Comments on: Guest Blogger Michelle: Superstitions in Southern Italy http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/ Living and Traveling in Calabria, Italy Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:49:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-17169 Steve Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:30:45 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-17169 To get rid of the maloiks is not hard but you have to follow these directions exactly. Go out and buy a new broom and a cylinder of salt. Go through your house (or apartment) and sprinkle salt in EVERY corner (even cloests, the basement, attic, everywhere). Then take the broom and sweep all that salt up and throw it out, somewhere outside the house. Don't throw it into a kitchen trash can, and it's best to not even use your own outside trash can. <strong><em>Thanks, Steve!</em></strong> To get rid of the maloiks is not hard but you have to follow these directions exactly.

Go out and buy a new broom and a cylinder of salt. Go through your house (or apartment) and sprinkle salt in EVERY corner (even cloests, the basement, attic, everywhere). Then take the broom and sweep all that salt up and throw it out, somewhere outside the house. Don’t throw it into a kitchen trash can, and it’s best to not even use your own outside trash can.

Thanks, Steve!

]]> By: Michelle | Bleeding Espresso http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-17167 Michelle | Bleeding Espresso Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:35:09 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-17167 Roberto, the prayers from different parts of Italy vary, but some are in print in a book called <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/bleedingespre-20/detail/087483533X/103-4376458-3074256" rel="nofollow">Italian-American Folklore</a>. In bocca al lupo! <strong><em>Grazie, Michelle!</em></strong> Roberto, the prayers from different parts of Italy vary, but some are in print in a book called Italian-American Folklore. In bocca al lupo!

Grazie, Michelle!
Michelle | Bleeding Espresso´s last [type] ..No-Knead Bread Rolls – No Dutch Oven Necessary

]]> By: roberto http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-17162 roberto Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:06:59 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-17162 my name is roberto and i'm trying to get rid of the maloik think you can help hopefuly ciao <strong><em>Ciao Roberto, I forwarded your message to the post author, Michelle Fabio of <a href="http://bleedingespresso.com/" rel="nofollow">Bleeding Espresso.</a></em></strong> my name is roberto
and i’m trying to get rid of the maloik
think you can help hopefuly ciao

Ciao Roberto, I forwarded your message to the post author, Michelle Fabio of Bleeding Espresso.

]]> By: How Southern Italian Superstitions Mold Expat Life http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-10981 How Southern Italian Superstitions Mold Expat Life Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:06:20 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-10981 [...] more on southern Italian superstitions, visit Italyville, Life in Italy,WhyGo Italy or a guest post on the Calabrian malocchio written by Bleeding Espresso and posted on my site, My Bella [...] [...] more on southern Italian superstitions, visit Italyville, Life in Italy,WhyGo Italy or a guest post on the Calabrian malocchio written by Bleeding Espresso and posted on my site, My Bella [...]

]]> By: napoletanadicuore http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-4604 napoletanadicuore Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:22:11 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-4604 my favorites: 1) you can't bake your own bread while you're on your period...the dough won't rise. 2) you can't set your hairbrush down on the bed 3) you can't tell others about your dream last night until after noon   <strong><em>OMG, I've never heard any of these. These *are* wacky!! </em></strong>   my favorites:
1) you can’t bake your own bread while you’re on your period…the dough won’t rise.
2) you can’t set your hairbrush down on the bed
3) you can’t tell others about your dream last night until after noon
 
OMG, I’ve never heard any of these. These *are* wacky!!
 

]]> By: Steve http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-3522 Steve Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:57:29 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-3522 Here's one - I'm a nice Irish Catholic kid and we normally have no time for these southern European superstitions, but I worked in South Philly for 20 years (very heavy southern Italian cultural influences), and as a result, I can't ever talk about how a baby is beautiful unless I add "God bless him (or her)" because otherwise you risk putting the maloiks on him (or her). I also learned how to remove a maloiks from a house you are moving into, a practice which is tedious but which I have never failed to do once I learned it. You need salt and a new broom.   <strong><em>I'd *love* to hear that. I'll be moving soon.</em></strong> Here’s one – I’m a nice Irish Catholic kid and we normally have no time for these southern European superstitions, but I worked in South Philly for 20 years (very heavy southern Italian cultural influences), and as a result, I can’t ever talk about how a baby is beautiful unless I add “God bless him (or her)” because otherwise you risk putting the maloiks on him (or her).

I also learned how to remove a maloiks from a house you are moving into, a practice which is tedious but which I have never failed to do once I learned it. You need salt and a new broom.
 
I’d *love* to hear that. I’ll be moving soon.

]]> By: My Bella Vita http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2964 My Bella Vita Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:14:34 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2964 Creepy, Sally. I never heard that before and I am GUILTY of doing that, too. Eeek. Jmisgro - :-) Fun, Krystal! I love hearing these old tales! Oh, Piccola that is hilarious about the nun. I vaguely remember hearing that! Vanessa - write that book it would be a best-seller!! Wow, Margi ... Miss Expat that is some CRAZY stuff! Creepy, Sally. I never heard that before and I am GUILTY of doing that, too. Eeek.

Jmisgro – :-)

Fun, Krystal! I love hearing these old tales!

Oh, Piccola that is hilarious about the nun. I vaguely remember hearing that!

Vanessa – write that book it would be a best-seller!!

Wow, Margi …

Miss Expat that is some CRAZY stuff!

]]> By: Miss Expatria http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2962 Miss Expatria Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:15:06 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2962 My best friend's grandmother had "a dream." She put oil and water together in a pot and it mixed, confirming a malocchio (pronounced maloiks in South Philly). They took my friend to a seer, who confirmed it further, and stated that a lesbian clown gave it to her. To our shock, my friend had actually met a lesbian clown the week before. She had to wash her face in vinegar and wear a red ribbon on her bra for a month. My best friend’s grandmother had “a dream.” She put oil and water together in a pot and it mixed, confirming a malocchio (pronounced maloiks in South Philly). They took my friend to a seer, who confirmed it further, and stated that a lesbian clown gave it to her. To our shock, my friend had actually met a lesbian clown the week before. She had to wash her face in vinegar and wear a red ribbon on her bra for a month.

]]> By: Margi http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2958 Margi Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:11:06 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2958 My grandmother was Russian and had 1001 reasons to make the Eye at someone or something. If you do it while saying "P...P...P" it will get rid of demons which is quite a handy bit of information really :-) Also even today in Greek churches in Britain you see babies with eye beads pinned to their clothes and, once, an Egyptian surgeon told me with a straight face that a dissatisfied patient made the sign of the eye at his friend's imported car and caused it to crash! My grandmother was Russian and had 1001 reasons to make the Eye at someone or something. If you do it while saying “P…P…P” it will get rid of demons which is quite a handy bit of information really :-) Also even today in Greek churches in Britain you see babies with eye beads pinned to their clothes and, once, an Egyptian surgeon told me with a straight face that a dissatisfied patient made the sign of the eye at his friend’s imported car and caused it to crash!

]]> By: Vanessa http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2953 Vanessa Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:49:56 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2953 ha ha that is funny about teh birthmarks. My daughter has an almost perfectly round birthmark on her stomach (just above belly button) with 2-3 darker spots inside it. I'm thinking it looks a bit like a chocolate chip cookie. Maybe something i needed to but didn't eat whilst pregnant? My sister is quite into superstitions etc and she wants to take a photo and analyse it as she thinks there is something 'meaningful' behind it - i must tell her about this. Hmm i wonder about my other sister who has a basket shape birthmark on the inside of her elbow. I could write a book about teh superstitions I have heard here in sicily. I do like the one someone wrote about teh shoes on beds, is a big no no here but i thought it was mainly for hygiene reasons. I am sure half the superstitions arose when no one knew the real reasons so made things up with fearful sounding consequences in order to get people to comply with the ideas of the day. Kind of like religion actually.... Or to make people feel better about things that are purely luck. ha ha that is funny about teh birthmarks. My daughter has an almost perfectly round birthmark on her stomach (just above belly button) with 2-3 darker spots inside it. I’m thinking it looks a bit like a chocolate chip cookie. Maybe something i needed to but didn’t eat whilst pregnant? My sister is quite into superstitions etc and she wants to take a photo and analyse it as she thinks there is something ‘meaningful’ behind it – i must tell her about this. Hmm i wonder about my other sister who has a basket shape birthmark on the inside of her elbow.

I could write a book about teh superstitions I have heard here in sicily. I do like the one someone wrote about teh shoes on beds, is a big no no here but i thought it was mainly for hygiene reasons. I am sure half the superstitions arose when no one knew the real reasons so made things up with fearful sounding consequences in order to get people to comply with the ideas of the day. Kind of like religion actually…. Or to make people feel better about things that are purely luck.

]]> By: Piccola http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2952 Piccola Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:40:05 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2952 I've heard these superstitions from Ale. One of the ones that makes me laugh is that he says that when he sees a nun, he has to touch his male parts to prevent infertility. Another is that we can't take any pictures while kissing until after we get married or the relationship will end. We have a few superstitions in my culture, but I think southern Italians have too many!! It's fun to hear them though. I’ve heard these superstitions from Ale. One of the ones that makes me laugh is that he says that when he sees a nun, he has to touch his male parts to prevent infertility. Another is that we can’t take any pictures while kissing until after we get married or the relationship will end. We have a few superstitions in my culture, but I think southern Italians have too many!! It’s fun to hear them though.

]]> By: Krystal http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2951 Krystal Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:30:33 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2951 ha ha I have heard of those too- My husbands Nonna has dreams all the time like that- she also knows facianata? (I am probably totally using the wrong spelling and context) But the second she starts yawning, (over and over!!!)- someone is about to come over for her help- its neat. Salt in the glovebox of your car, there are so many that I have learned over the years!! ha ha I have heard of those too- My husbands Nonna has dreams all the time like that- she also knows facianata? (I am probably totally using the wrong spelling and context) But the second she starts yawning, (over and over!!!)- someone is about to come over for her help- its neat. Salt in the glovebox of your car, there are so many that I have learned over the years!!

]]> By: jmisgro http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2950 jmisgro Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:49:54 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2950 WOW! WOW!

]]> By: Sally http://my-bellavita.com/2008/07/30/guest-blogger-michelle-superstitions-in-southern-italy/comment-page-1/#comment-2949 Sally Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:56:45 +0000 http://my-bellavita.com/?p=410#comment-2949 There's still a thin line between modern religion and ancient religious practices. I think thinner than most people realize in today's modern age. I think the superstition I remember the most was one my driver's ed teacher (he was Slovakian, Czech, something eastern European) in high school told us about wearing shoes and lying on the bed or just shoes on the bed. Bad luck because the dead were laid out that way. There’s still a thin line between modern religion and ancient religious practices. I think thinner than most people realize in today’s modern age. I think the superstition I remember the most was one my driver’s ed teacher (he was Slovakian, Czech, something eastern European) in high school told us about wearing shoes and lying on the bed or just shoes on the bed. Bad luck because the dead were laid out that way.

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