Meeting someone with an empty bucket: what does it mean?
empty bucket superstition · full bucket good luck
- bucket
- road
- luck
- superstition
In folk belief meeting someone carrying an empty bucket means your business will go badly. A full bucket, on the other hand, means success and plenty.
Empty or full bucket?
The logic is simple: an empty bucket means emptiness, an effort with no result, and a full one means plenty and a successful day. So if you are on your way to something important and meet a full bucket, it is a good sign.
What do people do after meeting an empty bucket?
Some change their route, others just think of something pleasant to cancel the omen. In some villages people say you should smile at the person with the bucket.
Where does it come from?
The exact origin is unknown, but it dates from the time when water was carried from a spring every day. A full bucket meant work done, an empty one meant the day had not really started.