Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

Holding a Newborn Over a Threshold Is Unlucky

According to widespread belief across multiple cultural traditions—particularly in Slavic, Roman, and broader European societies—holding a newborn above or carrying them across a threshold before formal rites or introductions invites spiritual or developmental harm. The doorway represents a powerful liminal space between the domestic interior and the unpredictable exterior world. Passing a baby across this boundary too early is thought to result in delayed milestones, increased susceptibility to illness, emotional or behavioral imbalances, or exposure to negative spiritual forces. This belief places significant emphasis on first-time boundary crossings and designates them as events requiring appropriate timing and ritual accompaniment.

Traditions often caution against crossing main doorways, especially without blessing or ceremony. Some interpretations specify increased risk for very young infants or situations where the child has not yet been named or baptized. In some communities, specialized rituals exist for a baby’s first exit through the home’s main entrance, and crossing the threshold may be done only after these rites to ensure protection and prosperity.

Sweeping Over Someone’s Feet Prevents Them from Getting Married

According to widespread folk belief in many parts of the world—especially Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe—sweeping a broom over or across someone’s feet can prevent that person from ever getting married or may significantly delay marriage. The act is considered symbolically disruptive, as sweeping is associated with clearing away or erasing something—in this case, romantic or matrimonial prospects.

The superstition often distinguishes between intentional and accidental acts but holds that even an unintentional sweep can impose consequences unless specific remedial steps are taken. Common countermeasures include immediately spitting on the broom, tapping it three times on the foot that was swept, or making a wish to neutralize the effect. In some versions of the superstition, unmarried people are especially at risk, while others warn that sweeping over the feet of married individuals can bring marital strife or distance between partners.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

A Witch Can Steal a Baby’s Soul

According to European witchcraft beliefs from the medieval through early modern periods, infants were thought to be especially susceptible to spiritual attacks by witches, who could steal or consume their souls. This process of soul theft was believed to cause a range of physical and behavioral symptoms in the child, such as inconsolable crying, developmental regression, sudden illness, or unexplained death. In many cases, these beliefs likely functioned as early explanations for what modern medicine now identifies as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), congenital illnesses, or nutritional deficiencies.

The methods by which a witch was believed to carry out soul theft varied: direct eye contact with the infant, proximity during nighttime visits, the placement of enchanted or cursed objects near the child, or the dispatching of animal familiars to extract the life essence while the infant slept. Witches were believed to be most effective during the night, especially during the liminal hours around midnight when the boundary between the living and the spirit world was thought to be weakest.

This belief was part of a broader worldview in which a baby’s soul was not considered fully secure or anchored in the body until a certain age or ritual, such as baptism. Therefore, infants were seen as spiritually vulnerable and in need of constant protection.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

The Summer Solstice Is a Time for Love and Fertility

According to widespread belief across multiple cultural traditions, the summer solstice—the year’s longest day and shortest night—provides especially favorable conditions for romantic connections, conception efforts, and relationship strengthening. This astronomical timing supposedly creates ideal energetic circumstances for love and fertility due to maximal solar energy, abundant natural growth, and heightened emotional receptivity. Many traditions specify specific activities to harness these energies: gathering specific herbs with peak potency; performing love divination through dreams, plants, or reflections; engaging in fertility rituals near water sources; and celebrating unions through special ceremonies timed to connect with solar abundance.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

Dreaming of a Wedding Dress Means You Will Marry Soon

According to widespread belief across multiple cultural traditions, an unmarried person dreaming about wedding attire—especially putting on, trying, or admiring a wedding dress—signals an approaching marriage or serious relationship milestone. This matrimonial dream symbol is thought to contain specific insights: a well-fitting, white dress may suggest an ideal romantic partner, while torn, ill-fitting, or discolored dresses are believed to foreshadow relational obstacles. In some traditions, the dream’s context—such as the setting of the dress fitting or the presence of other people—further clarifies whether the coming commitment will be joyful or complicated. Recurring dreams or dreams coinciding with significant dates (e.g. birthdays, holidays) are considered especially prophetic.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

Dreaming of a Fish Means Someone Is Pregnant

According to widespread dream interpretation across multiple cultural traditions, seeing fish in dreams—whether swimming freely, being caught, or simply observed—predicts a pregnancy, either for the dreamer or someone close to them. The nature of the dream provides further clues: multiple fish may suggest twins or multiple births; a large fish is sometimes taken to imply the baby will be male, while smaller fish may be interpreted as a girl or an easier pregnancy. If the dreamer is eating fish, some traditions interpret this as a sign that they themselves are pregnant or soon will be. Observing fish without interacting with them usually suggests the pregnancy pertains to someone else within the dreamer’s family or social circle.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

A Stork Nesting on Your Roof Brings Fertility

According to longstanding European folk belief, the nesting of a stork—especially on a rooftop or chimney—is a powerful omen of fertility and reproductive success. The presence of the bird is said to increase a couple’s chance of conception, aid those struggling with infertility, and ensure smooth, healthy pregnancies and childbirths. The strength of the omen intensifies with the size and permanence of the nest: the longer the storks remain, the more children the household is believed to receive. Disturbing or removing the nest is widely viewed as bringing bad luck, infertility, or complications during pregnancy. The superstition is so deeply ingrained that entire communities in parts of Europe protect these birds and their nesting sites, believing the prosperity of the household—and sometimes even the village—depends on their undisturbed presence.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

A Baby’s Birth Date Determines Their Fate

According to widespread belief across multiple cultures, the specific date of a child’s birth profoundly influences their personality, talents, life challenges, and overall destiny. This deterministic numerical belief extends beyond general astrological sun signs to the precise numerical composition of birth dates. Some traditions specify that certain dates within each month carry particular characteristics, while others focus on the sum of month, day, and year digits to calculate destiny numbers. The birth date’s influence supposedly manifests in career aptitudes, relationship patterns, health predispositions, and natural talents that parents should recognize and develop.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

If a Pregnant Woman Craves a Food and Doesn’t Eat It, Her Baby Will Have a Birthmark in Its Shape

According to traditional maternal folklore, if a pregnant woman craves a specific food and does not consume it, her baby will develop a birthmark resembling the shape of the denied item. This superstition often includes additional details:

The more intense the craving, the larger or more vivid the birthmark.
The body part touched during the craving determines the birthmark’s location.
Some traditions specify that the timing of the craving (early or late pregnancy) influences how noticeable or permanent the mark will be.

These beliefs extend to a wide range of foods, but particularly common examples include strawberries, chocolate, pickles, or meat. The birthmarks are often described as matching the color, texture, or outline of the craved food.

This superstition reflects the “maternal impression” theory, a once-dominant pre-modern belief that a pregnant woman’s thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations could directly influence the fetus’s development. In this framework, birthmarks are interpreted not as vascular or pigment-related phenomena, but as visible expressions of maternal longing or denial.

Marriage and Pregnancy Superstitions

Breaking an Egg with Two Yolks Predicts Twins

According to traditional folk belief, cracking open an egg with two yolks signifies that someone—often the person who breaks it—will soon conceive twins. In some versions of the superstition, any woman of childbearing age in the household or family is seen as the potential recipient of this dual blessing.

The double yolk, being an unusual natural occurrence, is interpreted as a symbolic parallel to twin pregnancy: two lives developing within a single space. Variations of the belief assign even deeper meaning:

The freshness or brightness of the yolks may signal the health or gender of the predicted twins.
The closeness or separation of the yolks may suggest whether the twins will be identical or fraternal.
Some traditions extend the omen’s meaning to future multiple births in general, beyond twins.

The belief is especially common in farming households where daily egg collection made unusual eggs a source of domestic prophecy. Eggs, as ancient fertility symbols, are often treated as natural mediums for reproductive divination.

No Supersitions Found