Learn the superstitions about spilling salt and finding a four-leaf clover
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Italian Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 5 - Spilling Salt and Finding a Four-Leaf Clover. 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 is the superstition called in Italian? |
| Daniele: rovesciare il sale |
| Becky: Which literally means "spilling salt." Daniele, can you repeat the Italian phrase again? |
| Daniele: [slow] rovesciare il sale [normal] rovesciare il sale |
| Becky: In Italy, it's believed that spilling salt on the table will bring you bad luck. |
| Daniele: I must confess I believe this. If I accidently spill some, I’ll try to throw some backwards to ward off the bad luck. |
| Becky: I do the same thing, actually. Where did this superstition come from, Daniele? |
| Daniele: It's probably because in ancient times, salt was an extremely valuable commodity. |
| Becky: Here’s an interesting fact: Leonardo da Vinci must have been aware of this superstition, because in his painting “The Last Supper,” Judas is spilling the salt. |
| Daniele: I’ll have to take another look at that painting! |
| Becky: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition about and what’s it called in Italian? |
| Daniele: trovare un quadrifoglio |
| Becky: Which literally means "finding a four-leaf clover." Let’s hear it in Italian again. |
| Daniele: [slow] trovare un quadrifoglio [normal] trovare un quadrifoglio |
| Becky: In Italy, it's believed that if you find a four-leaf clover, you should keep it. It’s a good luck charm. |
| Daniele: It's because clovers usually have three leaves. Four-leaf clovers are extremely rare. |
| Becky: I think it’s the same in many other countries. Have you ever found one? |
| Daniele: Never! I didn’t even believe that they existed, but then a friend of mine showed me a real one... |
| Becky: Keep searching for it! |
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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