On Friday 13th May 2022, let us remind ourselves how superstitious many Greeks still are.  Traditionally, Greek people already feared 'Tuesday the 13th' as a day of vast misfortune, however, Western culture has heavily influenced the country with movies, TV and the internet which has brought 'Friday the 13th' to the forefront as well.  Not forgeting that 'Black Friday' has now become a fixture in the Greek consumer mind as well. The biggest Greek superstition must be 'To Mati' or otherwise known as the Evil Eye, as most Greels feel that they are under the spell of the Evil Eye if they are either too beautiful or too rich.  The Evil Eye known as Mati is a curse thought to be given by a malicious or jealous glare that can cause bad luck or loss.  You may have heard someone giving you the 'evil eye' from across the room, with many people believing this to be more than just a saying.  With this, many Greeks run to the 'Xematiastra' which is a woman who knows how to remove the Evil Eye from the victim.  That's why it is important to wear an evil eye somewhere on your body to ward off this curse and protect yourself.  Greeks have many superstitions and believe that if they come across certain things, the rest of the day, or even the rest of the year may be full of bad luck for them.

Greeks cannot see black cats crossing in front of them without freaking out, as they see a black cat as the bringer of bad luck, even though a sane person would say that this is only the colour of the poor feline.  This is opposite to many superstitious Europeans, who believe a black cat crossing in front of them will bring them good luck.

Broken mirrors freak many superstitious Greeks out as they are also said to bring them seven years of bad luck.  Some people who break a mirror inside the family home may even want to pack up and move out immediately.  It seems that many believe that a mirror doesn't just reflect the image of a person, but the soul inside as well.  Dried flowers are also believed to be signs of imminent bad luck.  After all, dried flowers are essencially dead flowers, with freshly cut flowers looking so much more appealing, and alive.

Old calendars belonging to previous years are considered bad because they show the quick passage of time, and the days to come may not go well for you.  Greeks also have a thing about spilled salt.  They say that if you spill salt by accident, then bad luck is coming to you.  Like most Europeans, no Greek wants to walk under a ladder.  As for Greek Orthodox Christians, the ladder forms a triangle when it's placed against a wall, and if you walk underneath it, then that is a sign of disrespect for the Holy Trinity.