Learn the superstitions about breaking a mirror and a little red horn
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Italian Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 4 - Breaking a Mirror and a Little Red Horn. I'm Becky and I'm joined by Daniele. |
| Daniele: Ciao! Hi, I'm Daniele. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Becky: In this lesson we’ll talk about two common superstitions in Italy. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s the superstition called in Italian? |
| Daniele: rompere uno specchio |
| Becky: Which literally means "breaking a mirror." Daniele, can you repeat the Italian phrase again? |
| Daniele: [slow] rompere uno specchio [normal] rompere uno specchio |
| Becky: In Italy, it's believed that if you break a mirror, you'll have 7 years of bad luck. |
| Daniele: I broke one when I was a child, and I was terrified… But I don’t know where this superstition comes from. |
| Becky: One possible explanation is in ancient Rome. The Romans believed that when a person looked into a mirror, their soul was transferred into it. |
| Daniele: As a result, if the mirror was damaged, the soul would be damaged, too. |
| Becky: More likely it’s because mirrors were once very precious, and breaking one was a heavy loss. By the way, did you have 7 years of bad luck after breaking the mirror? |
| Daniele: No, I don’t think so! |
| Becky: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition about and what’s it called in Italian? |
| Daniele: cornetto rosso |
| Becky: Which literally means "little red horn." Let’s hear it in Italian again. |
| Daniele: [slow] cornetto rosso [normal] cornetto rosso |
| Becky: Another superstition with horns. |
| Daniele: In Italy, especially in the South, a little horn is considered an amulet of good luck. |
| Becky: I think I’ve seen it. It resembles a chili pepper, and it's usually red. |
| Daniele: Right, it can also be made of gold or silver. |
| Becky: People may wear it for protection against the evil eye or hang it in the car to prevent accidents. |
| Daniele: Right. A friend of mine collects these horns, and he has some in his car too. |
Outro |
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| Becky: There you have it - two Italian superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Daniele: A presto! |
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