Why can't you throw away salt?

Question

I was making something with my mum, and i threw away some leftover salt. I thought it was because i was wasting it by throwing it way, but she said it with a different tone. Like if it's bad luck or something. I come from a Mexican family just to let people know if it has to do with race.

Answer 1

It's quite silly to mourn the loss of some extra condiments.

Answer 2

It's a lot like the superstition about breaking mirrors - probably invented to keep people from being careless with something valuable.  Salt used to be very expensive, and also associated with purity.  Therefore, it was a good idea to keep people from wasting it.  Like many such beliefs, it is somewhat more common and stronger in more traditional societies.

Answer 3

Strange, I've never heard that. Bad luck, maybe?  

Answer 4

There is a superstition regarding salt, I don't know which cultures it exists in, but it is considered to be bad luck to waste it.  In fact, salt was once harder to get that it is today and was considered a symbol of life, thus when it was wasted, the devil was pleased.  This is where the custom of throwing some salt over your shoulder if you spill it comes from, the idea being that if the Devil pops up to gloat over the wasted salt the salt you throw will get in his eyes and prevent him from performing any mischeif.

Or so I've been told.  There are probably other explanations for that curious custom out there.