Superstitions provide a window into the collective psyche of France, best known for its love of art, romance, and history. French superstitions, such as those involving a black cat or the clinking of glasses, or the breaking of mirrors, have interesting histories and continue to have an impact on modern society.
Today, we’ll learn some of the most popular French superstitions. We’ll discover how each provides a window into the ideas that have become deeply ingrained in French culture.
Things you'll find in this article
- 16 Popular French Superstitions
- 1. No To Upside Down Baguette
- 2. Breaking White glass
- 3. Don’t Help the Cat
- 4. Sneezing Cat
- 5. Clink Glasses Before a Drink
- 6. Avoid Giving Chrysanthemums As Presents
- 7. Dinner Company
- 8. Mind the Dog Poop
- 9. Knock on Wood
- 10. Don’t Give Knives As Presents
- 11. Don’t Light Candles From Other Candles
- 12. Never use the same match to light multiple cigarettes.
- 13. Horseshoe
- 14. Touch the Lucky Pompom
- 15. Don’t Wear New Clothes on Friday
- 16. Salt Manners
16 Popular French Superstitions
1. No To Upside Down Baguette
The baguette did not appear until somewhere between the 1830s and the 1900s, yet it has already become a subject if superstitions. It is widely believed in France that if you turn a baguette over, you will bring hunger upon yourself and anybody who eats it. The urban legend states that you must draw a cross on the underside of the bread with your knife before you can eat it.
2. Breaking White glass
Breaking any glass object may also seem like a terrible thing to happen. But if it’s made of white glass, success is assured. A broken case made with white glass means happiness. More shattered glass means more opportunities. However, if you think you can start a run of good fortune by shattering something, know that this good fortune only applies to accidental breaking.
3. Don’t Help the Cat
In the highly improbable event that you come across a cat attempting to ford a stream, you should not assist it. It is considered extremely unlucky in France to transport one of these cuddly buddies across any body of water. Historically, it was thought that this “kind” deed would bring about the untimely demise of a member of the cat’s family.
4. Sneezing Cat
According to popular superstition, if a cat sneezes near a bride on her wedding day, it is believed to bring good luck and ensure a happy marriage. So, if you hear a cat sneeze on your big day, don’t worry, it’s a positive sign!
People even bringi a cat with allergies to a wedding as a unique and thoughtful gift to the happy couple. This unconventional present is a creative way to show love and support and is sure to be remembered for years to come. Plus, it’s a great alternative to traditional material gifts!
5. Clink Glasses Before a Drink
This unusual practice was also popular during the Middle Ages. While it was customary to offer your visitors a drink, poisoning a drink was also a thing back then. As a result, when the lords toasted, they developed the custom of causing a small amount of the contents of one glass to splash into the others as they collided.
Then, to prove they were trustworthy, everyone took their first taste while staring each other in the eye. They looked for the other person to show any sign of fear that may indicate they didn’t want to murder them. On the other hand, the trusting expression in your drinking partner’s eyes is reassuring.
6. Avoid Giving Chrysanthemums As Presents
Across cultures, exchanging flowers is a beautiful tradition. However, some French people may take offense at receiving a bouquet of chrysanthemums, which they consider “the flower of the dead” and believe to be unlucky.
Srill, chrysanthemums, which are traditionally used to decorate graves in France, are amobg the best-selling flower in the country.
7. Dinner Company
The French were profoundly affected by the events of the Last Supper. Thus, the prospect of having 13 people at the table sends them into a panic because they are afraid the youngest will die before their time. Either send someone home or welcome another, just don’t let anyone suffer the same fate that Jesus did a few years ago.
8. Mind the Dog Poop
It’s easy to see how this superstition spread; just try walking through any major French city without stepping in dog poop.
Superstition has it that stepping in dog poop with your right foot will bring you nothing but misery, but stepping in it with your left foot will bring you good fortune—though you’ll still have to clean your shoe.
9. Knock on Wood
To knock on wood, or “toucher du bois” in French, is a common superstition shared by many civilizations around the world. But do you know where it came from?
The ancient French held the belief that trees were inhabited by spirits. If you touch a tree, you’ll gain the spirits’ blessing and be shielded from harm. Most of us don’t have access to forests, therefore we assume that good fortune will come to us if we knock on a wooden table or wall.
If you want to say “toucher du bois” in French but aren’t near any wood, you can just touch your head instead.
The superstition has religious underpinnings as well. Wood is a symbol of the cross since it was used to make the world-famous cross carried by Jesus.
10. Don’t Give Knives As Presents
You run the risk of severing all ties of friendship and affection by giving a knife to a friend, partner, or family member as a present. However, if cutlery is, say, among the gifts in your wedding wishlist, severing ties can be countered by giving any amount of cash.
The circumstance is more of a transaction than a gift-giving situation because the recipient owes you a tiny sum of money for the present.
11. Don’t Light Candles From Other Candles
This is a source of bad luck, so tread carefully. Always use a match or a lighter, never another candle, while lighting a prayer candle at a church. If you do, the person for whom the first candle was lit will get your good wishes. To add insult to injury, the old wives’ tale states that if a sailor is seen lighting a cigarette from a candle, he will either die or be fired.
12. Never use the same match to light multiple cigarettes.
This practice is believed to be an omen of certain doom. The myth originated during World War I when it was believed that snipers had a higher hit rate because smokers took longer to light their cigarettes. The first cigarette sounds an alarm, the second gives the sniper time to aim, and the third leaves the smoker dead.
13. Horseshoe
Across cultures, good fortune is represented by the horseshoe, or “fer à cheval” in France. Superstition says that if you find a horseshoe, you are guaranteed great luck. These Iron things are said to drive away evil and are symbols of fertility as well.
In France, horseshoes have several applications. Keep an eye out for a horseshoe as you enter a building; it may serve as good luck. Horseshoes are another popular housewarming gift thought to bring prosperity to the new family.
14. Touch the Lucky Pompom
The crimson pompom atop the bachi worn by French sailors is believed to possess magical properties. It would bring you an ocean of good fortune if you touched it. Although reaching a sailor’s pompom could be difficult in practice, you shouldn’t let that stand in the way of eternal good fortune, so get out there and find a sailor.
15. Don’t Wear New Clothes on Friday
Wearing brand-new threads on a Friday is considered extremely unlucky in France. You can either sport it during the week preceding the event or save it for the weekend’s celebrations. For people that pride themselves on style and sophistication, this is quite a strange yet still popular superstition.
16. Salt Manners
Christians believe that if table salt is dropped on the floor, bad luck will follow. This myth has strong ties to Judas at the Last Supper. Judas is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting of the supper knocking over a jug of salt.
The French have a superstition that says if you spill salt during a dinner party, you’ll fight with the person seated across from you. To counteract this, the French traditionally throw a pinch of salt over their left shoulder.
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.