Turkey has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, and more than 30 civilizations have passed through this country. Turkey is considered a mosaic of cultures and beliefs. Therefore, we have hundreds of superstitions in Turkey.

Different regions have different superstitions, and some acts that may be considered good by one region are considered bad in another. For example, if an owl hoots on the roof of a house, some regions believe the family will receive a message, while another region sees it as a signal of bad luck or death. Despite the regional differences, there are many common superstitions. Some of them are very similar to superstitions in European countries or in America. Here are some of the most common superstitions:

• Walking under a ladder will bring bad luck
• If a person breaks a mirror, he will have bad luck for seven years or somebody in his family will die. To prevent this, pieces of the broken mirror should be buried immediately.
• If a black cat passes in front of you, it will bring bad luck.
• If someone hands a cutting utensil, like a knife or scissors, directly to someone, they will fight. To prevent a fight, the giver should put the utensil on the ground, a table, desk or chair, so the receiver can pick it up.
• You should get out of the bed from the right side so that your day starts well.
• You should enter your house with your right foot so you will have happiness in your house.
• A shop owner enters his establishment with his right foot so he’ll get good business.
• You should not cut your nails at night. Turkish people believe that you will shorten your life for shortening your nails at night.
• You shouldn’t whistle at night because it brings evil.
• You shouldn’t sweep your house at night. Sweeping at night brings poverty to the house.
• Washing clothes on Saturday brings bad luck.
• If a woman with a headache enters a mosque and sweeps it with her scarf, her headache will go away.
• If a dog barks during the call for prayer, someone in the neighborhood will die.
• If you light a cigarette with a candle, a sailor will die at sea.
• If you see a snake on your way somewhere, it’s a sign of good luck.
• If you measure a baby’s length, the baby will remain short.
• If a person steps over a baby, it’s considered bad luck since babies are assumed to be angels.
• If a young girl wears a married man’s ring, she will have bad luck in her marriage.
• If a woman eats eggs during her pregnancy, her child will be very naughty.

Here are a few superstitions specific to particular regions:

In Corum, people believe one who can eat pomegranate without dropping the pieces will go to heaven. In Eceabat and Canakkale, people place a spoon into the Kasikci Baba (a Turkish holy man)’s tomb, so that their wishes will come true.

The author of this article is:Mehmet Birbiri

I totally agree with this one...

So I take it all the nail salons in Turkey close early..

WOOOOOOOOOOW! From the first to the last, all these superstitions are still present in my country too. One can tell we were under Ottoman empire for a looooooooong time

And that pommegranate thing... I can kiss Heavens good-bye

nail salon?

 The place where you get your manikür done Generally at the kuaför in Turkey.

Superstitions in some other countries:

http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_22041_-1

OR they mimic to spit (not actually) on the knife.

If you play with the scissors, you will have a fight.

If you see a beautiful child, or a beautiful bride, or a nice thing, you mimic spitting.

If you are scared of the evil eye, you bite your tongue, itchy your bottom.

If a person is lying on the floor and you go over him, then he will stay short.

When you talk about a bad thing happened to someone else, you knock on the wood, and pull your own ears so that it will not happen to you too..

These are the ones I remember

Funny one is if you measure a child it will remain short!  Aren´t all babies measured at birth?  Mine were and one of them is over 2m.

 do you know this happen  in arabic countries too, i don´t know its orgin , maybe we

taked them from  Ottoman, or  the opposite is true

but some is different a bit, like if  the scissors put opening, you will have a fight.