What Each Culture and Country Believe About The Evil Eye

Evil Eye Curse is the popular superstitious belief mentioned in almost every culture, representing the hostile glance cast by someone intentionally or unintentionally on someone or something. People believe that it is a supernatural force that is powerful enough to cause harm, injury, and misfortune. Thus, they seek protection against this evil eye curse in the form of sacred evil eye amulets or talismans. 

Every culture and country believes in the evil eye curse and the protection charm in their own way. Let's see how the appearance of this evil curse and its protection rituals differ from one culture to another.

Why do people believe that Evil Eye exists?

Almost in every culture, people have witnessed the appearance of an evil eye that brings negative energies, harm, injury, and bad luck in a person's life. People believe that when someone achieves something great in their life, any jealous person can cast the evil eye curse on them intentionally or unintentionally. 

This hostile glance is so powerful that a person starts feeling ill and negative mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally. Some of the noticeable symptoms you can find in the afflicted person are sudden mood swings, loss of appetite, insomnia, depression, fever, vomiting, fatigue, etc. 

The curse is commonly known as "Nazar" in Hinduism culture. Usually, children, newborn babies, pregnant ladies, and successful people are more prone to it.

What cultures and countries believe in the evil eye?

Across the Globe, various cultures and countries have witnessed the appearance of the evil eye and its negative impacts. In every culture, the evil eye has been explained through multiple terms and rituals. Here is everything you need to know about this evil curse and its protection rituals.

1) Turkey

In Turkey, the blue evil eye protection charm is known as Nazar Boncuk, where "Nazar" represents Glance and "Boncuk" means Pearl. It is an ancient talisman made with glass or crystal consisting of dark blue or light blue concentric circles with yellow or white & black eye dots in the center. 

What are their cultural beliefs about the evil eye? How is it given, and its signs and symptoms?

Turkish people believe that the evil eye is cast on admirable objects and successful people out of envy through the harmful glare. When someone gets jealous of something or someone, they cast a vicious glare on that person/object to cause harm. 

Signs and Symptoms:

Financial Loss
Vomiting and Fever
Heavy eyes and Eyesight problems
The souring of Milk of Nursing Mothers
Headache and Body Pain

How do Turkish people ward off the Evil Eye?

The Turkish people believe that this sacred protection amulet holds enough power to ward off all the dark energies and ill intentions cast on them and their belongings. That is why you will often witness this evil eye protection charm hanging on doors, buildings, offices, etc., in Turkey.

2) Greece

In Greek, the evil eye or Nazar is referred to as máti. The appearance of the evil eye was first witnessed as an Apotropaic Magic in Greece in 6th BC on the antique glasses known as "Eye Cups" at the time of Greek Civilization. 

The mention of Evil Eye was also found in ancient Greek literature. It is believed that people with blue eyes often cast evil eye glare on something or someone out of envy or subconsciously. This glare includes negative energies & emotions like Jealousy, Anger, Revenge, etc.

Signs and Symptoms:

All the Greek communities hold a strong belief in the evil eye curse and its impacts. Many Greek people believe that the evil eye curse gets triggered by a newborn baby as the baby drives attention and praise. That is why people spit on the ground when praising the baby and make a ‘flou flou’ to ward off the evil glance.

According to them, whenever someone cast a malicious glare on someone/something, the following signs and symptoms are commonly found:

Sudden Severe Headache
Dizziness
Disorientation
Bad Incidents or Misfortune happens
Emotional, Mental & Financial Loss

How do they ward off the evil eye?

The Greek people believe that the blue color plays a crucial role in warding off the negative impact of the curse. Thus the brides add blue color in their attire or wear blue evil eye jewelry or ornaments to keep the "mati" away. Similarly, newborn babies and kids wear blue evil eye bracelets for protection.

Apart from the evil eye protection amulet and jewelry, people often take the help of prayers and spitting methods to ward off the curse.

Rituals performed by Greeks to ward off the evil eye:

Apart from using the evil eye amulets and jewelry, Greek people perform several rituals to ward off the curse, which is known as xematiasma. Some of them are:

In one custom, both healer and the afflicted person yawn profusely. Then the healer makes the "Cross Sign" three times and emits a spitting sound three times in the air to ward off the "mati".
In another ritual, the healer pierces a few cloves together in a pin and then crosses it over the afflicted person's body. These cloves then burn to see the presence of the evil eye. If the cloves explode with noise, the evil eye is released from the afflicted person. The ashes are then mixed in the water and disposed of in the garden or somewhere outside.

3) Israel / Jews / Hebrews

In Judaism or Hebrews, the evil eye is known as "ayin ha’ra". According to the Jewish superstition, the evil eye curse is powerful to bewitch or harm something/someone by just merely putting a glance on it. The "ayin ha’ra" term is also used to represent evil intentions or inclinations. The term is found in many places in the Talmud and Jewish law.

Cultural beliefs in the Evil Eye Curse:

In Judaism culture, people believe that the Evil Eye or ayin ha'ra is a physical phenomenon where the negative energies emit from a person's eyes when he/she gazes at something or someone out of jealousy or envy.

There are many cultural beliefs found in Jewish law related to the evil eye curse, like:

Looking at the crop of a fellow person while the grain in standing can cast the evil eye.
Calling two brothers (or father and a son) up to the Torah consecutively can drive too much attention to a single family, leading to the evil eye curse.

How do they ward off the Evil Eye curse?

There are various ways to ward off the Evil Eye Curse in Jews, Hebrews, and Judaism cultures. The one popular way is to use the Hamsa Hand Evil Eye amulet that acts as a sacred protection charm. 

Hamsa Hand is a hand-shaped symbol with a sacred evil eye amid the center that ward off the hostile glance. The five fingers of the hand bring positive energy, fortune, prosperity, and growth to your life.

Rituals to ward off the evil eye:

In Jews, there is a Rosh Hashanah Tashlich Ritual where a body of water containing fish is used to ward off the evil eye curse because people believe that fish are incapable of having the evil eye effect or dark energies.
Also, in Jews, people spit three times after discussing or praising a vulnerable person or making a future plan to keep the ill intentions and evil glare away.
In Hebrews, people use a phrase called bli ayin hara, which means “without evil eye.” to wards off the negative impact of the evil eye. Similarly, in Yiddish, there is a phrase called kein ayin hara, which means “no evil eye” to counteract the effect of the evil eye on someone/something.

4) Islam (Islamic Countries)

In Arabic or Islamic countries, the evil eye is known as al-ayn, a harmful glance that leads to misfortune, sickness, injury, harm, etc., on a person, animal or a prestigious thing. The evil eye can be cast intentionally or unintentionally by anyone.

Signs and Symptoms:

In Bedouin Folk culture, people believe that the evil eye curse can lead to harmful impacts, like:

Impotence
Difficulty in Pregnancy
Menstruation Disorders
Deficient breast milk
Sexual disorders

How do Islamic People ward off the evil eye?

Islamic people believe that when we praise something or someone, intentionally or unintentionally, we cast an evil eye on that person/thing. So to ward off the evil eye, they often use words like "TabarakAllah" (means "Blessings of God") or "Masha'Allah" (means "God has willed it"). 

Apart from these words and prayers, people use Talismans (Hamsa Hand evil eye amulets) to keep the evil spirits and dark energies away.

Islamic Rituals to ward off the evil eye:

Apart from using evil eye talismans and protection words, there are some rituals to ward off the negative energies and dark spirits. Like:

People recite words like Sura Ikhlas, Sura Al-Falaq and Sura Al-Nas, three times after Fajr and Maghrib Namaz to seek protection against evil energies and ill intentions.
While warding off the evil eye curse from an afflicted person's body, the healer recites Ruqyah (using words from the Quran), advised by Prophet Mohammad to strengthen a person's faith in Allah's power against the dark spirits.

5) India / Hindu

In Indian culture, the evil eye is known with multiple names, like Buri Nazar, Kudrishti, Karikannu, etc., varying from region to region. Almost in every state of India, people have witnessed the appearance of the evil eye in various forms. 

People believe that most of the bad things that start happening suddenly after achieving something are because of the evil eye curse. Mostly the newborn babies, pregnant ladies, beautiful girls, kids and successful people are prone to this curse that could lead to:

Sudden Fever & Vomiting
Financial Loss
Injury or Accident
Arguments between the loved ones
Mood Swings
Mental Breakdown, etc.

How do Indians ward off the Evil Eye?

There are multiple ways Indians use to counteract the evil eye effects, like, using evil eye amulets or protection charms called Nazarbattu and objects like lemon, red chilies, rock salt, and lemons coated with Kumkuma, coconut, mustard seeds, kajal etc.

Indian Rituals to ward off the evil eye effect:

People use a ripe lemon and some dried chilies and salt to ward off the Nazar from newborn babies, pregnant ladies, bride-to-be, or any other afflicted person.
In South Indian Culture, married women use cooked rice balls with turmeric powder to cross over in the clockwise and anti-clockwise direction above the head of bride and groom to keep the evil glance away from them.
To keep the newborn babies protected from Buri Nazar, elders put kajal on their foreheads or in their eyes. Also, people believe that preserving a newborn baby's umbilical cord and casting it into a metal pendant or black string works as a protection charm for the baby.
People also hang lemons with chilies or figures of frightening demons outside their houses or offices to keep the bad glance away.

6) Italy

In Italian culture, the evil eye superstition is known as Il Malocchio. People in Italy believe that IL Malocchio is an Italian way of casting an evil eye on someone by staring at them with a glare filled with jealousy or envy, leading to misfortune and bad things. 

Italians have strongly believed in the evil eye curse since ancient times; they hesitate to tell people about their wealth, achievements and success to keep unwanted attention away.

Signs and Symptoms:

According to Italians, the evil eye curse can affect a person spiritually, emotionally and physically. Thus, someone afflicted with Malocchio often experiences the following symptoms:

Nausea
Headache
Loss of Strength
Losing or Missing Opportunities
Doing Bad or Goofy things

How do Italians ward off the Evil Eye Curse?

As Malocchio is considered really harmful in Italian culture, people use various sacred rituals and amulets to ward off this curse. For example: when someone talks about something with pride, they use an expression called "facendo corna'' with their hands by making a horn sign by raising the forefinger and the little finger. 

The horn signs play a crucial role in warding off Italy's evil eye curse as Italians believe that this symbol has the sacred power to counteract the negative impacts cast by the hostile glance. That is why people also hang or wear Horn-shaped red color protective amulets, known as "Cornetti". Cornetti usually looks like a hot red pepper due to its shape and color, and it is commonly found everywhere (hanging in vehicles or outside the buildings) in Italy.

Rituals to ward off the curse:

Apart from using Cornetti amulets and sacred prayers, Italians perform some rituals to find out the affliction and ward off the evil eye curse. Like:

To find out whether a person is afflicted with Malocchio or not, the healer took some water in a bowl and put a few drops of oil in it. Usually, the oil floats, but in case of affliction, the drops will sink, indicating the evil eye.
Once the affliction is confirmed, people use milk and herbs like basil and rue to ward off the curse.

7) Spain and Latin America (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala)

In Spanish, the term Mal De Ojo is used for the evil eye curse. Mal De Ojo is popular among Latin American culture, and its origin has been traced to the Eastern Mediterranean and Greco-Roman traditions. People of Latin America believe that Mal De Ojo is an intense hostile glance filled with jealousy, admiration, or envy directed at vulnerable people like infants, pregnant ladies, kids, etc.

In Roman tradition, the evil eye is referred to as Oculus Malus. Many authors like Hesiod Plato, Theocritus, Plutarch, Heliodorus, Pliny the Elder, Tertullian, Saint Augustin, etc., have used this term in their writings to describe the presence of the evil eye.

Signs and Symptoms:

Casting intentionally or unintentionally, Mal de Ojo or Oculus Malus causes the following symptoms to an afflicted person:

Frequent Yawning
Lack of physical and mental strength
Exhaustion
Headache & Fever
Loss of Appetite
Insomnia
Back Pain

How do they ward off the evil eye curse?

As people believe that newborn babies and infants are at a high risk of getting an evil eye, they often use Garlic cloves (in the Roman tradition) to keep the dark energies and spirits away. Elders make a triangular protection amulet for kids or their loved ones, containing Coal, Salt and Garlic to keep the hostile glance away.

Alternatively, they place a few garlic cloves in a red string or under a baby's cap to protect them from the curse or unwanted attention. People also tie a red ribbon to animals, babies or precious belongings so that the ribbon can gaze attention instead of a person or a thing.

Rituals to Ward off the evil eye curse:

There is one traditional ritual in Latin America to ward off the evil glance or curse using the Raw eggs. In this ritual:

The healer sweeps a raw egg over the body of the victim to absorb the evil eye power. If the egg gets cooked immediately or the next morning after placing it under the patient's bed, it means the egg has the Mal De Ojo, which was afflicting the person. 
Once the evil eye gets transferred into the egg from the victim, the patient immediately starts feeling well.

8) Assyria (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria)

Assyrians also believe in the evil eye curse, and they believe that people with green or blue eyes are prone to cast a hostile glance on someone or something. The evil eye cast by someone leads to symptoms like headache, fever, insomnia, depression, mood swings, physical injury & financial loss.

How do Assyrians ward off the evil eye?

Just like the Evil eye amulet, Assyrians also believe in their unique Assyrian evil eye protection charm to ward off the curse. This charm comes in the shape of an oval turquoise bead with two holes that resemble two eyes. This bead is generally cast in silver or gold metal to wear as protection jewelry by kids and adults.

Rituals to ward off the evil eye:

Another instant way Assyrians opt to ward off the evil eye is to make a cross sign with their hands using their index and middle finger pointed towards the source. This way, the negative energies get transferred back to the source, leaving the victim.