10 Places Where Folklore Is Alive and Well

Folklore and superstition never really die. We all know someone who still avoids stepping on cracks on the sidewalk. Or someone who refuses to whistle at night.

Even in modern life, these ancient beliefs still creep in, filled with smartphones and AI. Superstition adapts itself, quietly moving along with technology and progress.

Here are ten places around the world where folklore is alive and even thriving.

Related: 10 Obscure Cryptids and Why You’ve Never Heard of Them

10 The Appalachians

It is believed that the Appalachian Mountains are around 480 million years old. They began forming during continental collisions that later contributed to the creation of Pangea. These mountains are well known for the Appalachian Trail and their incredible ecosystems. They are also known for tradition and superstition. Even with highways, internet access, and modern medicine in 2025, many in the small towns surrounding the mountains continue to practice “granny magic.”

Older women mix herbs and perform protective rituals for healing. Some people hang horseshoes above their doors or paint porch ceilings blue to ward off spirits. Many hold on to charms for luck. Such beliefs thrive both locally and online, with younger generations sharing spells and creepy stories. Not to mention that the Appalachians are the backdrop of infamous ghost tales like the Mothman, the Bell Witch, and the Brown Mountain Lights.

These stories are still being retold many years after they first scared the wits out of people. Even modern storytellers and podcasters now record these same tales for millions of followers, keeping the old folklore alive for a new digital generation.^[1]

9 Iceland

Iceland is one of the richest and most developed countries in the world. It ranks high in economy, advanced technology, and human development. Yet many Icelanders still believe in elves, or huldufólk. When a construction project in Reykjavik in 2013 threatened a rock believed to be an elf church, public pressure ensured that officials moved the boulder instead of destroying it.

Surveys from the University of Iceland show that around half of the population won’t rule out the existence of hidden people. Roads, tunnels, and even power lines are sometimes rerouted to avoid elf homes. In some towns, residents build small wooden houses, or álfhól, in their gardens or along the road as dwellings for elves.

These houses are typically colorful to keep the elf spirits happy. Some folklorists say that the belief in elves reflects cultural respect for nature, blending myth and modern ethics. In recent years, eco-tourism companies have even hired “elf consultants” to advise on new construction projects, ensuring that no unseen inhabitants are disturbed.^[2]

8 Thailand

Bangkok has an enviable modern skyline of glass and steel. What visitors may not know is that, at street level, nearly every one of these buildings hosts a spirit house. These miniature shrines, known as san phra phum, honor guardian spirits believed to protect the land and its inhabitants.

The spirit-house tradition is a blend of animism and Buddhism. They are placed in auspicious locations outside businesses, homes, and even public spaces. Locals adorn them with flowers, fruit, candles, and incense. In urban areas, shrines are commonly found at corporate offices and malls.

If you find yourself in Bangkok, you may notice red Fanta is a favored offering at these spirit houses. The red color symbolizes vitality, fertility, and life in Thai culture. Before there was red Fanta, people would color and sweeten water with palm sugar and herbs before using it as an offering. The tradition has become so central that even modern hotels and skyscrapers include shrines in their blueprints before opening to the public.^[3]

7 Japan

Japan is a leader in high-speed trains, technology, and robotics. Juxtaposed against this ultra-modern culture are Shinto purification rituals. In Tokyo and Osaka, you’ll find small shrines between towering skyscrapers. Commuters and visitors take a moment to bow before them or clap for blessings.

Purification, or harae, is central to Shinto rituals. People use salt, water, or fire to remove impurities before special events or prayer. Visitors can wash their hands and rinse their mouths at temizuya water basins located at shrine entrances. Shinto rituals also extend to families in mourning. Many sprinkle salt after funerals to ward off bad energy. Even sumo wrestlers believe in the power of salt and scatter it in the ring to purify it before a match.

Twice a year, Japan observes the Ōharae-shiki, or Great Purification, during which communities are cleansed of misfortune. For most, these rituals are not performed solely out of fear of bad luck but from habit and tradition, linking modern life to nature and purity. In fact, Japan’s Shinto population remains the world’s largest, with nearly 80% of residents still participating in some form of shrine observance each year.^[4]

6 Italy

Italy is a place bustling with fancy cars and elegant fashion boutiques. Beneath the glitz and glamor, however, is a steadfast fear of the malocchio, or evil eye. This belief holds that envy can unleash a torrent of bad luck or illness.

To guard against this, some Italians wear a cornicello tucked under their shirts or hang them inside their cars. These red, horn-shaped charms are believed to shield them from harm. Others use the mano cornuta, a hand gesture meant to ward off bad things. Some healers in rural areas even practice secret rituals to lift curses.

These customs and superstitions blend Catholic prayers with ancient Mediterranean beliefs. Shops in Naples sell cornicelli beside luxury goods, and some celebrities wear them as protection. In 2018, a cultural survey found that many Italians, especially in the south, still trust these charms more than they would admit in public. Interestingly, the cornicello symbol has become a popular emoji among young Italians, turning an age-old superstition into a digital icon.^[5]

5 Northern Ghana

Residents in Ghana’s northern region are used to cell towers rising above clay villages. But within this mix of old and new, something disturbing lurks. Witchcraft remains a polarizing social force here. Whenever tragedy strikes—whether illness, drought, or death—communities accuse women of casting curses, often pointing fingers at older widows.

As such, witch camps, including Gambaga and Kukuo, have existed for generations. These camps protect women from violence as they find shelter under the supervision of local chiefs. They also perform rituals to cleanse their spirits. Reports indicate that these settlements continue to house hundreds of women who cannot safely return home.

While the government has been eager to close these witch camps since 2020, human-rights workers believe it’s a bad idea. The fear of witchcraft runs deep, rooted in centuries-old belief systems. In 2025, this is a sobering reminder that progress simply cannot erase superstition or folklore overnight. Local NGOs now teach younger generations to record elders’ folklore instead of fearing it—an attempt to preserve tradition while breaking cycles of accusation.^[6]

4 Louisiana

Louisiana is known for tourism and jazz, as well as a long and complicated history. But some parts of that history refused to stay behind as it galloped toward the future. Spiritual traditions like Voodoo and Hoodoo continue to flourish here, both stemming from West African religions.

It’s common to happen upon altars stacked with candles, photos, and offerings to spirits known as loa. Practitioners, or root doctors, create gris-gris bags filled with herbs, coins, and charms to protect people against evil or help them find love. There are even modern Voodoo festivals and museums that celebrate these cultural traditions.

Voodoo is a blend of Catholic saints and African deities, creating a faith focused on health and respect for ancestors. What started as resistance to oppression during the trauma of slavery has become a form of cultural survival. Today, visitors to New Orleans can even join guided “Voodoo tours” led by local historians and priestesses, where storytelling and ritual still merge in the city’s humid air.^[7]

3 The Andes

Across the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, villagers connect through buses and smartphones. Technology allows them to talk and travel to one another. However, this progress hasn’t stopped them from believing in and honoring Pachamama, the Andean earth mother.

Before planting crops, farmers bury coca leaves, pour chicha beer, or burn sweets as offerings. Each August, communities celebrate pago a la tierra, which translates to “payment to the Earth.” This ritual thanks Pachamama for fertility and protection. Miners perform similar rituals underground by leaving gifts for El Tío, the spirit believed to rule the mines.

These beliefs blend Catholic influence with Indigenous Andean cosmology. The rituals reflect both faith and ecology as villagers show gratitude toward the land that sustains them. In many towns, schools now teach these rituals as cultural heritage, ensuring that respect for Pachamama continues alongside lessons in science and technology.^[8]

2 Peru

Peru is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, not only because of Machu Picchu but also for its wonderful art markets. In these markets, traditional retablos—painted wooden boxes filled with miniature figures—tell ancient stories of faith and folklore.

Retablos originated in the Andes and once depicted saints and miracles for rural worship. In modern times, artists in Ayacucho and Lima create them to portray everyday life and national events. These boxes often contain personal prayers, so each one is both art and altar.

The Peruvian Ministry of Culture has recognized retablo-making as national heritage. Workshops also sell these sacred boxes online to collectors around the world. Despite that expansion, the essence of each retablo remains the same: gratitude, protection, and a link to a way of life now past. Some Peruvian artisans even teach online masterclasses to share their techniques globally, blending ancient craft with modern education.^[9]

1 Romania

Romania is a modern country with deep-rooted historical traditions. The country is home to landmarks like the Danube Delta and Bran Castle. It’s also synonymous with the legend of Dracula. Between the old and the new, rural folklore still makes itself heard. Some villagers continue to voice their belief in the strigoi—spirits believed to rise from the grave to wreak havoc on the living.

In 2004, villagers in Marotinul de Sus exhumed a body and burned its heart, believing the deceased was haunting relatives. Local authorities condemned the act, but it revealed how deep the fear of the undead runs in the far reaches of Romania.

Even though most Romanians believe the strigoi are just legend, many villagers still hold night vigils after a death or place garlic in doorways to keep the dead away. The strigoi are believed to be the inspiration behind modern vampire stories—a connection not hard to imagine, given that Transylvania lies in the heart of the country. Today, folklore festivals in Transylvania attract thousands of visitors, proving that the undead—and their legends—still have a pulse in the modern world.^[10]