Superstitions and popular myths in Afghanistan

• If your foot touches or hits another person's foot, you will get into a fight with that person, unless you shake hands right away.
• It is bad luck to cut your nails at night.  Some say hunger and poverty will enter a house if someone cuts their nails at night. Also, it is bad luck to cut your toe nails and finger nails on the same day.  Others say that it is bad luck to cut your nails at night, as well as cutting both finger and toe nails right after each other because you will always have all happy events in your life happen at the same time that sad things happen to you...In other words your life will always be bittersweet.
• If a boy chews gum, his beard will grow uneven.
• It's not good to let someone compliment your child or other loved one too much, because they may become jinxed and bad luck may fall on them ( This is called "Nazar"-ing a child). For example, if you say a child is beautiful, the child may become sick. You can ward this off by either saying "Nazar Nakona", or by reciting a surah from the Quran.
• If your cross under a rainbow, a sex change will occur. A boy will turn to a girl and a girl will turn into a boy.
• Jingling your keys will cause a fight to occur.
• If the palm of your hands itch, you will soon receive money.
• If the soles of your feet itch, you will soon travel.
• If you draw lines on the ground you will be in debt.
• If a bowl of water spills out with a sound, it means that you will soon receive guests.
• If flour spills, it means you will soon receive guests.
• Water is thrown on the floor where the person just walked, when a person leaves the front door ( While also walking under the Quran) to go on a long trip.  This is done so the person will have a safe and pleasant trip, and return unharmed.
• If you bite your tongue, someone must be talking bad about you (backbiting).
• If your ears itch, someone is talking (gossiping) about you.
• Spotting a sitting magpie bird means you will soon receive a message.
• If your eye twitches, it means good luck will come soon.
• If you drink water and it goes down the wrong tube, causing you to cough, this means that either someone is  thinking of you or someone is talking about you.
• After praying, you should fold a side of the prayer matt or the devil will come and pray on it.
• After reading the Quran, you should close it immediately, or the devil will come and read from it.
• You will be falsely accused of something if you feet touches a broom.
• On new year's eve, you should be at home, or for the rest of the year, you will not be at home.
• Don't look in the mirror at night, because someone will tell a lie about you.
• Bad luck will come if you open and close scissors without a reason.
• The smoke from burning incense (called span) will keep bad luck and bad spirits away.
• During an eclipse if pregnant woman scratches herself, a black mark will appear on her baby.
• If your baby is born with a belly button that is an "outie", place a clean coin on top of it and secure it around the waist for three days and it will become an "innie".
• If a baby has jaundice, let it lick on cleaned gold and the jaundice will go away.
• If a male child is circumcised, fasten a piece of feroza (pure turquoise) jewelry to it's bedding above the head and his cut will heal faster and nicely.
• When a new born is brought into the house and placed into his or her bed, hanging  something (jewelry etc..) with the name of Allah on it will help keep the baby safe from harm when they sleep.
• Marriage between the two holidays Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha is prohibited.
• Shaving a baby's hair will make their hair grow thicker.