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Onions, not everyone loves to eat them, probably because of their pungent odor, zippy almost burning after taste and especially because they make you cry when cutting them. But some folks love them with everything they eat. As you can imagine just like everything else, onions have a ton of superstitions that surrounds them.
This is definitely one of those off the wall superstitious scenarios that most people probably haven’t given much thought to. But for those of you that do know what I’m talking about know this is serious business.
Love and Superstitions of Onions
It’s said that by placing an onion under your pillow while you sleep will bring you great insight when dreaming about who your future partner in life will be.
If you wish to decide between two potential loves, you should cut the names of these two people into two separate onions. Then leave the onions in a warm place and wait to see the magic happen. Which ever onion is the first to sprout will reveal the most promising partner for you.
Onions and Health Superstitions
Onions are also said to contain great magical properties that can ward off snakes and witches. Supposedly these creatures are repulsed by the onions odor and will be repelled. Garlic is another great remedy for warding off creature of the night. If you want to include garlic in your food arsenal for fighting evil as well, then you must check out my post Garlic Spiritual Meaning, Folklore and Superstitions. We use garlic to take on witches, vampires and even werewolves!
Onions also have the ability to fight off the common cold. Carrying an onion on your person is great for your health, or you may also choose to hang on up in your room for the same result. Although this is a very stinky remedy, but if you believe it works, then more power to you. This was especially common practice during the days of the plague, they say it helped to promote a healthy atmosphere.
Strangely enough, scientists say this may be true, as a cut onion actually attracts germs which may help keep them away from humans. But beware, another superstition says that by leaving an onion laying around the house can cause fighting amongst the occupants of the home. So this is kind of a rock and a hard place on this one. But if you live alone then it may be the perfect remedy.
Other Treatments of the Onion
Onions are also said to be good for dog bites, hangovers, insomnia, earaches, toothaches and also fever.
Here’s an odd one for you, if you are fighting baldness, then rub your scalp with an onion as it may be the cure you’re looking for.
In times of old, a certain superstition of onions said school boys would rub themselves with onions in order to dull the pain when getting spankings during school. And if they were lucky enough to actually rub onion on the cane they were being spanked with, then it would surely break upon it’s first blow. Not only would it break, but the pain would be deflected upon the person doing the spanking…lol
One last onion superstition to leave you thinking about, if you find an onion with an unusually thick skin, then bad weather is sure to come!
Does your family or culture have any more amazing superstitions about onions? Give us some good ones in the comments below.
My mother in law is west Indian hindu and when ever my kids are having bad dreams and acting out she burns onion and garlic skins to take away the bad eye the worse it smokes the worse the spell was sounds odd but it works every time
Very interesting Katie. So very cool to hear cultural beliefs from other people. Thank you for sharing!