According to folk belief primarily in Western cultures, encountering an empty hearse or funeral vehicle outside of ceremonial contexts—particularly when traveling alone on open roads or appearing unexpectedly near one’s home—foretells impending death or serious misfortune for the observer or their family. This mortuary vehicle omen supposedly gains severity through specific circumstances: direct eye contact with the driver intensifies the prediction; the vehicle’s direction relative to the observer indicates the timing of coming misfortune; while multiple encounters within short periods suggest particularly serious warnings. Some traditions specify remedial actions, including holding one’s breath, touching a button, making the sign of the cross, or reciting specific protective phrases until the vehicle passes from view.
A baby’s future career or fate is predicted by the first object they select during a ceremonial setup.
In several Asian and Eastern European cultures, a traditional ceremony is held for babies usually around their first birthday. Known
