"Sensa Malocchio."

Ah Italian superstitions. Where to begin really? The Italian culture is full of superstitious beliefs, some a little more ridiculous than others.

For example, did you know it's considered bad luck if you see a nun? I've been told that if you happen to see one, you are supposed to immediately touch iron. For this reason, a lot of Italians will carry a small nail in their pocket or purse just in case they come across a Holy Sister. If there is no iron in sight, you must say, "Your nun" to the first person you come across and this will transfer the bad luck to them.
Why nuns? Because they are associated with places of death like cemeteries and hospitals.

A more popular superstition though is "the evil eye."

The concept of the evil eye is actually believed in many different cultures around the world. It is essentially a look that is believed to cause injury or bad luck to the person that it's directed at. Mainly for reasons of envy, jealousy, or dislike.
Most cultures have created ways of 'warding off' the evil eye. In Italy, there are a number of different ways to save yourself from the dreaded glare.

Ever wonder what those little horns are that maybe one of your Italian-American friends wear? I wonder if they even know what it is themselves.
It is called a cornicello and it is worn as protection from the evil eye. I won't get into too many details, but it is supposed to have a phallic appearance because there are many different beliefs that sexual symbols or gestures are able to successfully block the curse.
Here are some examples of gestures that you might be familiar with.

The hand gesture to the left is called "The Fig". This is considered a good luck charm, and I don't think I need to tell you what it represents.

The hand gesture at the bottom is called "The Horn". This gesture will transfer the evil eye to someone else.

Anyone can cast the evil eye, whether it is intentionally or not. All it takes is giving someone a compliment while feeling jealous or envious. This is very common with newborn babies, since they receive so many compliments. If you compliment a cute Italian baby, you will probably hear the mother say "Sensa malocchio," which means, "without the evil eye."