Learn the superstitions about spilling salt and sugar
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| INTRODUCTION |
| John: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Russian Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 2 - Spilling Salt and Sugar. I'm John and I'm joined by Karina. |
| Karina: Привет! (Privet!) I'm Karina. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| John: In this lesson, we will talk about two common superstitions in Russia. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s the superstition called in Russian? |
| Karina: рассыпанная соль, (rasypannaya sol'). |
| John: Which literally means "spilled salt." Karina, can you repeat the Russian phrase again? |
| Karina: [slow] рассыпанная соль [normal] рассыпанная соль |
| John: In Russia, it's believed that if you spill salt, you’re going to fight or quarrel with someone. |
| Karina: So watch your elbows while eating dinner. |
| John: Where does this superstition come from? |
| Karina: It’s probably because there were times when salt was as expensive as gold in Russia. |
| John: So if someone spilled even a little bit, a fight seemed imminent. |
| Karina: Exactly. |
| John: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition called in Russian? |
| Karina: рассыпать сахар, (rasypat' sakhar). |
| John: Which literally means "spilling some sugar." Let’s hear it in Russian again. |
| Karina: [slow] рассыпать сахар [normal] рассыпать сахар |
| John: This superstition is similar to our first example, except this time it’s about spilling sugar. |
| Karina: Right and this time, it’s for good luck. |
| John: In Russia, if you spill some sugar by accident, it means love will come to you. |
| Karina: Sugar is sometimes thought to be opposite of salt. |
| John: This superstition probably came about because sugar is sweet, so people associate it with good things. |
| Karina: So remember, a little spilled sugar might bring you some love. |
Outro |
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| John: There you have it - two Russian superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Karina: Пока! (Poka!) |
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