Flight Fares . "A flight from Austin to Boston may cost you around $114 on a Tuesday and $89 on a Saturday."

Instead of booking flights based on the day of the week, compare different options around the time when you want to travel. Patel also suggested booking between 21 and 115 days before your trip for the best prices.

Dressing Nicely To Get Upgrades

Some travelers swear by this travel hack, but there's not much proof that it actually works.

"What you are wearing at the check-in counter has no influence on the agent. Moreover, the airline already decides where its passengers are going to sit before they even leave the house," said Patel.

"For example, British Airways' check-in automatically upgrades passengers if it is required, based on the ticket cost, frequent flyer status, whom you are traveling with or if you have any special needs," Patel said. "The agents on the ground can no longer upgrade you."

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Spy agency issues urgent warning to billions of smartphone users to avoid being spied on

14 TV Series That Are Worth Cancelling Plans For

"The idea that the baby sitting next to us would be the greatest shooter ever wasn't something that you'd think about" - Rex Chapman on babysitting Stephen Curry with Muggsy Bogues

'Bad Boys 4' Gives Box Office a Boost With $53 Million Opening

Look inside the McNeal Mansion, an abandoned 10,000-square-foot home from the 1800s that nature is reclaiming