Every country has similar and different superstitions. Some superstitions depend on religion while some of them depend on culture.

Two centuries ago, most people were going to local healers to get treatment. In some cases, local healers used to help people to get better physically (ankle sprain, broken leg etc.) but they couldn’t help people with mental/psychological problems. So, people used to go local priests/monks/hodjas/swamis to get a cure for incurable diseases.

I would like to inform you about Turkish Superstitions.

* In some villages, big trees have been planted. Mostly single girls tie some clothes (rag/strings) to get good luck and a good husband/wife. It’s quite a lot similar to wish fountains.

* Some countries locations/landmarks for lovers. Namsan Tower in Korea, Love Monument in Malta etc. It’s obviously a kind of modern superstition.

* Some people still throw money at holy tombs to get the best success.

* Most of the Turkish people believe in Nazar/evil eye/whammy. If someone looks at items or people with admiration, it could be a break or people could get a terrible and unexpected sickness. Because of that, Some Turkish people add evil eye at their home entrance. This is a cultural practice but Muslim people read and pray some spacial Quranic/Arabic paragraphs (Sura-i Felak, Sura-i Nas etc) to cure evil eye and avoid bad/dark magic.

* Yıldızname is a kind of Turkish Horoscope but I don’t have enough information about it. I think it could be a bit similar to the Western horoscope but fully different from the Chinese and Indian horoscopes.

* Turkish old people (like my mother or my grandmother) believe that cutting nails at night, can bring you bad luck. Some Turkish people believe that is a kind of small sin or inappropriate.

* I don’t know but I read on the internet; if a pregnant person eats sour things she will give birth to a daughter; if she eats sweets she will give birth a boy. Actually, it is a very common belief in my country.

* If you whistle at night, Seytan / the devil / a bunch of devils will follow you. It obviously meant really terrible luck.

* Muska is mostly a triangle shape necklace but some Quranic/Arabic paragraphs can be found inside them. I saw very different versions. In some cases, they can store unreadable shamanic words. People use it to get good luck or ovoid from evils, devils, elves, goblins, bad spirits and satan.

* Some people believe and still practice burying newborn umbilical cords in some special areas. For example, if you buried it in a school garden, he/she will be a genius; if you buried it in a hospital garden he/she will be a good doctor; if you buried it in a mosque garden, he/she will be a good child.

* Palm fortune reading is not very common in Turkey but gypsies always practice it to make money. I think palm fortune reading could come from Gypsy culture but it affects many cultures.

* Turkish coffee fortune telling is very common in Turkey. After drinking a Turkish coffee people turn over the mug for a while then look inside the mug and try to interpret things.

I think, some practices are not superstition but depend on religion.

* In Turkey, if your business was turned down, you can go to a hodja to get a prayer for you.

* The Muslims believe in a single God/Allah and God/Allah recommends giving charity to poor people. Muslims help and distribute food for to get good luck from God/Allah.

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