> I instantly recognized it as German

Meidung is a little more general in German, though it's also used in conjunction with Volksglaube. Usually it simply takes on the meaning of 'avoidance', but it's by no means in everyday usage. The verb on the other hand (meiden), in all it's forms is far more common as is vermeiden.
Vermeidung, used in reference to an object (physical or abstract), rather than a person is several times more common too.