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by pepsi boy on June 12th, 2005

pepsi boy

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Why is it considered bad luck if you spill salt?

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  • by Astaroth on June 13th, 2005

    Astaroth

    Besides of the "true-superstition-based" reasons, there is a highly pragmatic reason that originated the myth on bad luck when spilling (wasting) salt, and is ....(believe it or not).....it's cost.

    Salt nowadays is a very abundant and cheap resource, but at some point in history was very scarce. Also, in our times, salt is mostly a condiment to give more flavor to food, but when refrigerators didn't exist salting the meat was the only way to preserve it.

    During the time salt was scarce and expensive, people was even paid to buy salt. That is why the payment for work is known as "salary" (from the Latin "salarium"). This originated when Roman soldiers were paid this way.

    Then, the waste of salt, was considered to bring bad luck.

    Note: In most cases you will find pragmatic answers to most superstitions such as the ladder-fear, the mirror-cracking, the indoors-umbrella, the third-cigarrette, etc.

    Comments

    • This old-world type of use of salt is more likely the root of the superstition.

      Scottythinks

      by Scottythinks on June 14th, 2005

    • Roman soldiers were given their salary to pay FOR salt. It wasn't actually salt itself.

      Anon

      by Anon on June 14th, 2005

    • good answer

      hablagringo

      by hablagringo on June 17th, 2005

    • Salt was never scarce. Extracting it from the sea water was just a long painstaking process.

      Jack Scotty

      by Jack Scotty on June 27th, 2005

    • excellent answer

      Mushen

      by Mushen on August 19th, 2008

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