Source: NY Times

Italy’s highest court ruled that men may not touch their genitals in public. The ruling settled an appeal by a 42-year-old worker from Como, north of Milan, who was convicted in May 2006 of “ostentatiously touching his genitals through his clothing,” though his lawyer argued it was a problem with his overalls.

But the court struck against a broader practice: a tradition among some Italian men of warding off bad luck by grabbing the crotch. The court ruled that this “has to be regarded as an act contrary to public decency, a concept including that nexus of socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain from conduct potentially offensive to collectively held feelings of decorum.” The judges suggested that if they need to, men can wait and do it at home.

Source: Telegraph

According to Italian folklore, a swift grasp of one’s generative organs - known by Italians as their “attributi” - protects against bad luck. A funeral procession passing by, or disaster or disease cropping up in conversation, therefore brings a flurry of men’s hands descending crotchwards.

the phrase “io mi tocco i…”, or “I touch my…”, is still used in much the same way as “touch wood” is in English.

LOL… wood.
Eyy, forgettaboutit!