9 Bizarre Love-Related Superstitions People Still Believe

Do you eat grapes under the table at midnight on New Year's Eve, or trace the inside of your palm to find the initials of your future spouse? These are just a few of many love-related superstitions people still believe will lead them into the arms of their true love. 

All around the world, people follow superstitions they suppose will help them find love, attract love, or even dream about love. If you're single and searching for the one, have you considered rubbing the headboard of your bed with a lemon peel? How about placing a mirror under your pillow, putting herbs in your shoes, and wearing your pajamas inside out? For some, the hope of finding their soulmate is enough motivation to try these seemingly silly rituals.

Every nation has its own romantic superstitions: some are simple to follow, while others defy logic entirely. Here are nine bizarre love-related superstitions that people continue to believe in. 

1. EATING GRAPES UNDER THE TABLE
2. COUNTING HORSES BEFORE BED
3. SWEEPING SOMEONE ESE'S FEET
4. KISSING YOUR ELBOW
5. HAVING A BEAUTY MARK NEAR YOUR MOUTH
6. PINCHING THE BRIDE'S KNEES
7. GIVING EVEN NUMBERED FLOWERS
8. PINNING HERBS TO YOUR PILLOW
9. REACHING FOR HAIR

EATING GRAPES UNDER THE TABLE

A Spanish superstition has inspired single people worldwide to eat grapes underneath their tables at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Many believe that consuming 12 grapes under a table when the clock strikes twelve on midnight means that you will find true love in the new year. The catch? You must consume all of the grapes before 12:01 am. The superstition resurfaces each year, with people sharing videos of their grape-eating traditions on social media.

COUNTING HORSES BEFORE BED

If you're actively seeking a life partner, stop counting sheep and start counting horses. An old Texas superstition builds on the notion of drifting off to sleep thinking of horses, specifically 50 white horses. If you count 50 horses before you go to bed, the first person you shake hands with will want to marry you, or so the old superstition claims.

SWEEPING SOMEONE ESE'S FEET

Love-related superstitions aren't always positive. Some people use a broom to sweep the floor; others use it to bring perpetual solitude to their enemies. In Mexico, people say that if someone sweeps your feet with a broom, you’ll be single forever. That's it. One sweep and it's solo dinners for the rest of your life. 

Over the years, the superstition traveled to other parts of the world, where the consequences evolved. In some households, accidentally sweeping someone's feet was believed to send them to jail, and the only way to neutralize the bad luck was to spit on the broom.

KISSING YOUR ELBOW

While a few people can manage to kiss their elbows, most cannot. It’s not a skill you can develop; you’re either born with it or you’re not. If you find it easy to smooch your elbow, consider yourself lucky in love. In the United States, a number of people think the ability to kiss your elbow can get you any partner you wish. One elbow kiss equals a lifetime of happiness. It’s that easy! 

HAVING A BEAUTY MARK NEAR YOUR MOUTH

In Korea, having a beauty mark near your mouth reveals more about virtue than vanity. Unfortunately, this isn't something you can dream up or practice. Like the ability to kiss your elbow, you're born with it. People with birthmarks near their lips are thought to be unfaithful partners. These individuals are also viewed as persuasive. Although facial beauty marks have carried negative superstitions over the years, a growing trend in Korea is to disregard tradition and draw them on for aesthetic appeal.

PINCHING THE BRIDE'S KNEES

In Egypt, an old superstition holds that pinching the bride on her wedding day brings good luck to both her and her guests. Female wedding guests pinch the bride to wish her luck and to claim a bit of that luck for themselves. According to the Cairo Scene, pinching the bride's knees means that the same luck will knock on your doorstep and you'll soon be married too. 

The superstition allegedly comes from the phrase, “I’ll pinch your knee to get married the next Friday.”

GIVING EVEN NUMBERED FLOWERS

In Russia, giving someone an even number of flowers carries a somber message, as even-numbered bouquets are traditionally reserved for funerals. So, as you can imagine, giving your partner an even number of flowers is less a gesture of love and more a morbid mistake. Conversely, an odd-numbered bouquet is considered a sign of affection. Go Abroad also cautions that you should be mindful of flower colors, as yellow is often associated with death.

PINNING HERBS TO YOUR PILLOW

There's an old English custom that many believe can help you dream up your future spouse. According to the superstition, pinning bay leaves to your pillow, one on each corner and one in the center, on St. Valentine’s Day, will cause you to dream of the person you're meant to marry. 

REACHING FOR HAIR

Christmas Eve is about so much more than presents in Germany. While some spend the day soaking up the spirit of the season, others assume that if you open your door and reach your hand backwards, you will be able to feel the hair of your loved one in your hand.