That phrase is often the start of a superstitious or clickbait post. There is generally no evidence that certain belongings of a deceased person are inherently harmful to keep.
However, there are some practical reasons why certain items may need special handling:
Items you may need to review or dispose of
💊 Medications
- Expired or prescription medications should not usually be kept indefinitely.
- Follow local guidance for safe disposal.
📄 Sensitive documents
- Bank statements, IDs, passwords, and legal papers may need to be secured, transferred, or destroyed appropriately.
🪥 Personal hygiene items
- Toothbrushes, razors, and similar items are generally not useful to keep and may be unhygienic.
Items many people choose to keep
❤️ Photographs
❤️ Letters and cards
❤️ Jewelry
❤️ Clothing with sentimental value
❤️ Family heirlooms
Whether to keep these is a personal, cultural, or religious decision.
What the viral posts usually claim
They often say things like:
- “Never keep the shoes of a deceased person.”
- “Do not keep their watch.”
- “Keeping their belongings brings bad luck.”
These claims are based on cultural beliefs or superstition, not established evidence.
A healthier perspective
After a loss, deciding what to keep or donate is often part of the grieving process. There’s no universal rule. Some people find comfort in keeping meaningful possessions; others prefer to pass them on.
The best approach is usually:
- Keep what has value or meaning to you.
- Dispose of items that are unsafe, expired, or no longer needed.
- Respect any cultural or religious practices that are important to your family.
So the real answer is: there are no specific belongings that everyone must avoid keeping after someone dies; most such claims are based on tradition or superstition rather than evidence.
