text:  reading up on some nautical lore recently we discovered a long-held superstition that it's bad luck to carry bananas on a boat or ship that got us thinking about other food superstitions the healing power of garlic for example goes back to the middle ages when it was used to ward off the plague if you spill salt tossing a pinch over your left shoulder is said to blind the devil and in this month of weddings we all know that showering newlyweds with rice brings wealth and happiness