There are countess superstitions about salt. In the world of the superstitious, salt has certainly had a great impact.

Who has not heard that spilling salt brings bad luck? The only way to change your luck is to take a pinch of salt and throw it over your left shoulder. Hopefully this would keep the evil spirit away. It was important that it was the left shoulder as it was believed that your guardian angel was behind your right shoulder. You certainly would not want to harm your guardian angel. In the painting “The Last Supper” Leonardo da Vinci is shown Judas spilling the salt. Some say this shows that the superstition of spilling salt is quite old.

Salt has a long tradition as a protective omen. During 19th-century England, it was not uncommon to sprinkle salt in every room of a new house before moving in and bringing in the furniture. This was believed to protect the home from evil spirits.

Salt has also been reported to be more effective at keeping unwanted people away. If he had a visitor in his house and he preferred that the particular caller not come back, he simply sprinkles salt on the floor and on the door immediately after that person leaves. Sweep up the salt and then burn it. You shouldn’t get another visit from the unwanted guest.

In Buddhist folk tradition, it was common to throw salt over one’s shoulder before entering the house after returning from a funeral. He could never be sure that evil spirits weren’t following him from the funeral site. The salt would chase them away and prevent them from entering your home.

In Europe it was common in many places to put salt in the coffin of the deceased to prevent the devil from taking over the deceased.

It was believed that it was a bad omen if you ran out of salt. Always keep salt in your home. Many say “lack of salt, lack of money.” It is equally bad luck to lend someone salt. Never return the salt that you have been given or both the giver and the receiver will have bad luck.

Never pass someone salt at the table. There are a couple of old sayings on this matter; “Pass the salt, pass the sorrow” and “Help me with the salt, help me with the sorrow”. If someone at the table needs the salt, be sure to leave the salt and let the other person pick it up for themselves.

There are also superstitions about salt and fishermen. If one were to throw a little salt on a fisherman, it would surely bring him luck.

In Ancient Rome, it was believed that salt would protect newborns from evil demons and on the eighth day after birth, the child would be rubbed with salt.

As late as the 19th century it was believed that salt could protect newborn children in Britain. A small packet of salt wrapped in cloth could be placed in the crib to protect a child who had not yet been baptized. Likewise, a little salt was placed in the pocket of the baby’s clothes for its protection the first time the infant left the house.

To this day, many people around the world still believe in the magical powers of salt. Some people in Asia still insist on having a small bag of salt in their car to ensure safe travel.