Folk omens
Passing someone on the stairs: why avoid it?
crossing on the stairs quarrel · passing in a doorway superstition
- stairs
- meeting
- quarrel
- superstition
In folk belief if you pass someone on the stairs, one going up and one coming down, you may quarrel. So some people wait until the other person has finished the stairs.
What does the superstition say?
Passing each other on the stairs or in a doorway is said to mean your paths are parting. The result may be a quarrel, a disagreement or just an awkward situation.
How to avoid it
Simple: wait until the other person has passed, or go first yourself. It is good manners at the same time.
What is behind it?
Passing on a narrow staircase really is awkward: it is easy to bump into each other or for someone to fall. So the superstition simply protects a good rule of courtesy.