A long day? Exhausted? First thing one usually does once he or she gets home after a tiring day is often slouch in the closest chair or sofa and drop his or her bag on the floor.

That is where you see your mother-in-law, mother or close, distant aunt runs shouting: “Do you want to be poor?”, “Do not put your bag on the ground!”, “What are you doing?” “Pick it up!”… Well, it is not only these relatives especially, everyone around you would act as if you committed some unspeakable crime. If they do not rush to take the bag from the floor to put it on a table, chair or your laps, be sure that they will moralize you for your action.

So one may wonder “why all the fuss for simply putting a bag on the floor?” A question to which you will be simply answered that it draws bad luck. Indeed, this belief is shared by many in Cameroon. They associate dropping a bag on the floor to throwing money away.

Though facts are yet to confirm that correlation, even the most skeptical know that putting their bag on the ground in public is a sure way to get it stolen.