Some other common superstitions are that crows are birds of ill omen and might predict a death or accident. If a Greek sees a crow, he will tell it to have a good day, stay well and bring good news. They actually say “Sto kalo…sto kala, nea na mou feries.”
If you go to a Greek’s home there may well be a cactus at the entrance, as they are believed to keep evil away from a home. They are commonly found in pots near a door. Try not to get entangled in one, as they can grow to be very large.
Try not to take your shoes off and throw them down carelessly as they may land the wrong way up. This is bad luck, and you should turn them the right way up immediately, and it wouldn’t do any harm if you were to mutter “skorda” (garlic) while you were doing this. Greeks often invoke garlic to ward off evil.
Other superstitions are related to religious practices and customs. There are superstitions about weddings, Christmas, Easter and other occasions, but the ones in this article are ones you might come across while on holiday. If you don’t know what is happening, you might well be bemused. Hopefully now you won’t be so confused if you see people scurrying around looking for something red to touch- the nearest red object might be something of yours.