Luck of the Singer

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend and it’s time for luck of the Irish! But what about the luck of the singer? For many performers, it is actually considered bad luck to be wished, “Good luck!” It is more common to wish an actor good luck by saying, “Break a leg!” There are many theories as to where this phrase comes from but in general it is the most common way to wish someone luck in the theater. However, singers do things a little bit differently. If you’d like to wish a singer good luck you should say, “Toi toi toi!” (Pronounced similarly to “Toy toy toy.”) This phrase is most common for Opera and Classical Music singers. The tradition is rooted in the idea of spitting over one's shoulder to ward off evil or bad luck. The sound of “toi toi toi” is to mimic the sound of spitting. As singers hate spreading germs, we can understand that the phrase is much more useful than the action. So the next time you are trying to cheer on a singer before a performance remember: don’t wish them luck! Say: “Toi toi toi!” 🍀