If someone gives you this as a gift, throw it away immediately: It’s witchcraft in disguise.

Social media frequently features posts warning that certain gifts can bring bad luck, negative energy, or even “disguised witchcraft.” These messages often claim that if someone gives you certain amulets, figurines, plants, or accessories, it’s best to get rid of them immediately to avoid problems with your health, money, or personal life.

Although these claims attract a lot of attention and are quickly shared, specialists in psychology, anthropology, and popular culture explain that these types of warnings are not based on real evidence, but on traditional beliefs that have existed for centuries in many parts of the world.

Rather than a supernatural danger, these messages reflect how people interpret objects according to their beliefs, experiences, and cultural context.