Italian Customs: Everyday Superstitions Italians Still Swear By
- Richard & Caleigh Allen
- Nov 28, 2025
- 4 min read
Welcome to the fun and informative series of "Italian Customs"!
When Wife and I first moved to Italy a few years ago, we expected the pasta, the piazzas, and maybe a few hand gestures. What we didn’t expect were the beautiful, often unspoken rhythms of everyday Italian life—customs that quietly shape communities, deepen relationships, and invite people to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Since we've recently moved back to this beautiful country—this time with two young kids in tow—we want to share some of these cultural gems with you. This series is our way of highlighting Italian traditions that struck us as surprisingly meaningful or refreshingly different. Some are fun, some are profound, and many are worth borrowing, no matter where you live.
*The first two Italian customs, the "Pennichella" and "La Passeggiata" were so much fun to work on, and you could click the words if you would like to read about them!
Italy is a country rich with history, art, food, and—let’s be honest—superstitions. Some of them go back centuries, rooted in folk medicine or ancient Roman beliefs, while others are simply passed down from nonna (Grandma) with such conviction that you don’t dare question them.
Here are ten of the most common (and most endearing) Italian superstitions you’ll run into—especially if you live in Italy long enough to be scolded for breaking them!
1. Leaving the House With Wet Hair → You’ll Get Sick
If you step outside with wet hair, Italians won’t judge you… they’ll worry for your life!
The belief is that cold air hitting wet hair invites respiratory illness, especially colds, sore throats, and sinus infections.
Summary:
It’s not about fashion—it’s about survival. Blow-drying is practically a moral obligation.
2. Sudden Drops in Temperature → “Dress Warm or Else!”
Even a 10°F drop in temperature is enough to trigger alarm.
You’ll hear phrases like:
“Copriti!” (Cover yourself!)
“Fa freddo, metti la sciarpa!” (It’s cold, put on a scarf!)
Summary:
For Italians, cold air (l’aria fredda) is the villain of many ailments—from stiff necks to stomach aches. If the temperature shifts, so should your wardrobe.
3. Sitting in a Draft → The Deadliest Danger of All: “La Colpa dell’Aria”
Open windows, air conditioners, and breezes make Italians nervous.
A draft can supposedly cause:
neck pain
colds
ear infections
paralysis (!)
Summary:
The breeze is not refreshing—apparently it's how you die. Close the window.
4. Going to Bed With Wet Hair → Guarantees Illness
Not only can you not go out with wet hair… you can’t even sleep with it wet.
Nonne (Grandmas) universally agree: you’ll wake up gravely ill.
Summary:
A wet pillow is a silent assassin.
5. Placing a Hat on the Bed → Bad Luck All Around
This belief comes from old funeral customs, where priests sometimes placed their hats on the bed of the deceased. Today it’s simply avoided.
Summary:
Putting a hat on a bed invites bad luck or unwelcome spirits. Just don’t do it.
6. The Number 17 → The Unlucky Number
Americans have 13. Italians have 17.
This comes from Roman numerals: XVII can be rearranged into VIXI, meaning “I have lived,” a phrase associated with death.
Summary:
Avoid the number 17 in room numbers, flight seats, lottery picks, and—of course—important dates.
7. Spilling Olive Oil or Salt → Bad Luck (but Salt Can Save You)
Spilling olive oil is bad luck because it used to be incredibly expensive; wasting it meant financial trouble.
Salt spilled? Also unlucky—but throwing a pinch over your left shoulder reverses the curse.
Summary:
If salt spills: flick some behind you. If olive oil spills: prepare to be judged.
8. The Cornicello → Italy’s Little Horn of Protection
The cornicello, a small, red horn-shaped pendant, is one of Italy’s most iconic good-luck charms.
It’s believed to ward off:
the evil eye (malocchio)
jealousy
curses
general bad vibes
Traditionally made of red coral, gold, or silver, it’s often worn on necklaces, hung in cars and homes, or standing up on the shelf of our favorite bar/coffee shop here in Padova. It also usually means that the person wearing it or displaying it is from Southern Italy.
Summary:
If you want protection from negative energy, just trust the horn.
9. Eating Lentils on New Year’s → Wealth and Good Fortune for the Year Ahead
On New Year’s Eve, Italians traditionally eat lentils—lenticchie—because their round, coin-like shape symbolizes prosperity.
The more you eat, the more financial blessings you invite into the new year.
Summary:
Ring in the new year with a bowl of lentils, and you’re setting yourself up for abundance.
10. Never Cheers With Water → Terrible Luck
Toasting with water is seen as wishing bad fortune on everyone involved.
We have also learned while being in Padova that you signal that you want to toast by saying "ching ching", then you touch your glasses, tap the table with your glass, then take a drink (all while looking at the person you're doing this with).
Always use juice, tea, coffee, or something other than water.
Summary:
Raise a glass—just not a glass of water.
Final Thoughts
Italian superstitions may seem quirky, dramatic, or overprotective, but they’re part of the charm of everyday Italian life. They connect generations, spark playful debates, and add a layer of warmth and tradition to daily routines.
Plus… once you’ve lived in Italy long enough, you may find yourself grabbing a scarf, closing a window draft, drying your hair immediately, wearing a cornicello, and starting every New Year’s Eve with a bowl of lentils.
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