to prevent he/she/it from being jinxed"). The evil eye and the concept of being jinxed are common phobias and superstitious beliefs in Iranian culture, and Iranians traditionally believe knocking on wood wards off evil spirits. (Citation) In Israel the saying ("without the evil eye") is said when someone mentions good things happening to himself or someone else, or even when mentioning a valuable things he owns. This expression is a superstition that is used in the hope that a good thing will continue to occur even after it is mentioned, and as a way to prevent envy (hasad ) also known as the Evil Eye, as they believe that Envy can harm other people. In Italy, ("touch iron") is used, especially after seeing an undertaker or something related to death. In Latin America, it is also tradition to physically knock a wooden object. A variant requires that the object does not have feet (), which rules out chairs, tables and beds. In Lebanon and Syria the saying ("knock on [the] wood") is said when hearing someone say something negative in order to prevent it from happening. It is also largely observed when saying something positive or affirmative about someone or something and not wanting that to change. In North Macedonia, "knocking on wood" is a folk belief and people usually do that after someone says something bad to make sure nothing bad happens. In Norway the saying is ("knock on the table"), which usually was made of wood. In Poland, there is a habit of knocking on (unpainted) wood (which may be preceded by saying ; , or simply ; —— literally meaning "to knock on unpainted wood.") when saying something negative – to prevent it from happening – or, more rarely, something positive – in order not to "spoil it". In the Czech Republic, this is often accompanied for stronger effect by knocking on one's teeth, a piece of building stone, or metal, reasoning that these (as opposed to wood) survive even fire. In Romania, there is also a superstition that one can avoid bad things aforementioned by literally knocking on wood (). Wood tables are exempted. One of the possible reasons could be that there is a monastery practice to call people to pray by playing / knocking the simantron. In Spain and in France ("to touch wood") is something that you say when you want your luck