Random Evil Eyes Can Actually Curse You (12 items)

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  (#1) Are You Pretty Or Rich? You Might Get Cursed By The Evil Eye

  Smart, pretty, rich, healthy? Any of those things could make you a prime target for being cursed by the evil eye. Out of the 36 percent of the world's population that believes in the evil eye, many of them would likely argue that celebrities are proof that the curse is real.

  Many celebrities see massive success and then experience a dramatic downfall (think of someone like Charlie Sheen or Paris Hilton, or the many child stars who ended up in jail or broke). Anyone with too much money or fame is especially susceptible, so it makes sense that celebrities in particular might be vulnerable to the curse. Perhaps that's why so many celebs wear the amulet - Kelly Ripa, Kim Kardashian, and Brad Pitt have all been seen wearing it. Kelly Ripa is happily married to Mark Consuelos (excellent luck; no curse), Kim continues her reign of wealth and popularity while being married to one of the most notable rappers in the world (excellent luck; no curse), and Brad Pitt is...well, Brad Pitt.
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  (#2) The Curse Has Been Known To Have Actual Physical Symptoms

  The thing about curses is that nearly anything negative can be attributed to them, and this holds true with the evil eye as well. People who are known to have been cursed by the evil eye can experience a decrease in appetite, vomiting, fever, hiccups, and - strangely enough - excessive yawning. They may also have insomnia, exhaustion, depression, or diarrhea. 

  Since the evil eye can curse both objects and animals, not just people, there are symptoms that extend beyond the physical that can indicate the presence of a curse. A cursed cow may stop producing milk, and a cursed plant or tree may stop bearing fruit. A cursed vehicle could stop working, and a cursed house could suddenly get termites. 
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  (#3) You Could Be Cursing Someone Without Even Knowing It

  Unfortunately, someone could accidentally curse you without meaning to or without even knowing they've done it, and legends tell that people have gone to extreme lengths to prevent doing so. One Polish tale recounts how a man was so prone to cursing others that he cut out his eyes. 

  Since Hindus believe that women most often give the evil eye, women will go so far as to paint their eyelids black not only to protect themselves, but also prevent themselves from cursing another. 

  Two popes, Leo XIII and Pius IX, were believed to have been born with the evil eye. 
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  (#4) Different Cultures Have Some Interesting Ways Of Dealing With The Curse

  If you suspect you've been cursed by the evil eye while in Mexico, worry not - you just need to grab yourself an egg. A raw egg can allegedly remove the evil eye from your body by being passed over your forehead. Then, the egg is broken and you must look into the shell of the egg to see if the cure has worked. If you see an oval or eye shape inside the egg, then you've been successfully cured.

  In Bangladesh, drawing a black dot on the forehead of children or behind the ears of attractive women is said to protect them against the curse. In Greece, Armenia, and Assyria, the cure is even more simple - you just need a quick pinch on the butt. 
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  (#5) The Evil Eye Is Much Older Than You'd Think

  Though many people view to the evil eye through the lens of religion and ancient Greek mythology, the evil eye goes back much further than that. The Sumerians - one of the earliest known civilizations - recorded a prayer warding off the evil eye on a clay tablet, meaning that there are written records proving that the curse is at least 5,000 years old. Additionally, researchers have found 10,000-year-old cave drawings in Spain that are believed to depict the evil eye, suggesting that its origins are even more complex.

  Some of the oldest examples of the eye have also been found in Egyptian settlements, where the evil eye can still be seen on significant monuments. In the Egyptian myth of Ptah the Opener, it is believed that the gods came from his eye and humans from his mouth; therefore, the eyes were extremely powerful. The ancient Egyptians also used phallic symbols as a means of protection from the eye's curse.
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  (#6) The Curse Isn't As Common In The US As In Other Cultures

  Though it's relatively common to see the evil eye appear in fashion or jewelry, the cultural significance of the evil eye (and its curse) is simply not as prevalent in the US as it is in so many other cultures worldwide. And it has nothing, or at least very little, to do with religion - it's because of the American culture of excess. 

  In ancient societies, the concept that there was never enough of everything to go around - be it food, resources, and the like - was highly prevalent. So, if you were complimenting someone on what they had (e.g. good crops or healthy children), it meant that you were in some way jealous and wanted those things for yourself. Hence, praise and the evil eye became deeply intertwined.

  But that's simply not how Americans operate. As anthropologist Alan Dundes pointed out, Americans "go all over the world praising things and scaring people to death." But in America, literally known as the "Land of Plenty," complimenting someone has rarely been associated with envy or evil.
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  (#7) Historically, Certain Individuals Have Been Believed To Carry The Curse

  If you're worried about being cursed by the evil eye, people from certain cultures would suggest that you watch out for or avoid specific individuals. People who are cross-eyed, have a squint or lazy eye, or have an eye that twitches have been believed to be more prone to cursing others. Someone with close-set eyes, or eyes that are two different colors or rare colors, have also been believed to be more likely to transmit the curse.

  For many Europeans, jealous glances - and witches - were often blamed for the evil eye. And in Germany, anyone with red eyes might be suspected of cursing others; likewise, the Irish were afraid of squinty eyes. But perhaps the strangest physical characteristic attributed to the evil eye was the unibrow, courtesy of superstitious individuals in Italy. So, if you've got a unibrow, you may want to pluck it before heading to Italy! 
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  (#8) Some People Are More Likely To Be Cursed Than Others

  In countries like Greece, Romania, and India, it's not a good idea to publicly compliment a child - babies and children are believed to be more vulnerable to the curse of the evil eye than adults. So, if you praise a child in one of those countries, don't be surprised if the child's parents ask you to spit in the child's face to counteract the compliment and thus protect the child from being cursed. If you do decide to go through with complimenting a child, saying "as God will" or "God bless it" can help protect them.
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  (#9) The Hamsa Can Help Protect You

  The hamsa, also known as the Hand of Fatima, Hand of Miriam, or Hand of God, displays the evil eye on the palm. This popular symbol, often used in jewelry or amulets, is one of the most popular and simple ways to protect yourself from the curse of the evil eye. It's most popular in the Middle East and Africa, and appears frequently in Judaism and Islam. It's even one of the national symbols of Algeria. 

  The first known use of the hamsa was by the Phoenicians, a civilization that ended about 300 years before the common era. They saw it as a representation of the hand of Tanit, the patron goddess of the Phoenicians' capital city, Carthage. It then spread to Judaism, where it became known as the Hand of Miriam, named after the sister of Moses. In Islam, it became the Hand of Fatima, named after the daughter of Muhammad.
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  (#10) The Evil Eye Has Origins In Ancient Greece

  The evil eye as we know it today dates back to the ancient Greeks, who saw it as the gods' way of bringing mortals back down to their appropriate level if they'd been praised too much or developed too much of an ego. As such, Greeks took measures to protect themselves against the curse, often using a cross or incense. New mothers were particularly keen on protecting themselves and their children, and would sometimes keep strings, a nail, gunpowder, bread, salt, garlic, a ring, silver buckles, or indigo blue on their heads or under their pillows. Each of these items had a special purpose to help the mother protect herself and her child. 

  If those means of protection failed, or weren't employed in the first place, people could burn a bear's fur or ask a gypsy to massage their forehead to nullify the curse. Plutarch attributed the curse's power to the eye itself, saying that the eye possessed energy that could kill and harm. Even in Greece today, you will see the evil eye amulet everywhere.
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  (#11) The Evil Eye Is Making a Comeback In Greece Because Of The Economic Crisis

  Though the evil eye and its amulets have always been prevalent in Greek culture, some say that the symbol has become even more popular recently due to the economic crisis in Greece. 

  According to a 2017 poll, nearly 25 perfect of Greeks are unemployed, and about half of young Greeks are unemployed. The severe economic downturn, which has been unrelenting, causes people to look toward tradition for guidance. Nadina Christopoulou, a Greek anthropologist, says that Greeks find meaning in ancient beliefs such as the evil eye because it "gives you a sense that you can somehow control the reasons that create stress and anxiety." Christopoulou's mother says that she gets the evil eye multiple times a day and completes a "purging ritual" to get rid of the curse. Her mother blames the recurring curse on the fact that she can no longer give as freely as she used to since money and resources are tighter.
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  (#12) The Evil Eye Isn't Just A Pagan Thing

  Though curses may not sound very Christian, the evil eye is actually present in both the Old and New Testaments. The Christian Bible is far from the origin story of the evil eye, but the book of Matthew does recount Jesus's mentioning of the evil eye in the Sermon on the Mount: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness…” (Matthew 6:22-23). Proverbs 22:28 too says, “A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth and does not know that want will come upon him.”

  To an extent, the Bible's references to the evil eye make a lot of sense; stinginess, jealousy, and envy are all sinful qualities, and the evil eye is a manifestation of those qualities. Particularly in the Old Testament, references to the evil eye seem to call out individuals that have much not sharing with others.

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