Even those who do not want to admit it have sometimes let themselves be tempted by the desire to own a lucky charm, after all we Italians are a people of superstitious people! The belief that the red horn brings good luck dates back to prehistoric times, when primitive man associated the physical power of animals with the size of their horns. For centuries, daring leaders were portrayed with these ornaments on their heads, as the horns were considered both an emblem of power and of belonging and divine descent.
The lucky pepper! Since its origins, as soon as it entered the “old world”, the shape and color of the chilli pepper was immediately associated with the lucky horn.
In addition to being used in the kitchen, it began to be hung in homes and businesses, representing over time a real amulet used to ward off the evil eye. Ally against bad luck but also against infidelity! If one of the two spouses suspected the other’s betrayal, they would put two red chillies under the pillow to regain loyalty, even better if tied in the shape of a cross with a red ribbon. In the peasant world, tradition dictated that the parents of the spouses had to give their children chilli pepper necklaces as a promise of help in case of need.
The whole hot pepper is of the “Calabrian horn” variety, once collected it is left to dry and once this process is completed, they are deprived of the stalk and placed in vacuum-packed glass jars.