Itchy Left Hand – What Does It Mean?
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Since ancient times, itching parts of the body have carried various meanings. This includes the left foot, right foot, right hand, nose and yes, the left hand as well. There are several superstitions associated with an itching left hand, but most of these tend to be negative.
This is because the left side of the body has always been associated with negative traits. That’s why in the past, left-handed people were thought to be using the hand of the devil, and also why we say two left feet when we want to indicate that someone is a bad dancer.
If your left hand has been itching lately, you might be curious to know what it may mean. Here’s a quick look at superstitions associated with your left hand.
First Things First – Who’s Superstitious?
Before we get into the details of superstitions, you might be wondering whether people believe in these old wives’ tales anymore. But here’s the deal – a Gallup poll in 2000 found that one in four Americans are superstitious. That was 25% of the population. But a more recent survey conducted in 2019 by Research for Good found that this number had increased to 52%!
Even if people say they’re not superstitious, they may engage in superstitious practices, like knocking on wood, or throwing salt over their shoulder to thwart bad luck. After all, superstitions are about fear – and for most people, there’s no reason to tempt fate, even if it means doing something that doesn’t seem to make sense.
So, now that’s out of the way, what does it mean when your left hand itches?
Left Hand Itch – Superstitions
There are several superstitions about itchy left hand, but most of this relates to money. These include:
You’re going to lose money
Remember what we said about the left side being negative? This is why an itchy left palm indicates that you’re going to lose money, as opposed to the right palm itching, which means you’re going to gain money. This belief can be found in Hinduism in India and other eastern cultures.
Some versions of this superstition say that if you scratch your left palm with your right hand, you will lose money. In this case, it’s best to use the fingers of your left hand to scratch the itch on your left palm.
But there’s an easy way to reverse this bad luck. Put your left hand on a piece of wood, so that the negative energy transfers to the wood. By ‘touching wood’ you can prevent the bad luck that comes from having an itch on your left palm.
You will gain some good fortune
Ok, this is where it gets contradictory. In some cultures, especially in the west, your left hand itching means you’re going to get some money. Whether it’s a penny or a million dollars – no one knows. The point is that you will receive some money.
The good fortune doesn’t always have to be just money. It can also be a promotion at work, an unexpected gift, or a very good sale.
For Mary Shammas it was the lottery. This 73-year-old woman from Brooklyn was on the bus when her left palm began to itch madly – so she got off the bus and bought a lotterly ticket. That ticket, with her lucky numbers, hit the jackpot and she received $64 million. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grannys-fateful-64m-itch/
Mary stated, “I had a terrible itch that I’ve never had before. Within the short while, it was three or four times happening. And I said to myself, ‘This means something. It’s an old-fashioned superstition, but you know what, I haven’t played Mega (Millions) in a couple of weeks. Let me just go and validate a ticket’ that I had – an envelope with all my numbers in my bag.”
Now, we’re not saying that just because your left palm itches you’re going to hit it big like Mary Shammas. But there’s a chance something good may be coming your way.
Someone is missing you
In some cultures, it’s believed that if your left fingers itch, someone close to you is missing you and thinking about you. When this happens, you may suddenly remember someone and want to get in touch with them.
This is similar to the superstition of sneezing, where in eastern cultures its believed that if you sneeze someone is thinking of you.
An impending marriage
If your ring finger itches, and you’re an unmarried individual, this could mean that you’re going to get married in the near future. You will soon meet your other half and be able to settle down.
If you’re already married or not interested in this proposition, then it can mean that someone close to you or in your family will get married.
We particularly liked these responses by Quora users to the question – What does it mean if your ring finger itches?
Pat Harkin: It’s a sign that you will soon meet a stranger. A stranger who went to medical school and then specialized in dermatology.
Erica Orchard: Mine turned out to be an allergy to the nickel in my engagement ring. Caused quite a nasty rash and a fungal infection, but it cleared up in the end, thank you. Second marriage around I made sure it was 18 carat gold.
Natural Reasons for Itchy Hands
If you’re hand itches persistently, there could be a natural, health-related reason for this. Dry skin is one of the most prevalent reasons, as hands tend to dry out a fair bit due to how much we use our hands and how often we wash them. In this case, using a good hand lotion will relieve the itch.
Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are also reasons that can cause hands to itch. You may need to visit your doctor to effectively treat such conditions.
And finally, for some people, allergies cause itchiness in their hands. Such itches tend to go away after a short while.
Wrapping Up
An itching left hand means different things to different people. There are contradictory versions of left hand itching superstitions, most notably related to money.
While in some cultures it means losing money and in others, gaining money, you can simply pick the superstition that you align with. What’s important to note is that all superstitions should be taken with a grain of salt.
