Haiti’s spiritual landscape is one of the most complex and fascinating in the world, with some estimates suggesting there are nearly 800 superstitions and folk beliefs. This intricate belief system is a powerful syncretic blend of West African spiritual traditions (particularly from the Fon, Kongo, and Yoruba peoples) and French Roman Catholicism. In Haiti, daily life is deeply intertwined with the unseen world, a reality governed by spirits known as the Lwa, the souls of ancestors, and the ever-present threat of misfortune or magic. These beliefs, far from being mere “superstition,” form the cultural grammar for navigating health, wealth, relationships, and luck. Here are 50 of the most prominent beliefs that shape life in Haiti.
1
No Sweeping at Night
Sweeping your house after dark is strictly forbidden. It is believed you will sweep away your good luck (chans) or, worse, sweep away the spirits of your ancestors who protect the home.
2
Don’t Hand Hot Pepper
You must never hand a hot pepper (piman) directly to someone. It will cause a bitter fight between you. Instead, you must place the pepper on the table for them to pick up.
3
Loup-Garou (Shape-shifter)
The Loup-Garou is a feared creature, often a woman, who sheds her skin at night, transforms into an animal or a ball of light, and flies out to suck the blood of children or cause mischief.
4
Salt and the Loup-Garou
To defeat a Loup-Garou, you must find her shed skin and rub salt or hot pepper on it. When she returns, she cannot put her skin back on and will be destroyed by the sunrise.
5
Itchy Left Palm
If your left palm is itchy, it means you are about to receive money. Do not scratch it, or you’ll “scratch away” the cash.
6
Itchy Right Palm
If your right palm is itchy, it means you are about to lose money or will have to pay an unexpected bill.
7
Babies and Mirrors
A baby should not be allowed to look into a mirror before they are one year old. It is believed their soul (nanm) is not yet “attached” and can be snatched by spirits in the mirror, or it will cause them to be mute.
8
Owl on the Roof
Hearing an owl (chwèt) hooting on your roof is a terrible omen. It is a messenger of death and signifies that someone in the house or a close neighbor will soon die.
9
Sweeping Feet
If someone sweeps your feet with a broom, you will never get married. This is especially feared by young, single people.
10
Zonbi (Zombie)
A Zonbi is not a movie monster, but a person poisoned by a bòkò (sorcerer), pronounced dead, and revived from their grave as a soulless slave to work on a farm.
11
Tonton Macoute
The “Bogeyman” of Haiti. A tall man in a straw hat (macoute) who walks at night, snatching naughty children and putting them in his sack. This myth was notoriously used by Duvalier’s secret police.
12
Dreaming of Fish
If you dream of fish, especially catching them, it is a sure sign that someone in your family or someone close to you is pregnant.
13
Dreaming of Dirty Water
Dreaming of clear water is a good sign (blessings), but dreaming of cloudy, muddy, or dirty water is a sign of impending sickness, trouble, or a bad omen.
14
Pregnancy Cravings (Envie)
If a pregnant woman has a food craving that is not satisfied, her baby will be born with a birthmark (envie) that is the shape of the food she desired.
15
Pregnant Women and Funerals
A pregnant woman must not attend a funeral or look at a corpse. It is believed the spirit of the dead (mò) could become jealous and try to “take” the unborn baby’s soul.
16
Purse on the Floor
A woman should never, ever put her purse or handbag on the floor or ground. It ensures that your money will “run away” and you will always be poor.
17
Wearing Red
Red (wouj) is a powerful color of protection. Babies and children are often made to wear a red string, red clothes, or a red bead (zo) to ward off the evil eye (mal-dyòk).
18
Cutting Nails at Night
Do not cut your fingernails or toenails after dark. It is seen as “cutting your life short” and invites bad luck or malevolent spirits into the home.
19
Dog Howling
A dog howling at night for no reason is not howling at the moon. It is howling because it can see spirits or senses that death is coming to the neighborhood.
20
Dropping Utensils
If you drop a spoon, it means a female visitor is coming. If you drop a fork or knife, it means a male visitor is on the way.
21
Wanga (Curse)
A Wanga is a curse, hex, or magical “packet” created by a bòkò to cause harm, sickness, or bad luck to an enemy. Finding one near your home is a cause for great fear.
22
Baka (Evil Spirit)
A Baka is an evil spirit, often in the form of an animal (like a dog or pig). A person can “buy” a Baka from a sorcerer to gain wealth, but the spirit will eventually demand payment, often the life of a family member.
23
Soup Joumou (Jan 1st)
Drinking Soup Joumou (pumpkin soup) on January 1st is mandatory. It celebrates Haitian Independence (slaves were forbidden to eat it). Failing to drink it is seen as inviting bad luck for the entire year.
24
Kalfou (The Crossroads)
Crossroads are sacred, powerful, and dangerous places. They are the domain of the Lwa Papa Legba, who opens the gate to the spirit world. Magic is often performed at a crossroads at midnight.
25
Eating in the Dark
You must never eat your food in the dark. It is believed you are “sharing your meal with the devil” or with unseen spirits, who may follow you home.
26
Hiccups
If you suddenly get hiccups, it means someone is talking about you. Some say it means you’ve “stolen” food or eaten something without sharing.
27
Movez-è (Bad Air)
A sudden chill, paralysis, or unexplained sickness is often blamed on movez-è (bad air). This is a malevolent spiritual wind that can strike you, especially at night or near cemeteries.
28
Shoes on a Bed
Never put your shoes on a bed. It is considered extremely bad luck and is said to invite a death in the family (as it resembles dressing a corpse).
29
Walking Over a Child
Do not step over a child who is lying on the floor. It is believed this will stunt their growth permanently. To reverse it, you must immediately step back over them.
30
Whistling at Night
Whistling at night, especially indoors, is forbidden. It is believed you are whistling to call the spirits and Loup-garou to your home.
31
Black Butterfly
If a large black butterfly or moth flies into your house, do not kill it. It is the spirit (nanm) of a deceased relative who has come to visit or deliver a message.
32
Offering to Ancestors
When you have a meal or a strong drink (like rum), it is proper to spill the first few drops on the ground. This is an offering to the ancestors and the spirits of the land.
33
Gifting a Knife
Never give a knife or sharp object as a gift. It will “cut” the friendship. To avoid this, the recipient must “pay” the giver a single coin, turning the gift into a transaction.
34
Covering Mirrors After Death
When someone dies in the house, all mirrors must be covered immediately. This is to prevent the deceased’s soul from getting trapped in the mirror.
35
Covering Mirrors During Storms
Mirrors should also be covered during a severe thunderstorm. It is believed that a mirror can attract lightning (zèklè) into the house.
36
Shaking Your Leg
If you sit and nervously shake your leg or foot, you are “shaking away your money” and inviting poverty.
37
Sun Showers (Rain and Sun)
If it rains while the sun is shining, it is a sign that “the devil is beating his wife” or, in some versions, that a Loup-garou is getting married.
38
Don’t Call from Outside
Never stand outside someone’s house at night and call their name. A Loup-garou or an evil spirit (malfektè) can imitate your voice to lure the person out.
39
Don’t Point at Graves
It is extremely disrespectful and dangerous to point at a tomb or grave. You will offend the spirits of the dead (the Gede) and their master, Baron Samedi.
40
Sneezing
If you sneeze, it is believed you are expelling a spirit or bad influence. Someone should immediately say “Dye beni ou” (God bless you) to protect you.
41
Sacred Waterfalls (Saut-d’Eau)
Bathing in a sacred waterfall, like Saut-d’Eau, during the annual pilgrimage is believed to wash away all sins, bad luck, and sickness, bringing the blessings of the Lwa.
42
Giving Milk at Night
Never give or sell milk to anyone after dark. It is like giving away the “whiteness” (luck) of your home and is considered very bad luck.
43
Waking from a Nightmare
If you wake up from a nightmare (move-rèv), you must immediately put your bare feet on the cold floor to “ground” the bad spirit and prevent it from coming true.
44
Catholic Saints
Catholic saints are seen as powerful. However, many are syncretized with Vodou Lwa. St. Patrick (who drove out snakes) is Damballa (the serpent Lwa); St. James is Ogou (the warrior Lwa).
45
Papa Legba (The Gatekeeper)
No spirit can be contacted without first asking permission from Papa Legba. He is the Lwa of the crossroads who opens the barrier between the human and spirit worlds.
46
Baron Samedi
The master of the cemetery and Lwa of the dead. He is a powerful, feared, and respected spirit. One must never be disrespectful in a graveyard, or they will face his wrath.
47
Coins in the Grave
When burying the dead, family members will often toss coins into the open grave. This is to “pay” the spirits of the cemetery to accept the newly deceased.
48
Catching a Soul
It is believed a powerful bòkò can “catch” a person’s soul (nanm) in a small bottle or jar, giving the sorcerer total control over the person.
49
Bed Facing the Door
Your bed should never be positioned so that your feet face the door. This is the “coffin position,” as it is how the dead are carried out of a room, and it invites death.
50
Sacred Mapou Tree
The Mapou (Silk-cotton) tree is considered sacred and is believed to be a gateway to the spirit world and the home of many Lwa. Cutting one down will bring terrible, lasting misfortune.
References
- U.S. Library of Congress – “Haiti: A Country Study” (Chapter on Religion and Vodou)
- Duke University Libraries – “A Guide to Haitian Vodou”
- Wikipedia – “Haitian Vodou” (Overview of beliefs and the Lwa)
- Wikipedia – “Loup-garou” (Folklore, including Haitian variations)
- University of Florida Digital Collections – “Haitian Oral History & Folklore”