Last week, on my way back from a midweek service, I hit my left leg on a stone just before the junction to my house.
As I bent down to softly rub the spot, my mind whispered, "Something bad is about to happen!” “Says who?” I replied loudly. Then I began to wonder where these ideas come from and how come people believe them so much.
Do superstitions work for you? If you hit your left leg on a stone, does it automatically translate to something bad coming? What if it's because you got carried away in a conversation and forgot about the stone?
Nigerians have a weird way of interpreting things. But whether these superstitions work or not, is a talk for another day. Notwithstanding, let's review 10 funny Nigerian superstitions that will have you thinking twice.
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Hitting your left leg on a stone: generally seen as a sign of a bad omen in most parts of the country and a warning for you to turn back. But really? What if you intentionally hit your leg on the stone? Does it still count?
Whistling at night: many people believe that whistling at night can attract snakes to them. But what about whistling during the day? Do the snakes suddenly go to sleep during the day and come hunting at night?
Crossing over one's leg: you'd be surprised by how many people still believe their ability to reproduce children suddenly ceases because someone crossed over their legs. Some will even ask you to cross it back to break the spell.
Itchy hands: Really? So you mean if my hands suddenly start to itch, it means money or some good fortune is coming. How's it that I didn't get anything all the times my palm itched? Perhaps you should Google allergy and how it can also cause itchy palms.
Hitting a man with a broom: many people still believe that hitting a man with a broom automatically makes them impotent unless they hit back. You'd better not hit me with a broom if you don't want a serious fight because I don't want to be impotent.
Bending over to look through your legs if you don't want to see witches. Tell me, have you ever seen witches? What do they look like? Because every time I try this, I only see normal people appear upside down because of the position I'm looking from.
Eating from the ground: You've probably heard people say the devil has eaten every food that falls to the ground. The devil must be very hungry, considering all the food falling to the ground worldwide.
Answering a ghost's call: if you hear your name in the dark and answer without seeing the caller, you've answered a ghost's call. Okay, why's a ghost calling me?
First customer on credit: so you really believe the rest of your customers will buy on credit throughout the day because the first person bought on credit? Amazing!No morning debt collection: So I shouldn't ask you for the money you owe me because it would bring bad luck to you, right?
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Tell us what you think about these superstitions. Do you believe them? Have they worked for you before? I'll be waiting to hear your thoughts in the comment section.