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Why Is it Bad Luck To Open an Umbrella Indoors and Where Did the Superstition Come From?

By Karen Hill

The umbrella is an ancient African innovation and was intended as a portable shade against the sun.

After entering Europe through Spain in the twelfth century it became more valuable as a protection from the rain.

The superstition of bad luck if opened indoors came from the African belief that to open an umbrella in the shade was an insult to the sun god and would cause him to bring down his wrath on the offender.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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