15 Black Superstitions Passed Down Through Generations

In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating the cultural traditions, ancestral wisdom, and everyday rituals that have shaped our communities for generations. From sayings passed down by grandparents to quiet practices we still follow without thinking twice, superstitions have long been woven into the fabric of Black life. More than old tales, they are reflections of history, resilience, spirituality, and the rich cultural memory that continues to connect us across time. Here are 15 Black superstitions many of us grew up hearing — and might still believe, just a little bit.

Maybe your Aunt told you to pray before you leave the house. Maybe your grandmother reminded you not to sweep over your feet or let your purse touch the floor. For many of us, superstitions are not just quirky sayings. They are living pieces of cultural memory that have traveled from front porches to beauty salons to Sunday dinners for generations.

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Long before we had Google and social media to explain eclipses and meteor showers, our ancestors were looking to the sky and the Earth for meaning. As noted in The Root, natural phenomena like solar eclipses were once understood in deeply spiritual ways across parts of Africa. Some communities believed the sun and moon were in conflict during an eclipse, and the moment called for people on Earth to resolve their own disputes. That kind of symbolism reflects how closely our cultural beliefs have always been tied to nature, community, and perseverance.

Over time, those ideas blended with influences from the American South, the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond. According to Revolt, many African American superstitions have roots in ancient civilizations, religious practices, and even wartime history. What may sound like a simple warning — such as not opening an umbrella indoors — can actually trace back thousands of years. What feels like a harmless habit — like knocking on wood — carries echoes of spiritual traditions that honored the sacredness of trees.

These beliefs survived slavery, segregation, migration, and modernization. They were whispered to children before bedtime and repeated at kitchen tables while black-eyed peas simmered on the stove. They became part cautionary tale, part spiritual armor. Even if we laugh them off in public, plenty of us still hesitate before ignoring them completely.

So in the spirit of Friday the 13th and in celebration of the cultural threads that bind us during Black History Month, here are 15 Black superstitions passed down through generations that many of us still believe, at least just a little bit.

Here is a list of 15 Black Superstitions: 

1. Eat your greens and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Collard greens symbolize money, and black-eyed peas represent luck and prosperity. Historian Adrian Miller notes that the tradition ties back to West African foodways and Civil War history.
2. Do not open an umbrella indoors. This belief dates back to ancient Egypt, where opening an umbrella away from the sun was said to anger Ra, the sun god.
3. If the sun is shining while it is raining, the Devil is “beating his wife.” It sounds wild, but many of us grew up hearing this whenever a sun shower popped up.
4. A ring around the moon means rain is coming. See a halo around that moon and you might want to grab a jacket.
5. Make a wish on a shooting star. From ancient Greece to the American South, shooting stars have been seen as spiritual signs and opportunities to speak dreams into existence.
6. An eclipse means the sun and moon are fighting. The Batammaliba people of Togo and Benin believed eclipses symbolized cosmic conflict and used the time to reconcile disputes on Earth.
7. Knock on wood to avoid bad luck. As REVOLT explains, the practice may trace back to ancient tree worship and later Christian symbolism.
8. If your palm itches, money is on the way. Depending on which hand, you are either about to receive a blessing or pay a bill.
9. Do not put your purse on the floor. “Money out the door” is what Big Mama would say.
10. If your ears are ringing, someone is talking about you. Blame ancient Roman lore for that one.
11. Dreaming about fish means someone is pregnant. Fish and fertility have long been linked in folklore.
12. A bird flying into your home signals bad news. Celtic traditions associated birds with omens and death.
13. Your bones can feel the weather changing. Science actually backs this one up when it comes to arthritis and pressure shifts.
14. Full moons make people act up. Courts in 18th-century England even heard defenses blaming the moon.
15. An itchy foot means you are about to travel. So if your foot will not stop tingling, pack a bag.

Whether you believe every single one or humor them for tradition’s sake, these superstitions connect us to ancestral wisdom, cultural memory, and a little bit of magic. And on Friday the 13th, that feels right on time.

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