Throw salt over your shoulder
Meaning
To perform a superstitious ritual, typically after spilling salt, to ward off bad luck or evil spirits.
Origin
In the ancient world, salt was an incredibly valuable commodity, revered for its preservative qualities and its symbolic association with purity and divinity. So precious was it that to spill salt was considered a dire omen, an open invitation for misfortune or the machinations of malevolent spirits. These nefarious entities, it was widely believed, lurked behind a person's left shoulder, ready to pounce on any vulnerability. To counteract the ill luck of spilled salt and to blind or ward off the lurking devil, a pinch was swiftly tossed over the left shoulder. This quick, almost defiant gesture became a powerful and enduring superstition, a small act of protection against unseen forces.
Examples
- After accidentally knocking over the salt shaker, she instinctively threw a pinch of salt over her left shoulder to avert misfortune.
- Even though he didn't truly believe in omens, he still felt a primal urge to throw salt over his shoulder whenever something went wrong.