Why is it unlucky to pass salt?

Question

I know it is a superstition but where does it origianate.

I know it is a superstition but where does it origianate.
No I do not mean spill the salt I mean pass the salt without putting it down on the table.

Answer 1

i'm not sure...but if you pass it to someone who is wearing a hat, it's okay. or if you yourself are wearing a hat.

but if you are wearing a hat, and you pass it to someone wearing a hat, you are both doomed to a severe acne breakout within 48 hours. unless the other person immediately passes the pepper while flipping off the other patrons. this will cancel out the curse of the salt.

Answer 2

I don't think it is unlucky to pass salt, if you mean table salt :-

It used to be said that if you spill the salt if was unlucky and the spilt salt should be picked up between thumb and forefinger and thrown over your shoulder this would supposedly prevent bad luck coming you way.

Not really sure where the superstition originated unless it was during the 1st or 2nd world war when food was rationed, therefore it was lucky to have salt and to throw over shoulder to land on some one else's plate (not wasted) but unlucky to spill it and waste it. Purely my own theory.

Answer 3

it was certainly considered unlucky to waste salt, so spilling it was not good. This was because it was a very precious commodity, without salt food could not be preserved. Also its the origin of Salary, when soldiers, roman, were paid in salt.

Answer 4

Not sure on that one. It's a different world now. 2000 years ago salt was serious money. I've heard it's proper etiquette to keep the salt and pepper together when passing them. That's to symbolize unity and family.

Answer 5

Hi there,

I'm guessing you mean spilling salt, or not treating salt with respect. If I spill salt, I scoop the spilt grains over my left shoulder to avoid bad luck.

This is an old superstition that dates back to the Roman Empire. The Empire had so many outposts and so many soldiers, that it was sometimes difficult to pay them all.

But the ancients knew that salt was very important to a healthy diet, (there were no processed foods in those days :-) ). So, as salt was very valuable, the Roman soldiers were often paid with salt instead of money.

This is where the saying, 'Worth his salt.', comes from.

So, as salt was as valuable as money, it was considered a terrible thing to waste it. And if you committed such a careless act, then the Gods would punish you, and you'd get bad luck, so throwing it over your shoulder in appeasement would cancel the bad luck.

With the coming of Christianity, pagan beliefs mixed with Christian beliefs, and whenever people accidentally spilt salt, they threw it over their left shoulder because the Devil is supposed to sit on your left shoulder, and it knocked him off!

Marea

Answer 6

Never heard that it was. Our family would be in big trouble if that was so. We pass it all the time.
Maybe you are thinking about ( if you spill salt you need to toss some over your left shoulder with your right hand to ward off bad luck!!

Answer 7

I always heard it was unlucky to SPILL salt not to pass it - if it was bad to pass salt then it would forever be on the table?? If you spill the salt then aren't you meant to throw it over your right shoulder or something??

Answer 8

I dont know about passing salt but if you spill salt, throw a pinch over your shoulder and say a blessing.

Answer 9

The proverb, Help someone to salt, help them to sorrow, may not be a help but it's all I know beyond the obvious bits about salt/salary etc. Perhaps the effects of oversalting food were known a long time ago?

Answer 10

Ive always heard its unlucky to borrow salt, never pass.