3 Common Superstitions for Moving and New Homes

Superstitions can be a fun way to celebrate a new event in your life such as moving. Or you could take them seriously and want to bring good luck into your new life. When moving into a new place—even if it’s just an apartment—think of any of these common traditions when it comes to blessing your new home:

1. Leave the Old Broom Behind

The original superstition asked people moving into new homes to leave their old broom behind or to dispose of it and then buy a new one for the new home. (The broom should also be carried in the first time an owner enters the apartment.) The old brooms were thought not only to carry the physical dirt and dust of the old home, but with it the negative aspects of your life at the old place. Not to say that your old life was all negative, but any negativity you experienced would be embodied in the broom. These days, you may be more likely to have a vacuum or a sweeper, both of which may be more expensive than a broom to replace. Still, if they’re old anyway, you might think of rewarding yourself with a new one, with or without the superstitions to guide you.

2. Choosing Your Move-In Date

Common superstitions in Western culture will tell you not to move into your new place on a Friday or Saturday. These days were thought to be unlucky (think “Friday the 13th”) and may cause you to never fully settle into your new home. It may be more difficult to plan in advance, but one superstition advises against moving in on a rainy day as well because it may be a sign of bad luck. Other superstitions dictate that April, July and November are the most unlucky months in which to move. If you follow Indian superstitions, Thursday is the luckiest day of the week for moving into a new home.

3. Keeping Evil Spirits Out

Traditionally, the last owners of the home (or apartment tenants) would leave bread or rice and salt behind for you to ward off evil spirits. Since you’re unlikely to find that the previous tenants did so for you in this day and age, you can still follow the tradition by carrying in some bread and salt the first time you enter your new home (along with that broom). You should then turn around and sprinkle the salt on your door sill to keep evil spirits away. If you want to be especially thorough, you should sprinkle some salt in each room and around each door sill throughout the apartment as well.

Whether or not you choose to believe in the common superstitions associated with moving into a new home, you may find engaging in some of the rituals to be a pleasant experience to celebrate the changes you’ve made and your goals of moving forward. Just don’t let yourself be too consumed by superstition; entering your new home with a positive attitude is the most fortuitous action you can take.