Sweeping Over Someone’s Feet Brings Bad Luck

Why Brooms Should Never Touch Your Feet: Superstitions About Sweeping and Misfortune

Details

When sweeping a floor, allowing the broom or mop to pass over someone’s feet is widely considered a serious omen of bad luck. Depending on the culture, the consequence might be never getting married, going to prison, or losing financial stability. The superstition is so strong in some communities that people will stop cleaning and apologize profusely if they accidentally sweep over another person’s feet—even brushing it off is believed to “reverse the curse.”

Although the belief may seem irrational, it often reinforces household etiquette and respect for others’ space, especially in close living quarters. The idea that a broom—an object associated with dirt—should never touch a person, especially in communal settings, reflects both practical hygiene and spiritual caution.

Historical Context

Versions of this superstition are found in diverse cultural traditions:

African American folklore warns that sweeping over someone’s feet may send them to jail, linking the act to a loss of freedom or dignity.
In Latin American cultures, it is commonly said that the person whose feet are swept will never get married, unless they immediately spit on the broom.
In Filipino tradition, the belief focuses on financial misfortune—sweeping over someone’s feet is thought to “sweep away” their prosperity.
European variants suggest that the affected person will have marital arguments or an unhappy home life.

These beliefs likely originated from practical norms—discouraging reckless or disrespectful sweeping in shared spaces—but acquired symbolic weight over time, with consequences designed to enforce good behavior through fear of misfortune.

Modern Relevance

The superstition remains vibrant in many communities today:

In multigenerational households, older family members often uphold the rule and teach children never to sweep over someone’s feet.
In regions like the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, it still influences domestic behavior and cleaning customs.
Domestic workers in some countries report being specifically instructed by employers to avoid sweeping near people’s feet, even in professional settings.
On social media platforms like TikTok, this superstition occasionally trends as younger users document their familial reactions to “accidental sweeping.”

Its persistence across such varied contexts illustrates how mundane household activities often become sites for spiritual protection and behavioral training.

Sources

Puckett, N.N. (1926). Folk Beliefs of the Southern Negro. University of North Carolina Press.
lores-Meiser, E. (1996). “Filipino American Folk Healing Rituals.” Journal of American Folklore, 109(434), 409–421.

Quick Facts

Related Superstitions

A baby’s future career or fate is predicted by the first object they select during a ceremonial setup.

In several Asian and Eastern European cultures, a traditional ceremony is held for babies usually around their first birthday. Known

Why Superstitions Persist in Modern Times

Despite widespread access to scientific knowledge and rational frameworks, superstitions continue to influence everyday behavior across cultures and demographics. From