1 Iron Keeps Bad Luck At Bay
Just as Americans will knock on wood to avoid any bad luck heading their way, Italians like to tocca ferro or “touch iron” to do much the same thing. If you see a bunch of people in Italy grabbing iron statues, now you know why!

2 Watch Out For the Bed
In Italian superstitions, beds are associated with illness and death. According to medieval Italian customs anything placed on a bed immediately receives bad luck, such as a picture of a loved one or a memento. Also, when priests used to visit dying people to give them their last rites, they would place their hat on the bed; if you do that, expect death to come knocking at your doorstep as well (according to tradition).

3 Keep Your Bread Right-Side Up
Even though “Man shall not live by bread alone,” Italians tend to believe that it is a symbol of life itself, which means that bread must never, ever, be placed upside-down. It’s nearly impossible to do anyway since most Italian bread is circular at the top.

4 Avoid Anything Associated With the Number 17
Why do you ask? Because the Roman numeral for 17 is XVII, but when you mix the letters around it looks like VIXI, which means “I have lived” – a popular symbol that is placed on Italian tombstones. This is why you sometimes don’t see hotels with a 17th floor – no one wants to rest in a place associated with the grave.

7 Tables Should Never Have Exactly 13 Guests
Americans hate the number 13 as well, but for reasons that are totally different to Italians. According to the Bible, there were 13 people seated at the Last Supper, and you know how well that turned out. Having this number at a single table for any reason is considered bad luck.

6 Save the Olive Oil
Olive oil was once considered a luxury throughout Italy, so spilling some could be hazardous to your future fortune. Keep as much of it in the bottle as you can, and make sure to cork it when you’re done.

7 Be Careful When You Toast
Toasting is a common occurrence at weddings and special events all throughout the world, but if you’re in Italy, never raise your glass if all you have is water, and never link your arms with the person next to you.

8 Don’t Recreate the Cross
Whenever you lay something down – like a set of toothpicks or pencils – never lay them down in the shape of the cross. It’s considered an insult to Christianity and can create years of bad luck.

9 Never Sweep When Single
Brooms are to single people what light is to vampires. If you’re single and someone sweeps over your feet, even if by accident, plan to be single from that point forward. Might as well get a herd of cats and brush up on your crosswords.

10 Bless a Home Properly
When you buy a new home, it’s a tradition in Italy for someone to sprinkle salt in the corners to bless the home and rid it of evil spirits. Of course, some new silverware would be nice as well, but having a demon-free home is always a good selling point.