Trinidadians have a rich collection of superstitions, many of which found their way to the island via colonialism. These beliefs reflect the ways ideas and explanations have been blended here—and elsewhere—in the face of globalization. There is one, however, that I have grown up with that seems unique to Trinidadians. It concerns an involuntary eye spasm known colloquially as when your eye “jumps”
or twitches without warning or reason. The superstition has multiple parts and meanings depending on which eye is affected:If your right eye jumps, you are going to hear good news.
If your left eye jumps, you are going to hear bad news (Roberts 1927: 161).If your right eye jumps, someone is speaking well of you. If your left eye jumps, someone is saying bad things about you.
(If you think of the name of people you know, when you name the right person—who is speaking badly about you—your eye will stop jumping.) (Roberts 1927: 161)
