Folklore & Superstition
Why We Throw Salt Over the Left Shoulder
Short answer: It's the traditional fix for spilled salt: a pinch tossed over your left shoulder is said to land in the eyes of the Devil, who lurks there waiting to cause trouble.
The left side has long been linked with bad luck in European folklore (the Latin word for left, sinister, gave English its darker meaning). The remedy turns salt's protective power against whatever the spill invited in.
Similar ideas appear elsewhere: in some Mahayana Buddhist communities, salt is thrown over the left shoulder after a funeral to keep evil spirits away.
Related traditions
Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). Why we throw salt over the left shoulder. https://saltalmanac.com/folklore/salt-over-shoulder
“Why We Throw Salt Over the Left Shoulder.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/folklore/salt-over-shoulder. Accessed [today's date].
“Why We Throw Salt Over the Left Shoulder.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/folklore/salt-over-shoulder.
Original sources
- Wikipedia. Spilling salt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilling_salt