SPILLING SALT
 
 
When spilling salt, do you quickly throw a pinch over your left shoulder?

Years ago the general belief was that good spirits lived on the right side of 
the body and bad spirits on the left. So when a man spilled salt he was sure his 
guardian spirit had caused the accident to warn him of evil nearby. At the time, 
salt was a precious and scarce item in many regions. To bribe those spirits 
who were planning to harm him, he would quickly throw a pinch of salt over his 
left shoulder.