Superstitions about presenting slippers

At first glance, it seems that practical house slippers are an ideal and inexpensive gift option for the New Year, International Women’s Day or some other minor holiday. They are chosen for close people, elderly relatives or for housewarming.

And it would seem that there is nothing reprehensible in such a gift, but some people do not like such a gift, since there are many signs and superstitions associated with house slippers.

Can you give someone slippers as a gift?

The majority of people have an extremely negative attitude towards slippers brought as a gift, and this is not surprising, because since childhood they have heard “horror stories” from the mouths of older family members that slippers as a gift will lead to imminent death, especially if they are white.

The negative perception of slippers as a gift came to us from Central Asia, for example, in Japan it was not allowed to even try on shoes in the house, this was associated with the afterlife and was considered a very bad omen, and among the Slavic peoples slippers were often associated with funerals.

In addition to this frightening sign, there are also a lot of superstitions related to the fact that slippers cannot be given as a gift:
• Gifted slippers can symbolize a long separation, which will end in a quarrel and a break in relations.
• For some, they symbolize a long road full of difficulties and experiences.
• Signs do not advise giving slippers to your spouse. There is a belief that after receiving a gift, people will begin to quarrel and eventually break up.

If you believe the signs, it is better to refuse such a present. For people who are not superstitious, it is quite possible to choose unusual or exclusive slippers as a gift for a birthday or other celebration.

In Tunisia, for many centuries, grooms gave their chosen ones specially purchased sets, represented by a wedding basket, inside of which lay a white pillow, a candle, a glove and the notorious white slippers.

How to present home slippers correctly?

In ancient times, shoes, including slippers, were accepted with joy and gratitude. A pair of slippers brought for a holiday symbolized an important event or visit, and only in our time such a gift is viewed negatively and extremely suspiciously.

If you still want to give slippers as a gift, you should follow a number of recommendations that will help neutralize the effect of the omen:
• Give slippers in bright or even variegated colors, giving preference to blue, green, yellow and red colors. It is better to forget about white or black slippers.
• Charge your shoes with positivity. To do this, you need to say several times over the gift that from now on it will bring (name of the recipient) only happiness and good luck, and bad weather and troubles will bypass him/her.
• Offer the birthday boy/girl to buy the gift for a purely symbolic amount.

What to do if someone presented slippers to you?

If you believe in omens, you need to give a few coins for the gift, and then sprinkle the slippers with holy water and read the “Our Father” prayer. This little trick will help protect against negativity.

Everyone decides for themselves what to give, relying on their own intuition or the preferences of the person for whom the gift is chosen. However, you should not forget about the rules of etiquette and take into account the existence of folk signs, so as not to offend a loved one.

If all the factors are met, slippers can become a wonderful gift, showing care, warmth and love for the person you care about.