Explore 94 Superstitions Collections - Atlas Obscura
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ALL PHOTOS BY TAHA AHMAD
culture

A Photographer's Journey Into New Delhi's House of Djinns

Drawn by a fascination with the supernatural, he captured the desires and desperation of people seeking otherworldly aid.
Chaitali Patel April 13, 2021
Nocturnal and reclusive, the aye-aye lemur is considered a harbinger of evil by some communities on Madagascar, the only place the animal can be found in the wild.
folklore

Loved or Loathed: Can Madagascar's Aye-Aye Survive Superstition?

Understanding how locals really view the world's weirdest primate may be key to protecting it.
Bridget Alex March 23, 2021
The celebrations surrounding Walpurgis Night, at the beginning of May, brings out the witch-kitsch culture of Germany's Harz highlands.
magic

Witch Kitsch and Dark History in Germany's Harz Mountains

From fairy tale towns to torture devices to absurd attractions.
Kristen J. Sollée January 12, 2021
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Vampa: Vampire & Paranormal Museum

An extraordinary collection of vampire-themed antiques lurks on the second floor of a store.
Olaus Magnus's 1555 "A Description of the Northern Peoples" includes an early depiction of a farmhouse spirit. He stands in the center, sweeping the barn.
christmas

The Danish Christmas Porridge That Appeased a Vengeful 'House Elf'

Once a magical, murderous farmhand, the nisse has transformed into a beloved holiday figure.
Sam O'Brien December 9, 2020
The Wooden Man appears as if sleeping.
Kværndrup, Denmark

The Wooden Man

Generations have refused to move this doll from its dusty resting place to preserve a castle from a watery fate.
Today, teenagers gather around the tree, and often deface it.
Bernards Township, New Jersey

Devil's Tree

An allegedly cursed tree represents a town's reckoning with a racist past.
The 15th C. north door with scorch marks, some say left by the Devil's hand, Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh.
Blythburgh, England

The Devil's Fingerprints

A legendary ghostly hound supposedly left dark marks on a place of worship.
Salerno, Italy

Salerno Medieval Aqueduct

According to the legend, this structure was built in a single night with the help of the devil.
Are you feeling lucky?
Gastro Obscura

Twelve Grapes

A New Year's Eve tradition of scarfing down 12 grapes for good luck.
The Sacred Tree.
Auliyeagash, Kazakhstan

Kieli Agash (Sacred Tree) of Auliyeagash

Local lore says this 700-year-old tree has sacred and medicinal properties.
food

Scottish Singles Used to Spend Halloween Picking Kale

The leafy green once foretold the future.
Mark Hay October 23, 2019
West side of building (front).
Athens, Greece

Tzistarakis Mosque

Legend says it was constructed with the destroyed pillar of an ancient Greek Temple.
Gastro Obscura

Chap Goh Mei

On the fifteenth night of Chinese New Year, Malaysian singles throw caution to the wind and fruit to the water.
Gastro Obscura

Yusheng

The higher you toss this fish salad, the luckier your year will be.
You must not say the town's name aloud.
Colobraro, Italy

Colobraro

Just saying the name of this town out loud is said to bring bad luck.
Gastro Obscura

Cornish Pasty

In the 19th century, tin miners ate these handheld pies and left their crusts to appease mischievous, mine-dwelling spirits.
Gastro Obscura

Peppermint Pig

Smashing this pink candy pig with a tiny hammer is a Christmas tradition in Saratoga Springs.