What are common Moroccan superstitions?

Morocco is wonderfully rich in everyday superstitions, and far from being fading folklore, many are alive and well in modern homes and even among educated city-dwellers. They are not generally seen as contradicting religion; rather they sit alongside it as inherited wisdom about how the unseen world works. The umbrella over most of them is protection — from envy, from spirits, from bad luck — and once you notice them, you see them constantly.

The evil eye sits at the centre, so the khamsa (hand of Fatima), the number five, blue beads, and the word 'mashallah' come up again and again as shields against envious glances. Closely tied to this is belief in jinn — spirits mentioned in the Quran, thought to inhabit dark corners, drains, wells, thresholds and bathrooms. People say 'bismillah' (in God's name) before pouring hot water down a drain or entering a dark room, precisely so as not to disturb or anger a jinn.

Then there is a whole catalogue of domestic dos and don'ts that vary by family and region. Many Moroccans avoid sweeping the floor at night or sweeping dirt out of the door after dark, believing it sweeps away luck or money. Handing salt directly to another person can be considered unlucky — better to set it down. Spilling couscous, or a particular itch, sneeze or twitch, may be read as an omen of a guest arriving, money coming, or news on the way.

I always frame these for guests as cultural texture rather than something to test or mock. You do not need to believe in jinn to appreciate why a host murmurs 'bismillah', or to find delight in a grandmother predicting a visitor from a spilled grain. If anything, these beliefs are a doorway into Morocco's imagination and its deep instinct to protect family and fortune. Engaging with curiosity and respect — never amusement at someone's expense — is always the right approach.