Amidst the great cultural wealth that we have inherited from our ancestors, we find a series of beliefs founded on supernatural experiences or simply unfamiliar experiences, which lend a mystical, magical touch to our charming island of Chiloé.
Superstitions of good fortune
When a rooster crows at midnight, there will be good news.
Sowing pulses on Saint Bartholemew’s Day brings a good harvest.
When a lady winds wool up tightly she will marry a hardworking man.
When two people are knitting and their needles touch, they will become good friends.
When the soles of your feet are itchy, it is a sign that you are going to put on new shoes.
When your right hand is itchy, it is a sign of a greeting and when your left hand is itchy you are going to receive money.
When sparks come out of the oven it is a sign that you will receive money.
If you carry a snakeskin in your handbag you will never be short of money.
If you find a horseshoe that has been thrown out, it will bring you good luck.
Superstitions of misfortune
When a child sits on an almud (a tray used to measure the amount of cereal), it will not grow.
When a rooster crows 9 times at dusk, someone in the house is going to die, because the nine crows represent the novena.
When the coast gets closer it is a sign of bad weather.
When jotes (scavenger birds) sit on top of the church’s cross, someone is going to die.
When an engaged couple enter a graveyard, there will be a fight.
When dogs cry, something bad will happen.
When two brothers marry during the same year, the first one will have bad luck.
When a single woman puts on an engagement ring, she will never marry.
When a woman’s skirt gets wet when she`s washing, she will have a drunk husband.
When a cat is killed, there will be seven years of fatality.
When glasses are broken at a wedding, the marriage will have problems.
When a lady winds wool loosely, she will marry a lazy man.
