Do Americans generally believe in the concept of the evil eye?
Posted by stevie855@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 398 comments
The reason I’m asking is that in many cultures, if you express amazement or admiration for someone’s possessions or good health, something bad is believed to befall them. To ward this off, some people perform simple rituals, carry talismans, or recite religious texts.
I’m wondering if this is a common belief in American culture?
arosaki@reddit
My family is hispanic, so yes we do. These comments seem to be from people of other origin.
Master-Collection488@reddit
No, pretty much all American "magical thinking" is attributed to God, luck, and conspiracy theories.
TerrapinMagus@reddit
Ghosts and aliens, too.
AbruptMango@reddit
And George Soros. He's definitely involved somehow, but they can't say exactly.
EstrangedStrayed@reddit
Some do but it's not widespread. Something something melting pot
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
No I don’t think most Americans who aren’t from immigrant families are even aware of what evil eye is. Evil eye is mostly a superstition in eastern cultures like middle eastern , Greek, Armenian etc so mostly people from these families would know about evil eye
romanticaro@reddit
i’m ashkenazi and my family has been here for 100 years. evil eye is real to us.
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
Yes I know it’s part of Jewish culture as well. Doesn’t matter whether ashkenazi or mizrahi.
romanticaro@reddit
yep :) i can only speak from my personal experience though.
jupitermoonflow@reddit
There’s mal de ojo in Mexican culture, I’ve heard it shortened to just “ojo” but in context it’s easy to understand what they mean. I’ve only heard it occasionally tho, I don’t think it’s something that’s commonly believed here
lemonlegs2@reddit
Live near the border and it was shocking how many people touch my kid without a second thought because of el ojo.
Yourlilemogirl@reddit
As a native Texan, yes we (those of Mexican/Hispanic/Latin descent) very much believe in Ojo lol
MihalysRevenge@reddit
Here in NM both Hispanic and Indigenous folks believe it in
jupitermoonflow@reddit
I personally don’t. People in my family don’t either. I’ve only heard about it from a couple of people. That’s just my experience tho
Schnelt0r@reddit
Until now, I thought evil eye meant you were looking at someone with the stink eye
Cicada_Killer@reddit
Which is reasonable because it isn't part of our shared culture
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
Basically the concept of the evil eye is when someone is jealous of you and then they curse you with an evil glare which sends bad luck to you. Examples include being jealous of your friend for buying a big new house ,car, designer bag. A lot of times evil eyes are also prevalent between family members especially in eastern cultures again for being jealous of something that the other person has and it may be hidden with a disingenuous congratulatory comment like congratulating a person for buying a new car but inside you are raging of jealousy that they were able to purchase a new car which is the concept of evil eye
logaboga@reddit
I believe Caribbean cultures believe in it a lot. I’ve always thought of it as a Jamaican or Haitian thing
LucidLeviathan@reddit
I'm aware of it because of RPGs. That's about it.
Diet-Cola-King@reddit
The only place I have ever seen evil eye anything is in tourist traps and cheesy scary movies.
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
Yes it’s part of near eastern culture especially . Evil eye charms and jewelry are sold everywhere there.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
No
episcoqueer37@reddit
A lot of Americans do, though. It largely depends on where their ancestors came from. Whenever I move, hanging a chain of blue eye beads is a top 5 done first task.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
“generally”
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
That's not true. Italian Americans have the little horn or the red ribbon, or the small child to protect from the evil eye,
Ive seen people wear the hamsa hand, and the blue eye, El Ojo is the same thing, I've seen Hispanic people wear it.
There's probably a ton more.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
The OP asked "generally".
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
I would say it depends where you are. Small towns on the east coast, I've seen older people wear the eye or the hamsa.
When I was in South Texas, I saw a lot of Hispanic people of all ages wearing the eye, too. But sometimes it's red instead of blue.
etchedchampion@reddit
Yeah but that doesn't come from the American side of their culture, it comes from the Italian or Hispanic side. It's not an American thing.
dazzleox@reddit
What is American culture that excludes Italian or Hispanic culture?
etchedchampion@reddit
Idk, the revolution? The Boston Tea Party? The things you're describing originated in other cultures.
episcoqueer37@reddit
Before the Revolution, what would become the USA was already a mixture of Native peoples, enslaved African people (mostly from Western Africa, but given human trade networks already operating, certainly not all), North Africans, Spaniards, German, French, and the folks who came from the nation's of Great Britain. There was no one culture here. Ever.
dazzleox@reddit
I hate to break it to you but we apparently have a melting pot here
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
America is a big mish mash of cultures. There isn't just one.
goodrevtim@reddit
Play whatever semantic games you want, the evil eye is not generally an American thing.
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
That's what I'm trying to tell you. There isnt one cohesive American culture.
goodrevtim@reddit
An extreme minority of people believing something means *generally* its not a part of American culture. I can't tell if you're just trolling or you really don't understand.
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
I've lived all over the United States. Except the Midwest. It's not the same everywhere.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
Yes but I think he is talking about American culture in general, not every individual ethnic/immigrant culture. For instance some Indian Americans practice arranged marriage, but that doesn’t mean arranged marriage is a thing in American culture, that practice instead comes from the Indian culture
WarrenMulaney@reddit
If you say so.
My step-mom is 3/4 Italian...both her parents immigrated here in the 1920s. None of my step-relatives have every mentioned the "evil eye".
I've also lived in Central California my entire life. At least half of my friends are Mexican-American. The same thing with the "ojo".
Maybe I'm just lucky and don't know many superstitious people.
hsj713@reddit
It's because just saying "Il malocchio" or "Mal de ojo" to someone is enough to bring the curse. That's why you see old world immigrant Catholics cross themselves after saying it. Even my aunt who was third generation Catholic and superstitious would cross herself afterwards to ward off the mal ojo.
hsj713@reddit
Il malocchio 👁️
Mysteryman64@reddit
I gotta ask, how old are you? Because this is really common among some of the FoB and older Italian Americans, I know. But I don't know a single person under the age of 45 who has it.
macoafi@reddit
My great grandma was the immigrant in my family, and my sister (early 30s) wears a cornicello necklace.
zorniy2@reddit
I had to Google "cornicello".
It kinda looks like a small chili pepper 🌶️
I wouldn't have guessed it was a charm, and only think the person liked chili peppers!
Possibly people see this and didn't know either.
SubstantialPressure3@reddit
I know millennials, Gen X, and a boomer Italian Americans.
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
It doesn’t really. Small communities in specific locales aren’t indicative of “general” American culture. I’ve lived all over this big ass country in my half century, and have met exactly zero people that believe in the “evil eye”. OP asked about in general, not if any believe in it
MaleficentMousse7473@reddit
Are we interpreting “generally” as WASP? Because if many different, widely dispersed sub-cultures do a thing, then perhaps it is general. And also, from the WASPy part of my heritage, one deflects hard if a person compliments your possessions, which is a similar thing. You wouldn’t want to look as if you believed you were entitled to such things lest they be taken away.
Cicada_Killer@reddit
Though there is a big segment of Americans that happily accept compliments and envy. That IS a part of our larger general culture.
MaleficentMousse7473@reddit
Yeah true enough!
gogo224@reddit
Love this, thank you.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
I interpreted it as “the majority”. It’s not all that deep.
Ellavemia@reddit
I've seen people have those as decorations with no idea what they are supposed to represent and who have no beliefs in it.
For example, we have a wallhanging from the airport in Istanbul that has a blue eye in it.
wittyrepartees@reddit
Sometimes people will say that you shouldn't talk about good things before they happen, but that's because you're jinxing it or angering God with your hubris, not because other people will be jelly.
InfamousArm1401@reddit
No. Wtf?
DimensionFast5180@reddit
Certain communities do believe it, go to Dearborn Michigan for example and most believe in the evil eye.
HistoryGirl23@reddit
I grew up in the area, I haven't heard people talk about it a lot.
WarrenMulaney@reddit
What was unclear about that?
InfamousArm1401@reddit
I’m with you
WarrenMulaney@reddit
Gotcha
blackdarrren@reddit
Yes, we have the stink eye, if it offends thee poke it out
ACodAmongstMen@reddit
I don't think using the stink eye causes people harm.
CogitoErgoScum@reddit
I got the stink eye from Prince Rogers Nelson himself, and a decade on, I’m still recovering from the spiritual damage.
AggravatingBobcat574@reddit
My mom gave me the stink-eye once. I was devastated!
Oenonaut@reddit
+emotional damage*
Manda_lorian39@reddit
Unexpected Garak
itcheyness@reddit
Captain Insano shows no mercy!
MihalysRevenge@reddit
Hispanic Americans sure as shit do, my family here in NM and California all believe it to one degree or another.
shadowmib@reddit
No but people definitely give you a dirty look
Asparagus9000@reddit
Most probably haven't even heard of it in my experience.
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Sure, but things like the phrase “knock on wood” and the concept of tempting fate are pretty common.
spicymaemaes@reddit
Another superstition that's common in my demographic (young women) is to "not split the pole." It means when you're holding hands and walking with someone, if you separate hands for a telephone pole or whatever object, it brings bad luck for the relationship between you.
Playful_Fan4035@reddit
When I was kid, I was told if you had to drop hands to “split the pole” as you put it, you were supposed to say “bread and butter” then rejoin hands on the other side to get rid of the bad luck.
AnnaCalypte@reddit
Where in the US do you live? Never heard of this as a young woman in NorCal
spicymaemaes@reddit
I’m from DC and ik it’s at least popular in NYC and Baltimore from my friends living there. Had no idea it was regional lol
byebybuy@reddit
Yeah I grew up in Southern California and never heard about it until a few years ago. I think it's cultural, too.
spicymaemaes@reddit
I looked it up and it seems to originate or at least be most popular with African Americans. Makes sense given that Northeast cities tend to have high black populations
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
I feel like broadening the cultural idea of “the evil eye” to “any and all superstition” is a bit disingenuous. These superstitions all come from different sources and traditions
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Funny, I feel like claiming that I’m broadening it to “any and all superstitions” is a bit disingenuous!
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
Knocking on wood or saying jinx have only a slightly more robust connection to the idea of the evil eye than “superstition is a thing that exists.”
Also are you enjoying going through my comment history there bud?
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Yeah man, not commenting on someone’s good fortune out of a superstition that that good fortune might turn around is completely different from “not tempting fate” or not wanting to jinx yourself. I have no idea where you got that I was talking about “saying jinx”.
Not really, you’ve been on a real doomer kick the last couple days.
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
The idea of not tempting fate has originated as superstition in dozens if not hundreds of societies independently. You may as well argue that Zoroastrians are Christian because they believe in “god” as a concept.
And yeah, worlds been weird, gotta let it out to lowlife nobodies like yourself so I can stay my normal chipper self IRL with people that actually matter
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Wait…did you somehow get the idea I was claiming these superstitions were derived from the evil eye directly? I’m saying we have similar superstitions, even if we don’t have “the evil eye” specifically. Again, nobody else seemed to struggle with this. Just you.
Why do you think that is?
I get it, man, everyone who posts something above your reading level is a lowlife. No wonder you’re so down in the dumps.
Initial_Cellist9240@reddit
You’re missing the point. The comparison you’re making is so directly tied to the overall motifs of superstition as a whole that the comparisons carry no weight.
I’m only calling you out as a lowlife because a frankly inconsequential exchange led to you going through all of my activity for the last week and insulting me in irrelevant discussions.
Go fuck yourself.
Goodnight.
Asparagus9000@reddit
Knock on wood is mostly just a variation of saying good luck where I live. People don't even actually knock on anything anymore.
And the only jinxing that gets mentioned is the when two people say the same word at the same time, then you try to be the first person to say "jinx you owe me a soda"
Nobody actually believes any of them anymore. At least in my area.
ScreamingLightspeed@reddit
I and the others in my household certainly knock on wood when we tempt fate but that's mostly because enough bad shit happens to us already wirhout taking any chances lol
lefactorybebe@reddit
Yeah I knock on wood all the time and will tell others to do so if they jinx something. If there's no wood available I knock on my head. I'm not tempting fate lol
ScreamingLightspeed@reddit
I usually seek out the next closest thing: cardboard or paper
lefactorybebe@reddit
Oooh that's smart
ScreamingLightspeed@reddit
You wanna be extra superstitious and no wood is nearby, gently knock on a nearby religious/spiritual/occult text of choice :D Really idk how much of that stuff I actually believe - I'm typically more of a science-minded person - but I figure it doesn't hurt to appease whatever gods, devils, and/or amoral horrors might be just in case haha
lefactorybebe@reddit
Lmao I am not testing the universe like that!!!! And yeah, same! No reason to take chances when it's easy not to lol
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
I still knock on wood and cross my fingers. I still toss coins in the wishing fountain, though its because the coins go to medical charity.
Kgb_Officer@reddit
I knock on wood and don't walk under ladders, so I believe in bad luck? No. Am I going to tempt fate anyway? Also no.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Refusing to walk under ladders isn't bad luck, it's a safety thing.
logaboga@reddit
It’s not really a “good luck” it’s almost entirely a jinx thing. “Hopefully this thing will happen… knock on wood (so that I haven’t jinxed it)”
Street-Plantain-4498@reddit
Huh? Knock on wood doesn’t mean “good luck.” It is a variation of keeping evil away.
Asparagus9000@reddit
Interesting, where I live I've only ever heard it as a variation on saying something like Good Luck.
Rhomya@reddit
Excuse me, but I make people knock on wood all the time.
Especially when they start saying things like, “this year is the year the Wild win the Cup” or “the fish are gonna bite like hell today”
It undoes the jinx.
BeerBarm@reddit
Cheers
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
I didn’t say anything about belief, just about whether or not people have heard of those things.
the_cadaver_synod@reddit
Yeah, I’ve heard of the “evil eye”, and although my family culture doesn’t believe in that, we still have other superstitions. We knock on wood, and sometimes do the motion of throwing salt over the shoulder (not with real salt, just mimicking).
I also remember hearing that it’s evil luck to put even a brand new pair of shoes in their shoebox on a table lol.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Heh. You made me remember that old ryhme about crossing your heart and hoping to die if you made a promise.
Rei_Rodentia@reddit
I've never heard of it until this very second
ContributionDapper84@reddit
No but Jinxing urself is real
ChaosRainbow23@reddit
People believe in all sorts of ridiculous bullshit.
Archaic fear-based mythology reigns supreme, unfortunately.
Things were getting better, but now things are getting worse.
Insanity.
romanticaro@reddit
generally? no. in many cultures within the US? 100%. and we all have different methods of warding off the evil eye in different cultures.
No_Inevitable_3241@reddit
No
Cicada_Killer@reddit
Pretty much no. Some individuals believe it. The culture doesn't. In fact generally Americans welcome envy and compliments... probably because we are told we are exceptional as a country from birth.
But don't walk under a ladder... if you see a penny pick it up or all the day you have bad luck ... Breaking a mirror is 7 years bad luck... black cat crossing your path is unlucky... knock on wood if you don't want bad luck to hear what you just said... paint your porch ceiling blue to ward off evil spirits and bugs (South specific one)... We are plenty superstitious.
PsAkira@reddit
I don’t even know what that is, so no.
No_Dance1739@reddit
No. Not all 50 states American no.
Thick_Maximum7808@reddit
It’s not super common but some of us do. I have one hanging above my front door.
Effective-Section-56@reddit
lol
throwfar9@reddit
My ex from NY taught me about stink eye, crook eye, and whale eye.
Evil eye I associate with, ahem, certain Mediterranean cultures.
tcspears@reddit
This will be different per state/region, and also depends on the culture the prison was raised in. Not only does each state have its own culture, and beliefs, most of us come from different backgrounds, and some of those beliefs persist, even after generations.
I grew up Irish Catholic in MA, and this was something I commonly heard growing up, and there’s definitely still a guilt associated with this. You’ll get different answers from everyone though.
Playful-Mastodon9251@reddit
No, it's not a thing. Only saw references about it in tv and movies, and it was always someone's grandmother or something from the old country.
Ornery-Wasabi-473@reddit
The what?
HistoryGirl23@reddit
No
FluffySoftFox@reddit
No
HippasusOfMetapontum@reddit
No.
know-reply@reddit
Yes but I’m learning this isn’t the norm based on this thread. I use nazar talismans and one of my parents used and taught me about mano cornuta and cornetto talismans. My family has lived in this country for generations the last generation of immigrants in my family (on the side that taught me about talismans to ward off the evil eye) were my great grandparents.
I also use limes for protection and to ward off bad energy, the evil etc. but I wasn’t taught that from my family, limes have been working for me though.
Impressive_Method380@reddit
not at all. the only people id expect to believe in that would be 1st gen immigrants from a place that believes that. right now a symbol called ‘the evil eye’ (a blue eye like this 🧿🪬) is kind of popular in teenage fashion, i see it on bracelets and such. but I dont think american teenagers find any spiritual significance in it it just looks cool. i did not even fully understand the spiritual significance in the way you described i thought it was meant to be some talisman that wards off evil in general.
Murderhornet212@reddit
No. I’m sure it is in some subcultures though.
TheMainEffort@reddit
One that comes to mind is in baseball you don’t talk to a pitcher when he’s throwing a no hitter/perfect game. Especially don’t talk about the no no.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
The don't talk to the pitcher thing isn't a superstition, its so you don't mess up their focus.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
Generally, no.
FireRescue3@reddit
This American doesn’t, but America is a big place with lots of people who believe lots of different things.
Communal-Lipstick@reddit
No. Never even heard if it.
voteblue18@reddit
You can find people here who believe in whatever you can imagine. But the majority do not.
hobokobo1028@reddit
You mean Sauron?
Nofanta@reddit
No. I’d be surprised if even one American thought this was true.
JadeHarley0@reddit
No. Most Americans don't even know what that is. That being said, jewelry that contains anti-evil-eye motifs is common. No one knows where it comes from though
FeralSweater@reddit
It’s bring worn as fashion jewelry lately, but I think that’s not out of any particular belief in talismanic value.
Loud-Mans-Lover@reddit
If your family is originally from a culture that believes this, then sometimes yes.
"American" is just a melting pot - my great grandparents came from Italy, so we wore horn necklaces and evil eye ones for protection.
DimensionFast5180@reddit
Depends where you live, and the culture of the area. I'd say the majority don't however if you go to big Muslim communities like say Dearborn Michigan a lot more believe in the evil eye.
Good-Concentrate-260@reddit
No, this is not really a belief in American society. Though many minority ethnic or religious groups may have a concept of it.
ssk7882@reddit
It's not much of an American belief, no, but many first generation immigrants do bring those concerns over with them, so it's not unheard of here. Second- and third-generation Americans often know about those beliefs from their parents and grandparents, but usually themselves abandon them.
bryku@reddit
Most americans have no idea what you are talking about. However, if someone from the USA does...
No-Bark-And-All-Bite@reddit
No. Muslim Americans would believe it. It's a Muslim symbol.
ThrowawayMod1989@reddit
Depends on your upbringing and heritage. It’s definitely still a thing among people with strong Mediterranean and middle eastern ties, particularly the use of a Nazar as a protective amulet. This has spread into lots of different spiritual practices. I learned witchcraft under my grandmother’s tutelage, she always had wards up against the evil eye. I keep one hanging in my home and I have one as a necklace.
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
The world you live in sounds a lot more interesting than the one I live in
ThrowawayMod1989@reddit
Virginia has a very eclectic spiritual scene. Some great readers up that way.
MrsBeauregardless@reddit
I have heard of it, but even now, your description of it is different than what someone else, who also didn’t grow up knowing anything about it, told me, based on what she had heard. I have heard it called the “malocchio” (sp?).
But in answer to your question, people share good news, congratulate one another, are happy for one another, and so on. That is the cultural norm, by and large.
If you got a raise, got into the college you wanted to go to, got engaged, had a baby, went on vacation, etc. — people would be happy to share in your excitement.
Consistent-Fig7484@reddit
I don’t believe in any nonsense except the fact that people generally believe in nonsense. The full moon changes nothing, but a certain number of the population believes it gives them the excuse to act a fool and end up in jail or the ER.
richbiatches@reddit
No
infinite_five@reddit
It’s prevalent in some Jewish communities, but not mine.
Uni-Writes@reddit
While there may be smaller subsects of people who follow this tradition, it isn’t very commonplace in the general American society
typical_baystater@reddit
Overall in American culture, no. Are there a lot of people from various cultures who do believe in it? Absolutely. I’m Italian-American and we call it malocchio, my Greek friends have it in their culture, I know a number of Dominicans who believe in it. So I think it’s common among certain cultures within America but the broad American monoculture doesn’t believe in it
Miserable_Smoke@reddit
Of course not! Our entire eclipse nomy is build.on envy. It is very encouraged.
Realistic_File3282@reddit
"American culture" is not easily generalized because the US is full of such a very wide variety of people from all kinds of different backgrounds and different parts of the world.
dillhavarti@reddit
no--in fact we're extremely complimentary. i feel like this would upset some folks in your part of the world lol
Turdle_Vic@reddit
Nope! Coveting is what makes America move! Our culture is practically built on trying to outdo each other in any aspect of life. Hard work, money, land, happiness, etc. even misery. Reading the comments today was the first time I had even heard of Mexican families believing in such a thing and my grandparents from Mexico were still alive when I was born here! Second generation, but I haven’t heard of that concept within “our” demographic. I hadn’t even heard of the evil eye since the pandemic, I’m almost certain. I had to look it up because I had forgotten about it!
Far_Salary_4272@reddit
Nope. But it’s something you will see in precious stones on an 18K gold necklace worn by so called celebrities. 🙄
FemboyEngineer@reddit
My family has it because we're Greek, but it's not part of mainstream American culture.
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Not about things like that, but when I was an EMT, commenting on how slow it was tonight, or worse, saying the Q word, was grounds for throwing you out the back of the ambulance.
Micah-point-zero@reddit
Man the quiet thing is one of my pet peeves. Work in a trauma center. And man… you can’t even elude to it not being busy without getting glares. Like cmon, can’t we just appreciate the moment of chill?
So I leaned into and got this sticker for my water bottle and was that guy. Sure sometimes something would come in and I’d be blamed… but usually… all quiet haha
Souske90@reddit
oh yeah service folks & superstitions is a thing
Crayshack@reddit
The baseball community gets very supersititious sometimes.
c4ctus@reddit
As a Cubs fan, I can confirm. At least we broke the curse of the billy goat.
macoafi@reddit
Also football. You were in the bathroom when our team scored? That’s it, get back in there. You’re not allowed out until the game’s over.
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
Can confirm. I’m a bartender, and I never wash my last jigger, tin, and strainer until the last table is cashed out
TheRealManlyWeevil@reddit
My wife was nurse. I love doing this to her (but not when she was on the floor.
dragonsteel33@reddit
I work in special ed with really high need students and we have the same thing — never say the day is “going well” until all the kids leave
crownjewel82@reddit
There does also seem to be some legitimacy to full moon insanity.
like_shae_buttah@reddit
I think it’s because crappy patients seem to come in waves at the same time.
palebluedot0418@reddit
Confirmation bias, I promise you. When I worked 911 dispatch, if you said "quiet" and anything happened, you caused it and they were legitimately angry. We had busy full moon night on the reg, but if we had a quiet one, well, no one notices the phase of the moon usually, and only look up if it's busy.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Good thing there's an ambulance nearby. 😅
shelwood46@reddit
Yes, they just had an episode off St Denis Medical about this. Many Americans have superstitions but they tend to be things like this, or wearing a lucky piece of clothing so your team keeps winning.
ThePurityPixel@reddit
Nope
Never heard anyone talk about it with any degree of sincerity
kinggeorgec@reddit
There are cultures in America that do but it is not a general belief.
Marckennian@reddit
I’ve never heard of this before
Footnotegirl1@reddit
No. It's not very common in American culture. It would be something you would see from recent immigrants from places where that is part of their culture.
WitchoftheMossBog@reddit
Not generally, no.
I'm sure some people do, but it isn't a general American thing.
Strict-Farmer904@reddit
Never heard of this
DetroitsGoingToWin@reddit
Not in terms of a curse, but maybe as a sign of disrespect or intimidation.
BEAAAAAAANSSSS@reddit
No
MattWolf96@reddit
I've literally never heard of it
Ok-Equivalent8260@reddit
No
jgoolz@reddit
I’ve never even heard of this before
FWR978@reddit
The US is 3.5 million square miles and has a polulation of 350 million. I would say more Americans believe that the moon is literally made of cheese than the population of Portugal.
In the span of the continent of North America , you will find people who believe any number of things.
You might need to narrow your question down.
Any_Particular_346@reddit
Just the stink eye which is nothing more than giving someone a dirty look
BrazilianButtCheeks@reddit
Not even a little
On_my_last_spoon@reddit
Not so much. I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
VentusHermetis@reddit
no
marcopoloman@reddit
No. But plenty believe in many other stupid things.
nippleflick1@reddit
Old time immigrants from some countries may have, like from Italy (like my people) and I'm almost 70 and my people have been deceased for decades.
imhereforthemeta@reddit
Definitely not. I learned about this from fiction. I think we use a lot of evil eye aesthetics in clothing for fun, but I didn’t actually know it was a real thing until I started reading more international fiction and fiction written by first generation immigrants.
DMDingo@reddit
Never heard of this.
Of course some probably do, but that would be from a different culture.
Electrical_Feature12@reddit
Generally speaking, No.
loner-phases@reddit
Mexican-Americans, yes.
We're to touch the subject. Or, if it's too late and they get hit with sickness, there is a special ritual to perform, using an egg. They did it to me as a kid, when i got sick.
But as my family became further assimilated into American culture, most or all of them dropped primitive witchery, replacing it with evangelical Christianity.
captaincink@reddit
lol no. maybe some first generation immigrants do but the vast majority of Americans have never even heard of this.
Glum-System-7422@reddit
The only people I’ve heard mention the evil eye are children of immigrants (mostly Indian).
However, the idea of “jinxing yourself” is very common.
Tom__mm@reddit
The Evil Eye is not a thing in American lore except possibly in some Mediterranean immigrant traditions.
ecwagner01@reddit
No, but plenty believe in an invisible sky daddy.
SmilodonBravo@reddit
Superstitions are ridiculous.
Firm_Accountant2219@reddit
No.
RamenLoveEggs@reddit
No
sweetalmondjoy@reddit
Depends on the individual person
capsrock02@reddit
No
Gorbatjov_@reddit
Is being jinxed close enough? It's kind of that, believing something good won't happen if you call attention to it
psychocabbage@reddit
Not a thing around us.
Consistent_Damage885@reddit
No, not super common. I would say maybe 1 in 10 Americans have a superstition like evil eye.
Maronita2025@reddit
I've heard of it but it is NOT something that all Americans believe in. I do NOT believe in the concept of the evil eye.
Wyzt@reddit
Only reason I'm familiar with it is cause throwing the horns in metal music is from Ronnie James Dio who said he got it from his I think grandma who did it on the street at people she said were giving her the evil eye
Escape_Force@reddit
In general, no. But you are always going to have the abuela or babushka from the "old country" who believes it.
Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit
Metal fans make that hand sign to ward it off, thanks to Dio, but probably don't know what it means. He learned it from his Italian Grandmother.
Tardisgoesfast@reddit
No.
PhasmaUrbomach@reddit
One side of my family heavily believes in it, and they raised me. I recently realized that it still affects my thinking because my husband suddenly asked me why we weren't down as each other's spouses on FB. It's because of this ingrained belief that, if you show the world your happiness, someone will get jealous and wish you ill. We were told never to tell other kids our grades, or talk about getting money, getting something nice, vacations, etc. I never post about that stuff on FB. And that's why I didn't post my relationship status.
Anyway, I changed it but I really had some anxiety about it. Thanks bizarre cult paranoia!
OwlCoffee@reddit
Maybe in some pockets here and there, but I've never personally seen anyone mention or talk about it unless they've recently visited another country where it's popular.
Smart_Engine_3331@reddit
Maybe some people, but its generally just considered superstition.
Ok_Orchid1004@reddit
No. No they don’t.
Appleknocker18@reddit
Only if you believe in mythology.
stopstopimeanit@reddit
No, but we have the concept of “the jinx,” which is functionally similar.
ImpossibleJob8246@reddit
Nope. Never once heard of or seen that. Definitely not a common belief
sharrrper@reddit
No.
We have plenty of silly or ridiculous superstitions, just not that one.
External-Prize-7492@reddit
Yes. When they are in Donald Trump’s head. Other than that, nope.
lawyerjsd@reddit
No. We much crazier beliefs like vaccines causing autism, and that Donald Trump is presidential material.
ImprovementLong7141@reddit
No. When I was prepping to go on a trip to Greece, this was a cultural difference we were informed of ahead of time due to just how uncommon this kind of belief is among many Americans.
thatthatguy@reddit
Common? No. There are likely some people who have such beliefs but it isn’t common. Not so far as I am aware, anyway.
ChilindriPizza@reddit
Not popular in the USA.
Not popular in the Five Eyes.
Not popular in Northern Europe.
Ell15@reddit
No.
Pburnett_795@reddit
No
a-fabulous-sandwich@reddit
Can't say I've ever heard of this sort of thing.
TexasRed806@reddit
No I wouldn’t say most do at all. I only learned of this when I went to Türkiye last year and saw the Evil Eye 🧿 everywhere. Definitely is not a commonly held belief or tradition in the US however.
ShiteWitch@reddit
Depends on that American’s background! My culture didn’t retain an evil eye superstition but lots of peoples did.
anthraff@reddit
Some do for sure, it really depends on the culture they were brought up in. The USA is a giant melting pot that doesn’t really have a homogenous culture.
Swimming-Book-1296@reddit
No, this isn't a thing. It used to be a thing in German groups in Pennsylvania but it isn't really a thing overall.
VinRow@reddit
I’ve only heard of it in some movies maybe. And it was either as an evil symbol or as a way to ward off evil.
StizzyP@reddit
Nope. Though there is no shortage of Americans who believe in other magical BS.
ABelleWriter@reddit
That is dependant on religion and culture. It's not an American belief, but there are plenty of Americans who believe in it.
I have a tattoo of a Hamsa to ward off the evil eye. (I'm Jewish and we have a lot of superstitions about the evil eye)
SimonArgent@reddit
No.
Emz423@reddit
Not in general, no. The historically predominant White Anglo-Saxon culture didn’t really believe in that. But one could say that the obsession with witches and witch-hunts was similar. Also, there are plenty of smaller subcultures within America that do.
Lex070161@reddit
No.
afunnywold@reddit
Heard of it from Jewish people from Arabic countries mostly
therealmmethenrdier@reddit
Yes. I think it is “Kineh Harah” I am not spelling it well, but non orthodox Jewish people use the expression as well.
Curmudgy@reddit
So that page is a misleading mess. (It doesn't help that the web site is unusable on a phone, at least inside Narwhal.). That it indicates modern Hebrew as the language should be a clue it isn't telling the whole story. Orthodox Jews in the US don't use modern Hebrew in their day to day language.
But it does have a link to kenahora (which they spell keinehora), the Yiddish equivalent. And it's not simply Orthodox Jews. It's Jews who grew up speaking Yiddish or picked it up from parents whose native language was Yiddish and brought the term into their English. My grandparents, for example, spoke Yiddish natively but definitely weren't Orthodox.
Here's a somewhat spiritual discussion of the subject from a Reform rabbi.
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
evil eyes are usually associated with Turkey..
afunnywold@reddit
It definitely has connections to other cultures, definitely including Judaism: https://aish.com/evil-eye-ayin-hara/
Bright-Wrongdoer-227@reddit
Yes sorry I was specifically referring to the actual evil eye charms which I notice are overwhelmingly associated with Turkey although prevalent all throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean
DoublePostedBroski@reddit
No
therealmmethenrdier@reddit
I think we have a version of it. If we announce good news, we’re supposed to “knock on wood” so that it isn’t destroyed. For example, “I got a new job. I hope it’s great, knock on wood.”
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
No
TrillyMike@reddit
Yeah but it might only be immigrants and like first or second generation Americans
OrthodoxAnarchoMom@reddit
I’ve only ever heard of this at all because I was talking to a Greek person. I’d say most Americans have never even heard of it.
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
Not mainstream American culture
Eduffs-zan1022@reddit
No lol it wouldn't work here with all the materialism, I actually had to look it up when an older Italian immigrant woman kindly gave me an evil eye thing when my husband told her son who he worked with about some creepy ghost stuff in our house. 😂🤦♀️ But when I looked it up I thought, well damn how many people have I complimented and they took it as they would get cursed? It was sort of hard to even understand at first, but it kind of makes sense why some people more than others are so suspicious of people's envy which I never really understood as anything but insecure until I read about the evil eye stuff. Now I get it, sort of, lol but I just can't buy into it I guess since I wasn't raised with it. I like compliments LMAO
Parking_Champion_740@reddit
No, unless they are from a specific culture
LarryKingthe42th@reddit
Not really no. Maybe in Jewish or Muslim communities or Wicca weirdos but thats about it.
Ancient-Highlight112@reddit
I would say NO.
DrDHMenke@reddit
Only when my son was 9.
CookbooksRUs@reddit
No.
hatchjon12@reddit
No
PhysicsEagle@reddit
Most people would assume you’re talking about a conspiracy theory concerning the reverse of our great seal
SardonicusR@reddit
In certain areas of Pennsylvania, there are still barns decorated in signs to ward off ill fortune. I would say it depends, given the culture or history of the area.
"Nevertheless, for the outside world, the barn stars, also commonly called hex signs, have captured the American imagination as generations of visitors to the region marvel at the seamless integration of art into the agrarian countryside."
https://www.glencairnmuseum.org/newsletter/2019/3/19/hex-signs-sacred-and-celestial-symbolism-in-pennsylvania-dutch-barn-stars
CaliAv8rix@reddit
No... something bad would befall the person who made the comment or the person who has the possessions/good health?
Beautiful-Report58@reddit
No.
DrBlankslate@reddit
No. The idea is generally considered amusing and not taken seriously.
Nozomi_Shinkansen@reddit
No, I've never heard of an American putting any credence into this.
_Internet_Hugs_@reddit
No. Some people wear the talisman because they think it's cool, but very few believe it. Americans like hearing how great they are, seriously we love compliments. We don't always react appropriately to them, but we love them just the same.
HumpaDaBear@reddit
I know what the evil eye is and see lots of jewelry here with it but i don’t think the average American would know what it is.
EvernightStrangely@reddit
There might be some that subscribe to this belief, but it is certainly not the norm.
stripmallbars@reddit
No, but they sell the jewelry.
Gimlet64@reddit
I had a Greek American friend tell me about the Eye. She said the best traditional cure was to take an egg and roll it up and down your naked body, to absorb the evil, then crack the egg and discard the now evil contents.
Despite giving her my best Evil Eye, I could not convince her to do a live demonstration. I guess my education wasn't a priority for her; she was a superlative social worker with a world to save.
g0thfrvit@reddit
No
Alarmed-Extension289@reddit
No, but it's come up during a few Golden Girls episodes.
dmb129@reddit
No, but considering the retail store I work in and how many items are in the style of ‘evil eye’, some people love the aesthetic. (Or not- they don’t sell all that well tbh)
Tomato_Motorola@reddit
If they come from an immigrant family that is of some sort of Muslim-adjacent or Mediterranean-adjacent origin (Arab, South European, Jewish, Latino, etc.) then they might, but in general, no.
Actually10000Bees@reddit
I would say that most of us have only heard of it in passing. Personally, I hear the phrase every so often when someone is talking about supernatural or new age beliefs, and I have a vague idea of what it is.
We do have a concept called the stink eye though. It’s not really supernatural, it just describes the look someone gives when they don’t like your actions or what you said. Kind of a mix of disgust and annoyance.
Pit_Full_of_Bananas@reddit
America is a large cultural with many branches. Overall in American culture I’ll say no. There’s not much like that. But there are plenty of examples and exceptions. Probably the biggest thing I can think of is people who carry crystals. But I wouldn’t say that is a part of an American culture’s identity.
Street-Plantain-4498@reddit
We do say “knock on wood” (and sometimes do knock on something wooden at the same time).
WhompTrucker@reddit
no. but there is a lot of woowoo metaphysical BS out here
ageekyninja@reddit
Yeah actually. “Knock on wood” means you’ve cursed yourself by talking about good fortune, so you have to find something wooden to knock on or else the opposite will happen
achaedia@reddit
I mean, it depends on your culture and how you were raised. Evil eye is a thing in a lot of Italian-American communities, for example.
We do have other superstitions that are more common. Like you knock on wood to undo a jinx, or if you spill salt you throw a little bit of the spilled salt over your shoulder, or that it’s bad luck to break a mirror.
GigiGretel@reddit
When I was a teen, I worked for a family who had come to the United States from Greece. They believed in the evil eye and told me stories about it. I now live in an area where there are Armenian and Persian stores, they have the charms that are supposed to ward it off. I think it can be common for immigrant families from places where the evil eye is a big deal, but not so much someone who wasn't raised in a culture that believes in this.
Anthrodiva@reddit
No
Bruce_IG@reddit
I know a single person who believes in it, they’re very into pagan culture and other religious beliefs considered obscure in America
DancingFlamingo11@reddit
No
Minute_Box3852@reddit
No
cmcrich@reddit
Not in my experience.
Severe_Departure3695@reddit
No. That's weird.
LaLechuzaVerde@reddit
Not so much in the US, but definitely a concept that comes from other parts of the Americas including Haiti and all the Latin American countries. So some of that will spill over.
Typically by the 2nd generation or more in the US you won’t see it - even among people who are superstitious in other ways. It’s just not a common superstition here.
anclwar@reddit
Unless they're Greek, Middle Eastern, or Jewish, it's not common. I wear evil eye charms and the only people who have ever said anything to me about them being evil eyes (not just eyes) are Greek Americans and other Jews.
Italian Americans have a pepper charm they wear sometimes that has a similar protection, but I don't know if it has anything to do with the evil eye or is just a general ward.
privatefries@reddit
Not in everyday life, but the concept has bleed through in sports and probably a few other places too. If someone is working on a perfect game in bowling or baseball it's kinda taboo to mention it. Fucking Joe Buck mentioned Lester (Cubs pitcher) was working on a no hitter in the 7th inning and fucking jinxed him in 2016. Still pissed, because it's pretty common knowledge not to talk about it till it's done.
Silver_Catman@reddit
The closest i can think of is Knocking on wood to prevent ironic luck or Jinxing, like "oh wow your new car looks reliable, knock on wood" or "I'm sure you'll get a promotion soon, knock an wood"
But thats less about admiring good things, and is more about fearing a vprediction of future good fortune will be ruined by acknowledging it outloud
sneezhousing@reddit
Nope not generally a thing here
pfcgos@reddit
In my experience, few people believe in the evil eye or done other entity that may bring misfortune unless you perform a small ritual or give a certain sign, but little rituals to ward off bad luck are extremely common. People "knock on wood" but as a wish for luck and to prevent bad luck, some denominations of Christians draw a cross when they see something bad or as a talisman against I'll fortune, some people have a small ritual they do to show gratitude for their luck if they drive through a traffic light as it is changing. There's lots of small rituals people do, related to luck, that we don't really think about, but which probably have some connection to the idea of the evil eye or some other cultural omen.
nylondragon64@reddit
Oh haven't heard that for a long time. I am 60 and my aunts and uncles used that when I was little. Never really knew the meaning behind it. That and the curse of the black olives.
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
Not only uncommon I've never even heard of it.
Zizi_Tennenbaum@reddit
If you add up all the different ethnic populations that believe in it, you'd probably find a significant percentage. My city is about 45% Hispanic/ Latino, you'll often hear older folks talk about the mal de ojo or see people wearing the beaded bracelets meant to ward it off.
agate_@reddit
I know it only as something that peoples' first-generation immigrant grandmas believe in. Nobody born in the US takes this seriously.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Nope, not generally.
LillyCort@reddit
I live in the USA and they don’t, but I do.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Maybe among some cultures, but generally no.
ConcertinaTerpsichor@reddit
Out biggest superstition thing IMHO is “knock wood” — to avoid misfortune/jinx or to invite good fortune.
SecretaryBubbly9411@reddit
No.
OrdinarySubstance491@reddit
I don't believe in luck or the supernatural but I do think it's cute. My daughter bought me one and I wear it.
Self-Comprehensive@reddit
No I never even heard of it until my 20s and my Mexican neighbor said something silly about ojo. I was like what? And he explained it to me. He treated it like a joke, he obviously didn't believe in it.
SteampunkExplorer@reddit
No. We know there's an "evil eye" motif that you see sometimes in foreign (or woo) jewelry, but the superstition is pretty much unknown.
andmen2015@reddit
Americans are just a bunch of immigrants so there are some that believe in that stuff. I recall when I was a young adult women would make effort to purposely touch whatever you complimented them on as a way to ward off something bad happening to it. Ex: "You have really nice nails, Mary." Mary touches nails and says while smiling "oh thank you."
Careless-Ability-748@reddit
no
Boardgame-Hoarder@reddit
That specifically, not very common at all. Superstition is pretty common though. Waking under a ladder, Friday the 13th, stepping on a crack are all pretty common unlucky things.
purplishfluffyclouds@reddit
"America" is a melting pot of so many different cultures and beliefs no one can speak to this, but it's not widely accepted in the media at least.
The "evil eye" has, however, been used as an idiom for a sideways glance or glare that one might give upon hearing something they dislike or disapprove of.
Jack_of_Spades@reddit
No, but its mixed.
We do beleive in jinxing. Like if you buy a scratcher and say, "I'm gonna win!" then that's bad luck because now its jinxed.
So I guess yes, but not in the same way actually....
Jake_Corona@reddit
I’ve never even heard of this.
biggcb@reddit
No
Emotional_Ad5714@reddit
I've used the term "evil eye" to mean a scowl you give someone who has royally pissed you off.
KJHagen@reddit
No. We’re not much into that.
MGaCici@reddit
My dachshund does a great side eye. I don't think it's anything evil. It could be sneaky though. 👀
trinite0@reddit
Nope. Probably less than 40% of Americans could even tell you what "the evil eye" means.
Bluemonogi@reddit
No. Some might but it is not a widespread belief that Americans hold.
Suppafly@reddit
No. I'm sure there are some people who do, but it's not common.
AsymptoticArrival@reddit
I like this question! I’m an American who lived and worked in North Africa and visited Greece and Italy many times. I made many friends who are from these Mediterranean cultures. I wear an evil eye ring and hang the mati (also have a hamsa/hamza) inside the front door to my home.
Several folks have commented on my ring that they know exactly what it is. I love it when that happens. So while I don’t necessarily fully believe in the “evil eye,” I keep the tradition to always display the blue eye. Plus how can it hurt to have a little extra protection from those that wish us harm?
ExtremeIndividual707@reddit
Mexican American culture, yes, but straight up American culture is not a superstitious one.
gdubh@reddit
No
Potential_Paper_1234@reddit
No. Americans aren’t very superstitious unless they’re super religious.
JohnHenryMillerTime@reddit
It's not unheard of but it's very much a FOB thing
TK1129@reddit
Like the malocchio? Moms family is Sicilian so yes we had this when I was a kid but that’s because of cultural heritage and not an American thing
ThinWhiteRogue@reddit
No. There might be isolated exceptions, but generally, no.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
It exists in certain immigrant cultures, but not general American culture.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
Evil eye is not a thing here in America. I associate with Muslims and the balkans
ScreamingLightspeed@reddit
A handful of people I know believe it but not many. For my part, I do find it curious that my mother-in-law found a ring with an eye on the ground right around the time I clicked on this post.
MarcusAurelius0@reddit
My dad tells me about my Italian great grandmother doing a devil horns with her hand like dio with one eye closed and the other fixed on a person as a way of putting bad juju on them.
chococrou@reddit
Not really. You will find some people wearing evil eye jewelry or charms because they think they’re cool, though.
curlyhead2320@reddit
Agree. I’ve seen the symbol plenty (it seemed to be quite trendy maybe a decade or so ago? that’s probably off), and knew it was to ward off evil, but never bothered to learn more about it. I’m guessing quite a few who wear it don’t know its roots.
Sleepygirl57@reddit
lol no
OldCompany50@reddit
No, evil president and regime at the moment
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
All I want is one thread where that jackass isn’t brought up. Just one.
OldCompany50@reddit
Alabama… you prolly voted for the criminals
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Nope, try again. Me not wanting Trump to be shoehorned into every single fucking thread doesn’t make me a trump supporter.
OldCompany50@reddit
The head in the sand will work well, if not eye masks and earplugs
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
I hear about him plenty on topics that are relevant to politics. I’d rather not have terminally online cranks shove him into every other aspect of my life.
OldCompany50@reddit
Lol 😂
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
What’s so funny?
OldCompany50@reddit
It’s actually hilarious to me that you’re so fussy about it!
On a page called Ask an American ? No one cares about some fool in Alabama
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
What difference does it make what the sub is called?
OldCompany50@reddit
Basically a fairly large difference but you do you
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Do you think the name of the sub means you get to insert whatever subject you want?
AskAnAmerican-ModTeam@reddit
Thank you for your submission, but it was removed as it violates Rule 11 "Do not attack other users based on their location or flair."
Please consider this a warning as repeated violations will result in a ban.
If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via modmail.
lisasimpsonfan@reddit
Generally, no I don't think so but some families are more superstitious than others. My Mom's side, from Appalachian Pennsylvania, believed in all of that "evil eye" stuff.
rawbface@reddit
This is my first time hearing about it. It has never entered my mind.
People in the US buy things specifically so that people envy and admire them because of it. Our culture is pretty much the opposite of that. Lots of Americans strive to make people envious of them.
cikanman@reddit
Only in relation to the look my mother gave me when I was doing something I shouldn't
Miserable-Lawyer-233@reddit
Not really. Most Americans don’t believe in the evil eye as a supernatural force. But we do deal with the same underlying issue—envy—and how it can affect people who are envied. Instead of using rituals or talismans to protect someone from harm, we focus on mindset and emotional tools to avoid resentment in the first place. Things like “don’t compare yourself to others,” gratitude practices, or therapy are ways we try to keep envy from turning toxic. Same problem, different approach.
Vachic09@reddit
No
L_knight316@reddit
For a moment I thought this was going to be an Illuminati conspiracy post because of the "All Seeing Eye" on the money.
But no, we don't believe in the concept of this "evil eye." You can admire or be amazed to your heart's content.
Background_Will5100@reddit
If you see a white American wearing a evil eye anything there’s a 99% change they vacationed at a tourist trap, went into one of the tourist stores, thought it was cute or edgy and bought it with zero knowledge of what it is or means lol
Hoosier_Jedi@reddit
A guy at my old job had one of those blue evil eye protection necklaces. I always wanted to ask him about it, but wasn’t sure I could keep from looking incredulous if it turned out he actually believed in it.
Hoosier_Jedi@reddit
It’s superstitious bullshit and I roll my eyes at anyone who believes in the supernatural.
SlpWenUDie@reddit
If we aren't talking about Sauron then I have zero clue what you're talking about.
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
Lol I brought up Sauron in a comment too
puddyspud@reddit
An "evil eye" here is a look of disdain, anger, or just a mean glare.
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
My cat does real good evil eye.
Silent-Entrance-9072@reddit
No, I am pretty sure our whole culture is built around wanting stuff. Our economy relies on us never feeling satisfied with what we already have.
MrLongWalk@reddit
Not at all
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
Sauron does not live in America. We’re good here.
MyUsername2459@reddit
No.
The only Americans who would believe in such a thing are immigrants from a country where that's popular, or who were raised in an immigrant community from such a country.
It's NOT a normal part of American society, and most Americans have little to no idea what the "evil eye" is.
More people would probably think the "Evil eye" is the Beholder monster from Dungeons & Dragons than the cultural concept you're thinking about.
cbrooks97@reddit
Some Americans are very superstitious, but we don't tend to have that one.
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
Not at all common but I’m aware of it.
Glad-Cat-1885@reddit
No
littlemybb@reddit
I believe in it.
I work at a gas station in high school and my bosses wife bought me an evil eye bracelet and explained what it meant to me.
At first, I didn’t believe and just thought she was doing something sweet for me, but I think it really worked.
Once its work was done, the bracelet broke.
After not wearing the bracelet a bunch of crazy stuff started happening, so I got a little charm to carry with me.
r2k398@reddit
My family calls it “giving someone ojo”
BelligerentWyvern@reddit
No, its generally encouraged and normal to admire and congratulate people on success.
We have something sort of like the evil eye warding stuff like throwing salt over your shoulder when you spill salt to ward off bad luck or knocking on wood when expressing you would like good luck in a future endeavor. Im sure others beaides Americans do these as well.
WrongJohnSilver@reddit
No. Admiring other people's accomplishments is seen as a good thing, and is welcomed.
There is some superstition around declaring the success of future events prematurely, but that's a different thing.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
I’m surprised how many here are saying they’ve never heard of it. Based on my experience, I would’ve assumed most Americans had heard of the evil eye, but not believed in it.
I’m a 50 year old pastor’s son of Swiss-German/Scottish-Irish descent who grew up in northern New England in a rather conservative church community, and I’ve known about the evil eye and other superstitious and folk beliefs since childhood.
DreamingofRlyeh@reddit
Nope.
Littleboypurple@reddit
Nah, only Americans from immigrant groups where such beliefs exist might have it but, even then, it isn't guaranteed. My parents are from Central America, my mom thinks it's real but, isn't super afraid/superstitious about it. My dad thinks it's just all bullshit. Meanwhile, my Grandmother, my dad's mother, fully believes it. She's very traditionally religious so when she visits, she sometimes has charms and bracelets for us to wear in order to protect us from potential malevolent forces.
DreiKatzenVater@reddit
Nope. We want everyone to achieve greatness. When someone does, we look up to them and want to achieve this also. We don’t look down upon those who achieve.
ayebrade69@reddit
Uh no
hookerproblems@reddit
No.
Lascivious_Luster@reddit
It wouldn't surprise me if this were true. What's more American than having problems and blaming it on someone else?
CheeksMcGillicuddy@reddit
Never heard of this
risky_bisket@reddit
In Texas, Tejanos call it "giving someone ojo". I forget what you're supposed to do to fix it but generally it's just invoked as a warning.
MillieBirdie@reddit
I would guess that a lot of Americans have heard the phrase 'evil eye' but they probably don't know exactly what it is and assume it's a general kind of spirit or bad luck, or it's someone wishing you ill. Americans are pretty vocal about complimenting or admiring things so to connect that with bad luck would be very unintuitive.
messibessi22@reddit
I genuinely have no idea what that is
Vegetable-Star-5833@reddit
No not unless that American has a family member from another country and they follow their beliefs
JohnMarstonSucks@reddit
The only person I've ever met that believed in any of that was my ex-wife's grandmother. 1st generation American with parents from Sicily. She took it seriously.
I've met a lot of foreigners that had a passing interest in it but mostly it was said with humor as a fond memory from home.
Current_Poster@reddit
I'm not superstitious like that, it's bad luck.
Elegant_Bluebird_460@reddit
When it comes to any sort of spiritual belief you will get an enormous variety of answers. The US is very diverse.
Graflex01867@reddit
No.
I could have told you the evil eye was a superstitious thing of some sort, but I don’t think I could explain it that clearly/succinctly.
If I had to guess, we’re just a little too consumer-centric and materialistic - we like our stuff. We like buying stuff. I also think that while we might be a little jealous of the money/stuff that someone else has, we’re also still somewhat legitimately glad they have it. If my friend got a sports car, I might also wish I also had a sports car - but not that I had one and my friend didn’t.
Plus_Carpenter_5579@reddit
Something bad is believed to befall who?
Seattleman1955@reddit
No.
AfternoonPossible@reddit
I’m kind of surprised at all the “no” responses. Maybe I live in a very immigrant heavy community but a lot of people I know are familiar with the concept and occasionally somewhat weary
FrauAmarylis@reddit
No
conrangulationatory@reddit
nah not really. It's a thing It from Greek culture I think. I think perhaps the closest actual American analogue would be voodoo But what the hell do I know?
Odd_Tie8409@reddit
Never really heard of it.
HelenIlion@reddit
No. The opposite. Americans want to be envied.
Other people being jealous of you and desiring what you have is considered a good thing. Everything from mascara to lawn mowers are marketed this way. "Use [product] to be the envy of your friends/neighbors/the party".
BrightGuyEli@reddit
Yeah, no. Some people go “eww rich people” and most people go “Ooooh rich people, that’ll be me someday” (Spoiler alert, it won’t).
Diet-Cola-King@reddit
Uh lost buddy?
BrightGuyEli@reddit
Fuck, I guess so? Lol
BrightGuyEli@reddit
No, I’m pretty sure I’m aware of what’s going on. Are you lost? I guess I could’ve misunderstood the part about WHO performs the ritual or carries the talisman, but nobody who admires other people’s possessions or good health (that I know), or gets theirs admired (also, that I know) does anything to ward off something bad that could befall them. For the most part, the poor people I know envy rich people and don’t care that they’re doing that, and the well off people I know LIKE that people are looking at their wealth and welcome it so…. Wait… I’m lost. ;)
Quix66@reddit
I doubt it.
New-Number-7810@reddit
As far as I can tell, not generally. Since the 50s, consumerism has been very strong in the US and part of this is showing off your purchases to peers. A belief which encouraged humility with the threat of misfortune wouldn’t mesh with that.
Now, there are superstitions in the US, but usually it takes the form of consulting spirit mediums, using healing crystals, or believing in conspiracy theories. Belief in the Evil Eye in the US is mainly confined to first generation immigrants from countries where that belief is very common.
PossibilityOk782@reddit
No, i think most people think of it as a quint eastern European bit of folklore but think it's nonsense.
HotTopicMallRat@reddit
I wouldn’t say it’s super common but we have the motif here. I don’t think most people know what it is though
TheLastCoagulant@reddit
The fuck?
TwainVonnegut@reddit
No, being envious of others’ health/possessions is as American as apple pie!
Kevincelt@reddit
No, it’s not a common belief. It’s popular for some people to wear jewelry with the motif for it, particularly among Jewish and Muslim populations, but overall belief in the evil eye is not common at all.
Argument_Enthusiast@reddit
Idk about common but Ive heard the evil eye exactly as you described as a common superstition. In America, we knock on wood when the evil eye is invoked.
Diet-Cola-King@reddit
No, it’s just something they slap on tourist crap to us.
sendme_your_cats@reddit
Can't say I've ever heard of that
JoeMorgue@reddit
No.