13 Lesser-Known Bad Omens From Around The World, Ranked By How Much You'll Be Looking Out For Them

Egyptians seem to take the use of scissors very seriously. If you use them the wrong way, it could be bad tidings for you, your family, your ancestors, and even your descendants. 

No, it isn't running around with scissors - this omen concerns making a cutting motion with scissors without anything between the blades. That's because it's thought that you're cutting up the unseen souls and spirits floating in the air. Supposedly, they'll get angry and come back later to attack you. 

If you're in Japan, and you happen to whistle at night as you're sauntering down the street, you might get a few nasty looks. That's because, according to folk tradition, night whistling will attract snakes to the village or city of the whistler. While this is a very bad omen (especially if you're afraid of snakes), some snakes are good omens. Spotting a white snake, for instance, means you're in for some good fortune. Snake skins are also considered lucky, and people are often encouraged to keep any snake skins they come across, as they supposedly act in a similar fashion to a rabbit's foot.

Because of this omen's tradition, whistling isn't a particularly popular practice in Japan. You won't find a lot of snakes in major cities, either. Coincidence?

For much of history, bread has been a major staple of human diets. This has most certainly been the case with Italians, who famously make top-notch bread. Since bread is held in such high esteem in Italy, it's not so surprising that there are many superstitions surrounding it. 

For example, if one finds a loaf of bread upside-down, that's a bad omen. It could spell misfortune for you and your family. This is likely rooted in the Christian belief of bread symbolizing the body of Christ, which renders it basically holy. So, it must be revered and kept face-up. Similarly, it's a bad omen if one finds a knife stuck into a loaf of bread. 

On the Isle of Man, an autonomous UK country in the Irish Sea, rats are especially bad omens. However, it's not so much the sight of them; rather, it's locals speaking the euphemistic word for them that brings the bad luck. That euphemism is "longtail," and when spoken, it has been purported to bring bad luck and extended bad weather to all those on the islands. The omen can be traced back to nautical days when rats were a sign of disease aboard sailing vessels. If a sailor spoke the word aloud, it could mean storms and rough seas for the rest of the journey.  

According to Mexican tradition, owls are bad luck. When you hear the call of the owl or see one in Mexico, it means death is near - either for you or for a loved one. There's a famous saying in Mexico relating to this: "Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere." Translated, this means “When the owl cries, the Indian dies.”

Staunch Orthodox Greeks know that seeing a priest walking in the street is bad luck - or at least a foreboding sign. A priest in the street could mean any number of bad things - perhaps he's heading to a death or an exorcism - but if you say one particular word, it may ensure that he's not coming to pay you a visit.

That word is the Greek "Skorda." It translates to "garlic." Across many cultures and traditions, garlic is thought to ward off evil spirits. Vampires are famously averse to garlic. And, apparently, so must be priests.