In the Middle East, the Blue Eye, a common symbol consisting of concentric blue and white circles, is often crafted on jewelry and amulets as a talisman to ward off the a curse known as the Evil Eye. Jad El Adaimi, an international student from Lebanon, strongly believes in its powers.
“Aayn al Zarqa (The Blue Spring) is the Blue Eye,” said El Adaimi. “Anyone can unconsciously bestow bad luck to others through the way they look at others.” The caster of the Evil Eye may simply be envious of the good fortune of the victim. The only defense against this curse is by carrying the Blue Eye.
El Adaimi recalls the night before his sister got married when people who were known for giving bad luck came to visit. They looked at his sister and told her how beautiful she was. Everything went fine until they left. The bride broke both of her knees for no reason when she was walking. El Adaimi believes that the visitors were jealous of his sister’s beauty, and the jealousy transformed into a harmful force. Since his sister did not carry a Blue Eye talisman with her at that time, she was not protected against the Evil Eye curse that caused her tragedy.
Darya Vaghayenegari, another international student from Iran, also believes deeply in the Evil Eye. This firm belief came from a story her brother told her.
One day, a young man was riding his motorcycle. There was nothing special until he noticed that a man on a bus was looking at him funny. The motorcyclist ended up in an accident, losing a leg and getting two holes

OLD SUPERSTITIONS (GOOD LUCK)
Here’s a list of other superstitions

courtesy of www.oldsuperstitions.com

Fingers Crossed
Knock on Wood
Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes.
A robin flying into the house
Sneezing 3 times before breakfast
Meeting 3 sheep
Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder
A 4-leaf clover
Spilling wine while proposing a toast
Putting a dress on inside out
9 peas in a pea pod
Hearing crickets singing
Picking up a pin Dropping a glove
A horseshoe Peacock feathers
Cutting your hair during a storm
Sleeping facing south
White heather
Picking up a pencil in the street
Breaking clear and uncolored glass
Walking in the rain
Sleeping on un-ironed sheets
Avoiding cracks in the sidewalk
An itch on the top of your head
Scissors hanging an a hook

DIEH-XIAN / CHINESE OUIJA

“This is not a game. It is a thing one should never try. This is a game which will only bring misfortune to its players,” Steven Wong, an international student from Hong Kong, says. On his face, fear and seriousness were clearly shown.
Dieh-Xian, which means spirit of the dish, is a Chinese practice to foresee the future by communicating with a ghostly spirit via an unused dish as a medium. They ask the Dieh-Xian questions and the Dieh-Xian answers them by moving itself, the dish, on a Ouija board that is inscribed with many characters and symbols. Dieh-Xian is a popular divine practice among teenagers in China and Taiwan.
“My friend practiced Dieh-Xian once and that was not experienced at all,” Wong says. “He played Dieh-Xian with two of his other friends. They wanted to know what was on the upcoming exam paper.” Wong says the ritual was going fine until one of the players panicked and withdrew his finger from the little white dish that the spirit was attached to. “He later became psychologically ill, in other words, mad, and he withdrew from his school. We think that he was possessed by the Dieh-Xian ghostly spirit.”
The setup includes the Ouija Board, a clean white sauce dish with an arrow drawn by human blood on the bottom and three incense sticks. After putting the dish with the arrow facing up on the center of the Ouija Board and igniting the incense, the players must put their index or middle fingers on the dish and start murmuring “Dieh-Xian please come among us. Dieh-Xian please appear among us through the dish.” If a spirit answers the players’ call, the little dish will start shaking and move by itself. Players may ask questions then.

THERE ARE SOME TABOOS
WHEN PRACTICING DIEH-XIAN:
• Never ask anything about the spirit.
• Never withdraw the fingerwhile the Dieh-Xian is in session, or the spirit will attempt to possess that player.
• Only ask yes and no questions. This puts less pressure on the spirit and keeps it happy.
• Never ask how and when anyone will die.
• Never practice Dieh-Xian when the Gate of the Dead is open. (11pm to 1am according to Chinese legend.)
• Don’t forget to ask Dieh-Xian to leave the dish and go back to its world.
• Be respectful at all times.