CYPRIOT SUPERSTITIONS - THE ANCIENT BELIEFS STILL ALIVE TODAY - Cy Mail 24/8 by Christina Michailidis
Some ancient beliefs are making a modern comeback, while others never went away
For generations, Cypriots viewed misfortune as more than simple bad luck. Across the island, rituals, charms and protective practices were used to ward off harm and bring order to an uncertain world.
Today, these customs are often grouped under the label of superstition. But according to anthropologist Theodoros Kyriakides, they once formed part of a much wider understanding of how life worked.
“Superstition is a somewhat contested term which originates from societies trying to become rational and modern,” he says. “Superstition in such sense refers to ‘remnants’ of the past – irrational practices and rituals which people did back in the day, especially in peasant settings.”