Guests bring good luck with them.

This saying is commonly attributed to Turkish folk tradition, where hospitality (misafirperverlik) is a central social and moral value. In many Anatolian and broader Ottoman-influenced customs, receiving a guest—whether expected or unexpected—is treated as an honor and a duty, often expressed through generous food, tea, and attentive care. Proverbs like this functioned as practical social guidance: they encouraged households to welcome visitors rather than view them as a burden, and they reinforced the idea that a guest’s presence is auspicious. The sentiment also aligns with wider Near Eastern and Mediterranean beliefs that guests may carry blessing (bereket) into a home.

The proverb frames hospitality as a source of “luck,” suggesting that openness to others invites prosperity, blessing, and social goodwill. On a literal level, it reassures hosts that the costs of entertaining will be repaid—materially or spiritually—by the good fortune a guest brings. More broadly, it implies that human connection itself is beneficial: welcoming strangers strengthens community ties, reputation, and reciprocity, all of which can translate into security and opportunity. The line also subtly discourages suspicion or stinginess, presenting generosity as a practical ethic. “Luck” here can be read as both fate and the social benefits that flow from kindness.