Russians believe in superstitions and many of these superstitions have a historical context. In Russia, people say that spilling salt would lead to a fight or bad luck. There is a good reason why this superstition appeared. Salt was once more valuable than gold. It was made by boiling sea water or underground water , which took a lot of time and effort. Only the wealthy could afford it, and in some places, salt was almost like money.
Until the mid-16th century, no salt sources were found in central Russia despite the efforts of the tsars. However, in the Russian North, Northeast, and the Volga-Ural region, many salt sources were discovered. The development of salt production in these areas led to the creation of “salt” cities such as Soligalich, Solvychegodsk, Soligorsk, Solikamsk, and Usolye. Thanks to river transport, salt from the North and Ural regions flooded the markets of central Russia.
Because salt was so expensive, spilling it was seen as a terrible waste. Today salt is easy to buy, but some people still believe that spilling it brings trouble. Old habits and beliefs sometimes live longer than we expect!
What other Russian superstitions do you know? 🤔
Resources: The Historical Museum Blog