Opening an Umbrella Indoors – How Do You Reverse Its Effects?

You often hear this superstition from people: Never open an umbrella inside your house. Often, it has nothing to do with the fact that the floor might get wet or because it simply looks weird to open one inside the home.

Opening an umbrella indoors is widely believed to bring bad luck. But where did this belief come from and how do you reverse the bad luck that comes with opening an umbrella inside your home?

Where The Superstition Came From

The name umbrella derives from the word “umbra” which means shade or shadow. And for many centuries, various cultures believe that opening an umbrella indoors would cast a shadow on one’s happiness by raining down bad luck.

Some say that the superstition concerning umbrellas originated in ancient Egypt where umbrellas were used mainly used to protect a person from the harsh effects of the sun. unlike modern day umbrellas, these ancient equivalents were made of exotic feathers and papyrus and used mainly for priests and royalty. They believed that opening an umbrella indoors disrespected the sun god Ra, who was revered by ancient Egyptians and could result in bad luck and the god’s anger.

However, there’s also a practical reason why opening an umbrella indoors isn’t a good idea. The first modern umbrellas were poorly designed and unsafe with their spring triggers and hard metal materials. Opening them indoors could be dangerous.

During the 18th century in London, waterproof umbrellas with metal spokes were easily available, but while practical, they were large and difficult to open. When opened indoors, these umbrellas could break objects or hurt someone. So, the superstition continued – but this time with a more practical reason.

Some versions of this superstition suggests that the umbrella has to be black if bad luck is to follow the action of opening it indoors. Accordingly, if the umbrella is any other color, there won’t be any bad luck.

Opening an Umbrella Indoors – What Could Happen?

Woman opening umbrella indoor

The idea that an open umbrella protects a certain area of your home from evil is popular among many people. However, while the rest of the house is protected from evil, the rest is exposed to it.

1- Inviting Ghosts

Opening an umbrella indoors may attract evil spirits and ghosts.  Not all ghosts are evil, but because you’re not sure which type of ghosts will be attracted by the umbrella, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

2- A Bad Omen

Opening an umbrella indoors, especially in your home is also widely viewed as a sign of difficult times ahead. For example, you might get into a fight should a relative or friend open his or her umbrella inside your house. It could also lead to the end of your friendship or relationship.

The umbrella cover will also prevent the light of the universe from shedding light on your path. As a result, you will have ripple effects and experience sorrow in the coming days. Open umbrellas can signal death or extreme illness in some instances.

3- Spiritual Blindness

If you open an umbrella in your home, you may have trouble accessing spiritual side, which may be shaded by the umbrella’s shadow.

4- Sleepless Nights and Confusion

It is widely believed that an open umbrella in your house or room clouds the mind. You will feel a shadow cast by the umbrella on your soul, resulting in mental instability or at least restlessness. Any of these can lead to insomnia and even nightmares.

As well as casting a shadow over your soul, the open umbrella can also create a lot of confusion. Things won’t make sense to you, and you’ll feel unsteady and unstable about the things and relationships around you.

How to Reverse the Bad Luck of Opening an Umbrella Indoors

No matter whether the umbrella was opened intentionally or accidentally inside your home, superstition dictates that you should take immediate action to stop its negative effects. Luckily, there are many ways of doing this.

Getting Rid of the Umbrella: The evil effects of opening an umbrella indoors can be reversed by disposing of it. One must take the umbrella out of the house as soon as possible and burn it. The umbrella can also be given away to someone who lives far away. The source of the evil, the opened umbrella, has been removed, so the effects will be minimized if not completely stopped.

Say Words of Affirmation: The power of affirmation is also capable of reversing the negative effects of an open umbrella indoors. It is always beneficial to use positive words in order to eliminate negativity and avoid bad luck.

Purification: Purification rituals and spells can help reverse the bad luck associated with open umbrellas. You have to sprinkle the area where the umbrella was left open with salt to ward off bad luck. You can also burn incense or sage to get rid of negative energy and bad luck. A quick prayer can also remove the negative effects that come with opening an umbrella inside your home.

National Open Your Umbrella Indoors Day

This quirky celebration falls every March 13 and serves the purpose of testing out any potential bad luck that may come from opening your umbrella indoors. On this day, people open an umbrella inside their buildings to see if any bad luck will occur.

This tongue in cheek holiday makes fun of such superstitions, suggesting that there’s no such thing as bad luck from opened umbrellas indoors.

Wrapping Up

Superstitions by nature may appear illogical, but this particular one is quite practical. Opening an umbrella indoors can result in accidents and minor injuries. After all, no one wants to be poked in the eye – that’s just bad luck! Regardless of the various meanings associated with it, this is a superstition that still persists.

Affiliate Disclosures

Dani Rhys
Dani Rhys

Dani Rhys has worked as a writer and editor for over 15 years. She holds a Masters degree in Linguistics and Education, and has also studied Political Science, Ancient History and Literature. She has a wide range of interests ranging from ancient cultures and mythology to Harry Potter and gardening. She works as the chief editor of Symbol Sage but also takes the time to write on topics that interest her.