By Mary N. DiZazzo

Global Nail Superstitions—“Do you believe?” (Part 1)

Ciao bella,

In Italy don’t clip your nails on Friday—it will bring misfortune and bad luck. In Croatia needles and scissors should never be used on a Sunday. Bad luck will follow you in Greece if you clip your nails on Wednesday or Friday. Also the Philippines carried the superstition that nails shouldn’t be cut on Fridays. Newborns in Russia shouldn’t have their nails clipped on Mondays.

The best days for clipping:

Germany it’s Friday
Russia it’s Thursday

I'm sure you will enjoy this old rhyme from England regarding the best days for cutting hair and nails.

Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health;

Cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth;

Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news;

Cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes;

Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;

Cut them on Saturday, see your true love tomorrow;

Cut them on Sunday, the devil will be with you all the week.

From Russia With Love—Here is a belief to keep your man faithful. A wife must keep the trimmings of her beloved’s nails and put them into wax behind an icon and say a special prayer. If a woman there wants to marry a man, she should cut her nails (only on Thursday) and keep the trimmings from her left hand with a piece of her hair. Add nine drops of blood from her ring finger in some good Vodka—but beware the effect doesn’t last forever. She must continue this ceremony ’til death do us part!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

Mary

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.mary4nails.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com