Folk omens
Spilled salt: will there be a quarrel?
spilling salt meaning · salt over left shoulder
- salt
- quarrel
- table
- superstition
In folk belief spilled salt means a quarrel in the family. That is why many people immediately throw a pinch over their left shoulder.
What does spilling salt mean?
The best-known version says spilled salt means a quarrel or disagreement, especially at the table. Some say the quarrel will be with whoever spilled it.
Why throw salt over the left shoulder?
It is believed to make the bad luck disappear. Some simply laugh after spilling salt, because folk wisdom says laughter cancels the quarrel.
- Throw a pinch over your left shoulder
- Laugh it off
- Clean it up before anyone notices
Where does it come from?
Salt used to be precious, used to preserve food and sometimes worth as much as money. Spilling it was a real loss, and it is easy to imagine people actually quarrelling over it.