Fortune cookies are a fun treat after a meal, but there are some serious superstitions about eating them and making the fortunes come true. However, when a fortune cookie does not have a fortune in it, it can potentially mean 2 things: something good will happen soon or that you may have bad luck.
Overall, there is some confusion as to what a missing fortune means. Some choose to interpret it in a positive light, while others are convinced it is a sign of failure. Read on to get a more in-depth look at the different superstitions surrounding fortune cookies without fortunes in them.
Good or Bad Luck?
Fortune cookies are, for the most part, up to interpretation. Although some have humorous fortunes in them, some of them carry serious superstitions. It is believed that ripping your fortune will make it not come true and that you must keep the fortune for it to come true.
However, if there is no fortune for you to keep, then it could be a sign that something good is coming your way. Some believe that this is due to the fact that you are now owed a fortune.
Others have chosen to interpret an empty fortune cookie as a sign that they are on the right path and do need advice. Some think of it as a blank canvas and an opportunity to choose their own path rather than having a predestined fortune.
On the other hand, there are many that believe an empty fortune cookie is a potential omen for bad luck. The amount and extent of bad luck seem to vary. Some believe it is temporary while others say it could mean bad luck for your entire life.
Some take this idea a step further and think that an empty fortune cookie is a sign of certain failure at life or even a sign of imminent death. However, it would appear this comes from an exaggeration of the phrase “empty fortune cookie” which is used as slang to call someone impotent or lame.
The Rules of Fortune Cookies
Reading the fortunes in fortune cookies comes with its own set of rules. There are supposed ways to make a fortune come true and ways that will cause a fortune to never come true. There are even rules about how to choose which fortune cookie to eat.
When choosing a fortune cookie, you must choose the cookie furthest away from you. Additionally, someone has to give it to you instead of you picking it up. Ideally, the cookie should also have its 2 pointed ends facing you on the tray before it is selected for you.
It is also not a good idea to open all the fortunes and read them in order to choose the best one for yourself. You also cannot give someone else a bad fortune after having read it. Fortune cookies are designed to just be luck of the draw.
Once you open and eat the fortune cookie, these are the steps for making a fortune come true:
- Do not look at the fortune until after you have eaten the entire cookie
- Keep the fortune
- Do not tell anyone your fortune
- Light the paper on fire
There are also rules for making sure a fortune does not come true:
- Rip the fortune
- Tell someone what the fortune says
- Do not eat the entire cookie
With that in mind, it can be possible to make sure your fortune, or lack of one, does not happen. If you think an empty fortune cookie is a potential sign of bad luck, simply do not finish the cookie and it should prevent anything from happening. Simultaneously, not eating the whole cookie would mean that any good things that could come from an empty fortune cookie will not happen.
Is It Just a Manufacturing Problem?
Less superstitious people chalk up an empty fortune cookie to an issue with manufacturing. In the modern world, fortune cookies are typically made with machines and not by hand, and there are bound to be mistakes. It could just be that for every empty fortune cookie, there is another fortune cookie out there that has 2 fortunes in it.
Conclusion
An empty fortune cookie is up to interpretation. If you are superstitious, then you can always not finish eating the cookie to avoid any potential misfortune. However, regardless of your personal beliefs, empty fortune cookies are caused by one thing: a mistake in a factory.
