Why You Should Never Open An Umbrella Inside

As far as superstitions go, opening an umbrella inside is right up there in the hall of fame. One of the first things you learn as a child is never to open an umbrella inside as it will bring you bad luck.

But what you might not know is that there are other more sensible reasons not to do it. Safety, for instance.

In this article we’ll explore 4 reasons why opening an umbrella indoors is a terrible idea.

You could break something

Many umbrellas use a spring mechanism, meaning they spring open with great force once you release them.

This isn’t an action you can always control, which means that if you’re close to fragile objects when you open the umbrella, you risk knocking something over and breaking it.

Ornaments, vases, light bulbs, and other breakable items aren’t safe around umbrellas.

It could get caught in the ceiling fan

The end tip on a larger umbrella can be upwards of 5cm long, which means that if opened inside it could easily get caught in a ceiling fan and destroy it.

You might hurt someone

Going back to the spring mechanism, opening umbrellas inside could harm anyone close-by.

This is a risk wherever you open them, but exacerbated when it’s done inside, due to the compact space and the inability for you to hold it high enough (due to the ceiling) to keep it out of the way.

It’s bad luck

It’s been a long-held belief that opening an umbrella inside will give you bad luck. In western society, despite many people not believing in superstition, most will avoid doing so because of this old myth.

Where did the superstition come from?

It is unclear where this myth originated from, but a couple of the theories floating about are:

Ancient Egypt

In Egypt, umbrellas were used to shade people from the sun – quite the opposite of their usage today.

Egyptians believed that the sun was a gift from the gods – particularly from the sun god Re – and that opening an umbrella away from the sun (indoors) was disrespectful to them. Thus, the gods would punish you for it.

Modern-day explanation

A more applicable explanation might stem from the fact that modern-day umbrellas, the ones we know and love today that protect us from the rain, were impractical and would often do damage to household items.

Reinvented in the late 1700s, these umbrellas were big and more difficult to manage, which meant that opening them indoors led to chaos – broken objects galore. In other words, some real bad luck!

What to do if you accidentally open an umbrella inside?

Burn some sage

Burning sage is a practice that’s been around for centuries to purify spaces and create positive energy.

What is National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day?

It’s an experiment that takes place annually on March 13th, where you’re challenged to open an umbrella inside and wait to see if you get bad luck. Fancy testing the myth? Well, give it a try next March.

Conclusion

Whether you believe in superstition or not, opening an umbrella inside is just a silly thing to do, and there aren’t many reasons why you’d need to. It’s best to save the opening for the outdoors, where the rain is.

If you should require an umbrella indoors, then it’s probably time to get your roof fixed!