What are the most fascinating superstitions practiced across different cultures?

The answer

Superstitions reveal deep cultural psychology. In China, Japan, and Korea, tetraphobia (fear of the number 4) exists because 'four' (shi/sa) sounds like 'death' - many buildings skip the 4th floor, and Nokia never released a phone model beginning with 4 in Asian markets. In Italy, the unlucky number is 17, not 13, because XVII rearranges to VIXI ('I have lived,' implying death). In Turkey, chewing gum at night is believed to mean chewing the flesh of the dead. In Russia, whistling indoors supposedly whistles away your money. In Brazil, placing your purse on the floor means your money will disappear. In Egypt, opening and closing scissors without cutting invites bad luck. The evil eye belief spans Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian cultures, with protective talismans (nazar in Turkey, hamsa in the Middle East) comprising a $2 billion global market.