Folk omens
Sweeping after dark: why is it bad luck?
sweeping at night superstition · taking out the trash at night
- sweeping
- evening
- money
- luck
- superstition
In folk belief sweeping the house or taking out the rubbish after sunset sweeps luck and money out. So many people leave tidying for the morning.
Why not in the evening?
Sweeping in the evening is said to carry kindness, money and family peace out of the house along with the dust. Sweeping the rubbish out over the threshold is considered especially bad.
- Do not take out the rubbish after sunset
- Sweep from the threshold inwards, towards the middle of the room
- Do not sweep the moment a guest leaves
Sweeping right after a guest leaves
Some say sweeping as soon as a guest leaves sweeps them out of your life, as if you never want them back. So it is better to wait a little.
Where does it come from?
The exact origin is unknown, but there is an easy practical explanation: before electricity, sweeping in the dark made it easy to throw out something valuable, like a ring or a coin, with the dust.