Superstition or prejudice

[mapuc]

Some of these superstition or prejudice has lived through century, many of them has change throughout time.

There are national superstition or prejudice and there's what I would call national superstition or prejudice.

One of these national is:

If a black cat cross you path it means bad luck.
Then there's a varying method to remove this.

In Denmark you shall spit three times over your left shoulder. In Sweden you shall through salt over one of your shoulders.

Here are some old Danish superstition

If the firewood pile over, means someone will die before the year is over

The ringing in the ears means that now the church bells are ringing for burial

The itching in the left hand means that you get to (get) money.

Would love to read about you countries own national superstition or prejudice.

Markus

[Platapus]

In the USA I don't think we have any national superstitions, primarily because we are a mixing bowl/salad plate when it comes to culture.

[Von Due]

The black cat crossing the road is well known in Norway as well although I do prefer Groucho Marx's "a black cat crossing the road means it's going somewhere".

Never wish a fisherman good luck fishing as it brings bad luck fishing

Never enter someone's home wearing a hat or cap as it brings misfortune to everybody

Whistling at the sun causes rain

A farmer should, around christmas, put a bowl of porridge in the barn for the local gnome, so that he will continue to protect the farm, the crop, the animals, the farmer and his family. If that fails, do not send porridge to the agricultural dept. for financial aid.

[Jimbuna]

Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England.

[mapuc]

In the USA I don't think we have any national superstitions, primarily because we are a mixing bowl/salad plate when it comes to culture.

That's true. Many of these superstitions and/or prejudice is somehow(not 100 % sure) based on culture.

I sad to myself it must be some kind of superstition in the States.

Found this

https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/most-common-superstitions-in-the-united-states

Markus

[Platapus]

Yeah, I can see the Knock on Wood one as being popular here in the USA.

[Jeff-Groves]

In the U.S.A. anyway.
Tall buildings don't have a floor 13.
It goes from 12 to 14
The belief 13 is an unlucky number dates back to the Knights Templar betrayal by the Pope and King of France.
Who both suffered that betrayal.

[Jeff-Groves]

Having a rabbits foot is considered lucky by many.
Unfortunately that foot was not lucky for the donating Rabbit!

[Jeff-Groves]

In the Irish story of the blacksmith and the devil, one day a blacksmith was working hard in his shop forging horseshoes.
Suddenly, the devil appeared and demanded his own shoes.
The blacksmith, recognizing the devil, took a burning hot shoe and nailed it deep into the devil's hooves.
After walking away, the devil was in such excruciating pain, he ripped the horseshoes off and swore he would never go near one again.
Thus, the tradition of hanging a horseshoe over the entrance of a house to ward off evil spirits was born.

[Jeff-Groves]

Breaking a mirror.
7 years bad luck is credited to the Romans, who are said to have believed that life renewed itself every seven years. Damaging a mirror was tantamount to damaging one’s health and therefore brought about a calamity that would not be fully righted until the next seven-year cycle had passed.

[mapuc]

Interesting input you have posted.

Let start with the last-About horseshoe.

In Denmark and Sweden hanging a horseshoe above the entrance door means Luck

In one of the country-the opening has to hang down-wards so the luck can come out of the shoe-while in the other the opening has to be upwards so the luck can be contained and not escape.

Number 13-Is also consider a unlucky number here.
Here the story is quit different.
Here the story behind 13 is based on Jesus last supper.

The Number 13 as an unlucky number is mentioned in many religion, such as Nordic mythology and the bible.

Knock on wood is also popular here in Scandinavia.
It is used when you say something like "I will never-something" after this you may say knock on wood and most do use their fingerbones and knock on the table.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.

[Threadfin]

It's considered bad juju to rename a ship.


When a ship is given a name it is registered in the Ledger of the Deep. If one changes the ship's name, Poseidon will see this as an attempt to slip one by, and misfortune soon follows. Never rename a ship.


I'm not a superstitious man by nature, but I do stick to this. For example in Elite Dangerous if I want change a ship's name I will sell this one and buy an identical one, taking a bit of a hit in the wallet. But far be it for me to tempt fate! :)

[Platapus]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/newhobbyfarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/11173517/superstition-friday-the-13th-small-800.jpg

[August]

In the USA I don't think we have any national superstitions, primarily because we are a mixing bowl/salad plate when it comes to culture.


Yeah whatever beliefs an ethnic group brings with them there are a dozen others who would declare it to be superstitious nonsense.

[August]

The Number 13 as an unlucky number is mentioned in many religion, such as Nordic mythology and the bible.


Thirteen is a hugely significant number in many different and sometimes odd ways. For example:

A noose has thirteen loops.
A gallows has 13 steps.
A Cockroach heart has 13 chambers.
A poker deck has four suits of 13 cards.
A Jewish boy becomes a man at age 13.
A sailors "crackerjack" uniform trousers has 13 buttons.
There were 13 dwarves in the Hobbit.
There were 13 people at the last supper
There were 13 original states when the US was formed.
I've been in buildings that don't have a 13th floor (elevator buttons go straight from 12 to 14).

[Jimbuna]

A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horseshoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horseshoe if it is upside down.

Horseshoes are generally a sign of good luck and feature on many good luck cards.

[mapuc]

A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horseshoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horseshoe if it is upside down.

Horseshoes are generally a sign of good luck and feature on many good luck cards.

Wrote following in post #11

"In Denmark and Sweden hanging a horseshoe above the entrance door means Luck

In one of the country-the opening has to hang down-wards so the luck can come out of the shoe-while in the other the opening has to be upwards so the luck can be contained and not escape"

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Pretty similar to that of the UK then :yep:

[Bilge_Rat]

Apparently, the tradition of Friday the 13th being an unlucky day goes back to Friday, October 13th, 1307 when the King of France ordered the arrest of the leadership of the Knights Templar. The King owed large amounts of money to the order and layed false charges of heresy to get out of repaying. Many were burned at the stake and the order was dissolved:

At dawn on Friday, 13 October 1307 (a date sometimes linked with the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition)[37][38] King Philip IV ordered de Molay and scores of other French Templars to be simultaneously arrested. The arrest warrant started with the phrase: "Dieu n'est pas content, nous avons des ennemis de la foi dans le Royaume" ["God is not pleased. We have enemies of the faith in the kingdom"].[39] Claims were made that during Templar admissions ceremonies, recruits were forced to spit on the Cross, deny Christ, and engage in indecent kissing; brethren were also accused of worshipping idols, and the order was said to have encouraged homosexual practices.[40] These allegations, though, were highly politicised without any real evidence.[41] Still, the Templars were charged with numerous other offences such as financial corruption, fraud, and secrecy.[42] Many of the accused confessed to these charges under torture (even though the Templars denied being tortured in their written confessions), and their confessions, even though obtained under duress, caused a scandal in Paris. The prisoners were coerced to confess that they had spat on the Cross: "Moi, Raymond de La Fère, 21 ans, reconnais que [j'ai] craché trois fois sur la Croix, mais de bouche et pas de cœur" ["I, Raymond de La Fère, 21 years old, admit that I have spat three times on the Cross, but only from my mouth and not from my heart"]. The Templars were accused of idolatry and were suspected of worshiping either a figure known as Baphomet or a mummified severed head they recovered, amongst other artifacts, at their original headquarters on the Temple Mount that many scholars theorize might have been that of John the Baptist, among other things.[43]

Relenting to Phillip's demands, Pope Clement then issued the papal bull Pastoralis praeeminentiae on 22 November 1307, which instructed all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets.[44] Pope Clement called for papal hearings to determine the Templars' guilt or innocence, and once freed of the Inquisitors' torture, many Templars recanted their confessions. Some had sufficient legal experience to defend themselves in the trials, but in 1310, having appointed the archbishop of Sens, Philippe de Marigny, to lead the investigation, Philip blocked this attempt, using the previously forced confessions to have dozens of Templars burned at the stake in Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#Arrests,_charges_and_dissolution

[mapuc]

^
The tradition that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day

is almost an international superstition

So far so good-but the story behind it change from country or area to country or area.

As mentioned here in Scandinavia 13 as unlucky number is based on the Bible
Jesus last supper.

I find it very interesting- We have same superstition-but reason why is different.

Markus

[Jeff-Groves]

Spilling Salt has different means in many places.
Some say it opens the door to let Satan into your life.
Others just say it's bad luck depending on who the spill points at.

It's claimed tossing salt over your left shoulder keeps Satan at bay.
Satan is said to lurk over your left shoulder looking for a way to influence you.

[Jimbuna]

Unlucky to open an umbrella indoors.

[Jeff-Groves]

If one side of a penny brings good luck, the other side brings bad.
This is where the heads up for luck and tails for bad luck comes from.
If you find a penny with the “good” side up, pick it up.
If the “bad” side is up, leave it be.

If you find a dime in your house?
It's probably a spider paying you rent.

[Jeff-Groves]

It is bad luck to loan your broom to anyone, even a good friend.

[Jimbuna]

Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs.

[mapuc]

Thank you for your interesting comment.

I think most of these superstition is concentrating on death and unluck.

I remember one from my mom.

One day I used a candlelight to lighten my cigaret and my mom said.

Every time you do this a sailor will lose his or her life.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out.

[Jimbuna]

In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house!

[August]

In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house!




So there is no chance for my cousin Nigel's Yorkshire Bakery and Funeral Parlor? He'll sure get a rise out of that news!

[Jimbuna]

So there is no chance for my cousin Nigel's Yorkshire Bakery and Funeral Parlor? He'll sure get a rise out of that news!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObpcGNCU944

[August]

I dunno, Drummer Dude looked pretty stiff. At yeast he should quit loafing around and rattle them bones a little harder.

[iambecomelife]

I dunno, Drummer Dude looked pretty stiff. At yeast he should quit loafing around and rattle them bones a little harder.

:haha:

My mom & dad are African/Caribbean (with traces of various European mixture) - in our culture it's bad luck to call a child by his/her real name, so almost everyone has a nickname that's nothing like their real name. :) And on top of that, people often have a 3rd name that makes fun of some characteristic - for example, a friend of mine with a big head is called "Headless". Kind of mean but funny. It's an old African tradition brought over to the New World by slaves & their descendants.

[Jimbuna]

If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if you drop a fork a female visitor.

Crossed cutlery on your plate and expect a quarrel.

Leave a white tablecloth on a table overnight and expect a death.

[Jimbuna]

One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough. (Bears used to roam Britain but now they are not seen on our shores)

[Jimbuna]

In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost.

[August]

One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough. (Bears used to roam Britain but now they are not seen on our shores)




Hmmm, :hmmm: Bet a dude could have made a fair pocket of change if he had a trained bear and a saddle back in the day!

[Jimbuna]

Hmmm, :hmmm: Bet a dude could have made a fair pocket of change if he had a trained bear and a saddle back in the day!

:):yeah:

[Jeff-Groves]

Bananas are considered bad luck on a ship as are Women.

[Jimbuna]

It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats.

[Jimbuna]

If a Sparrow enters a house it is an omen of death to one of the people who live there. In some areas it is believed that to avoid bad luck, any Sparrow caught must be immediately killed otherwise the person who caught it will die.

[Jimbuna]

In some areas black Rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White Rabbits are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the Rabbit.

[Jimbuna]

It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a Peacock within the home or handle anything made with them. This is possibly because of the eye shape present upon these feathers i.e. the Evil-Eye associated with wickedness.

[iambecomelife]

In some areas black Rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White Rabbits are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the Rabbit.

When I was a kid in the 1990's rabbit's feet became popular for good luck. Especially with girls in my school; they would often have a fake rabbit's foot dyed a "girly" color, with pink or purple fur. For some reason the craze died out around 1993 - 1994. :hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

When I was a kid in the 1990's rabbit's feet became popular for good luck. Especially with girls in my school; they would often have a fake rabbit's foot dyed a "girly" color, with pink or purple fur. For some reason the craze died out around 1993 - 1994. :hmmm:

Pretty obvious really....the rabbits ran out of feet :O:

[August]

Rabbits feet died out? There sure seems like a lot of places selling them still.

[Texas Red]

I remember the last time I ever used Rabbit's feet was maybe 5-6 years ago. Haven't touched one since.
Rabbits feet died out? There sure seems like a lot of places selling them still.

I think he is referring to the publicity and craze that came from them. When someone says "died out" they usually mean that with society it is not popular anymore. Like how Music.ly died out really quick when Tik Tok launched, so it is not mentioned anymore. And how the "Bernie Mittens Meme" is dead. Nobody really cares for it anymore. That may be biased though since I am comparing this with a bunch of teenagers and not the 30+ year olds who find it funny.

I found a superstition here in the US that seven is a lucky number. In my opinion it is in someway since it symbolizes "divine-ness or holiness or completeness" Like in Revelation you have the "seven seal plagues, seven trumpet plauges, seven churches, seven angels" or how God made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th, creating the 7 day cycle.

I am pretty religious.

[August]

I think he is referring to the publicity and craze that came from them. When someone says "died out" they usually mean that with society it is not popular anymore.


Thank you for the lecture but I do know what he was referring to. What i'm saying that it's still popular enough that selling them still generates a fair amount of business. Do you understand?

[iambecomelife]

I've been thinking about this, and I guess what happened was that we gradually got more mature; this was shortly before junior high - in a few years boys and girls began to get interested in each other, and you wouldn't get caught dead doing something "uncool". lol. Purple rabbit's feet attached to your backpack were out. :D Kind of like how, when you reach a certain age, you don't talk about playing with matchbox cars as a guy. Or having Barbies & tea parties if you're a girl. lol. that would be social suicide...and thus no boyfriend/girlfriend prospects!

There were a bunch of wacky 1990's and early 2000's fads when I was young now that I remember it - pogs, different playing card series, a blue lipstick fad for girls, etc etc. Some were "socially acceptable", others marked you as kind of a "nerd" or "immature" to be honest. :haha: I'm sure everyone remembers how brutal the school social scene can be. :doh:

[Jimbuna]

Bride and groom must not meet on the day of the wedding except at the altar.

The bride should never wear her complete wedding clothes before the day.

For good luck the bride should wear “something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new”.

The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold of their home.

[Buddahaid]

Bride and groom must not meet on the day of the wedding except at the altar.

The bride should never wear her complete wedding clothes before the day.

For good luck the bride should wear “something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new”.

The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold of their home.

Oh the humanity.....

Domination starts before the wedding.

[iambecomelife]

Bride and groom must not meet on the day of the wedding except at the altar.

The bride should never wear her complete wedding clothes before the day.

For good luck the bride should wear “something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new”.

The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold of their home.

I remember someplace in Eastern Europe the bride & groom are tied together, literally, on the day of the wedding! Like Siamese Twins. :haha: I think that might be a good idea, given what the divorce rate is in the States these days - some friends of a friend literally separated about a month after the honeymoon!

[Texas Red]

Thank you for the lecture but I do know what he was referring to. What i'm saying that it's still popular enough that selling them still generates a fair amount of business. Do you understand?

Oh yes, i see. My apologies for not understanding

[Jimbuna]

Celebrating or even congratulating someone on a birthday before the day arrives brings bad luck, at least in Russia that is.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Place Two Mirrors Opposite Each Other. The infinite reflections may look cool, but in Mexico and elsewhere facing mirrors open a doorway for the devil.

[Jimbuna]

Never Stick Your Chopstick Straight Up

Poking chopsticks down into your food is a big no-no in Japan. The utensils look like the unlucky number four, which means death, and also the incense sticks used at funerals.

[Jimbuna]

Give a Penny If You've Received Something Sharp

Gifting anything with a blade can supposedly sever a relationship, so if you receive a knife set or a pair of scissors as a present, give the person a coin in return.

[Catfish]

Pretty obvious really....the rabbits ran out of feet :O:
But the rabbit crutches industry boomed, so there's MONEY in it..

[Jimbuna]

Don't Go Right Home After a Funeral

A Filipino tradition called "pagpag" dictates that people never go straight back to the house after a wake. Otherwise a bad spirit might tag along and come inside. Mourners will make a stop at a restaurant or store first just in case.

[Jimbuna]

Whistling Indoors Invites Evil

Whistling while you work may be an issue in Lithuania where it's forbidden to whistle indoors because the noise is believed to summon demons.

[August]

But the rabbit crutches industry boomed, so there's MONEY in it..


Dude, Rabbit Wheel Chairs.



https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/X7RFT2L8VhtrO6VvaSqNVclMAz7xs0fuM-b2tjxrzBbCZS4nRsU3X2Xl6K9mXhVnpUUayvpL8SCwGPbwhVNc qYllkwfmzq4wZpni1S-tfn-ZAwa0rE2izjN42LNdZWshttps://s3fs.bestfriends.org/s3fs-public/styles/main_subpage/public/news/15/09/04/SIFargoWheelchair5904.jpg?itok=yyfJLv6o

[iambecomelife]

Whistling Indoors Invites Evil

Whistling while you work may be an issue in Lithuania where it's forbidden to whistle indoors because the noise is believed to summon demons.

Forgot about whistling! for some of my relatives, whistling is culturally inappropriate for women - not really bad luck but it's sort of a sin, lol, or considered acting like a man. Indoors, outdoors, or anywhere.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Cheers With Water

A German superstition declares that if you cheers with water you're actually wishing death upon the people you're drinking with. The idea stems from Greek mythology.

[Jimbuna]

Avoid Sleeping With Your Head to the North

According to Japanese superstition, sleeping with your head in this direction is bad luck because that's how the deceased are laid to rest.

[Sean C]

Don't Go Right Home After a Funeral

A Filipino tradition called "pagpag" dictates that people never go straight back to the house after a wake. Otherwise a bad spirit might tag along and come inside. Mourners will make a stop at a restaurant or store first just in case.


So they just leave the evil spirit at the restaurant? :hmmm: That's rude. :haha:


Whistling Indoors Invites Evil

Whistling while you work may be an issue in Lithuania where it's forbidden to whistle indoors because the noise is believed to summon demons.


Whistling on a boat was also often forbidden. It was said that one could "whistle up a storm".

[Jimbuna]

Avoid Sleeping With Your Head to the North

According to Japanese superstition, sleeping with your head in this direction is bad luck because that's how the deceased are laid to rest.

And Avoid Sleeping With Your Head to the West

Conversely, the same superstition exists in Africa if you sleep with your head to the west.

[August]

So they just leave the evil spirit at the restaurant? :hmmm: That's rude. :haha:



Right? And whats to stop an evil spirit from hitching a ride with people leaving the restaurant? You go for lunch at that place down the road from the cemetery and you come back with an upset stomach AND evil spirits. Doesn't sound like that would make a good Phantom Gourmet review.

[Sean C]

Maybe that's why they're evil. People keep ditching them at restaurants. I'd at least be a little cranky, myself.

[Jimbuna]

Keep Your New Shoes Off the Table

In Britain, it's considered bad luck because it is supposed to symbolize the death of a loved one. Back in the day, placing someone's shoes on a table was a way to let their family know that they passed away. Nowadays, it's also just bad etiquette.

[Jimbuna]

Itchy Hands Have Financial Repercussions

In Turkey, an itchy right hand means you'll come into some money but an itch on your left means you'll lose money.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Play With Scissors

Crafters beware! Idly playing with scissors will bring bad luck according to Egyptian lure.

[Jimbuna]

Stepping in Dog Poop Isn't Necessarily Bad

This one seems unlucky all around but just go with it. Stepping in dog poop is actually considered good luck in France if you do it with your left foot. It's only bad luck if you step with your right foot.

[Jimbuna]

Bird Poop Brings Good Fortune

According to a Russian superstition, bird poop that lands on you or something that belongs to you will bring you wealth.

[Jimbuna]

Owls Are Bad Omens

There's an Egyptian superstition that if you see or hear an owl, terrible news is coming.

[Jimbuna]

And an Owl in Your House Brings Death

Also, an Italian superstition says that if an owl ends up in your house, someone in your family will die.

[Jimbuna]

Knitting Outside Can Prolong Winter

If you're in Iceland, keep the knitting inside the house. There's a local superstition that doing your needlework on on your doorstep will keep those temps frigid.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Play With Yo-Yos

Syria banned Yo-Yos in 1933 over fear that they would cause a drought.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Get a Haircut on Tuesdays


Getting a haircut on a Tuesday in India will cause bad luck, based on legend.

[Jimbuna]

Giving Yellow Flowers Is Not a Nice Gesture

Gifting yellow flowers in Russia means that you're cursing your friend with infidelity.

[Jimbuna]

Spilling Water Behind Someone Is a Nice Gesture


In Serbia, it's believed to bring good luck if you drip water behind a person.

[Jimbuna]

Wedding Bells Ward Off Evil

Irish brides have been known to wear bells on their dresses to ward off evil spirits who might try to ruin their marriage.

[Jimbuna]

Eating Goat Meat Could Get Hairy

Superstitious women in Rwanda don't eat goat meat over fear that it will cause them to grow facial hair.

[Jimbuna]

Pregnant Women Should Give Into Their Cravings

There's a Canadian superstition that expectant mothers who are craving fish but don't eat it will end up having a baby with a fish-head.

[Jimbuna]

Pregnant Women Should Not, However Eat Asymmetrical Foods

There's a Korean superstition that nibbling unshapely food while pregnant means you will end up with an ugly baby.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Walk Backwards

In Portugal, it's considered bad luck to walk backwards. The common belief is that if you do, you're showing the devil which way you're going.

[August]

Jim is this like a hobby of yours? You're like a fountain of superstition lore! :)

[Jimbuna]

Retirement/lockdown boredom :doh:

[Jimbuna]

Don't Walk Under a Ladder

We're all fairly familiar with this one, but some may not know that the superstition dates back to medieval times. The ladder, back then, symbolized the gallows where people were hanged.

[Jimbuna]

Go to the Hospital on Wednesdays

An old wives' tale states that the best day to go to the hospital is, in fact, Hump Day.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Say the Same Word at the Same Time as Your Friend

According to The Local, in Italy, if you say the same word as someone in unison, you'll never get married (yikes!). To undo this bad juju, you must immediately touch your nose.

[Sean C]

There is a similar tradition in the U.S., although it is much more of a children's game. If two people say the same thing at the same time, the first to say "jinx" is allowed to subject the other person to some sort of silly rule for the rest of the day. I have heard of many variations of this game.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Sing at the Dinner Table

In the Netherlands, singing your favorite tune means you're singing to the devil for your food.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Sit at the Corner of the Table

Another act causing you to be barren in the marriage department? Sitting at the corner of the dinner table, according to Hungarian and Russian superstitions.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Wear Red During a Storm

In the Philippines, it's believed that the color red attracts lightning.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Enter a Room With Your Left Foot

In Spain, walking into a room with your left foot will bring you bad luck. It's always better to enter or leave with your right.

[Jimbuna]

Eat Grapes on New Year's Eve

In Spain, instead of kissing someone at midnight to celebrate the New Year, they're encouraged to eat 12 grapes one after the other for good luck.

[Jimbuna]

Hide Your Thumbs When Passing a Graveyard

People tend to hold their breath when they pass cemeteries, but in Japan, you must tuck your thumbs in to protect your parents.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Step on a Manhole

We all know the phrase: "Step on a crack, break your mother's back." But in Sweden, you have to watch out for manholes. If you step on one with the letter A, this will bring you a broken heart and bad luck.

[August]

There is a similar tradition in the U.S., although it is much more of a children's game. If two people say the same thing at the same time, the first to say "jinx" is allowed to subject the other person to some sort of silly rule for the rest of the day. I have heard of many variations of this game.




In my neighborhood the first one to say jinx was allowed to punch the other guy in the bicep. Very similar to the game of Pediddle where a passing car with a missing headlight provides the trigger.

[Jeff-Groves]

3rd on a match is bad luck.
Comes from the Great War where lighting a smoke could get you a fast bullet from a Sniper!

[Jimbuna]

Don't Trim Your Nails at Night

Many cultures believe that cutting your nails after the sun goes down is a big N-O. According to U.S. News, one Japanese superstition states it can cause premature death.

[August]

Are these superstitions cumulative? If only a 10th of the ones in this thread are true I died, horribly, sometime in 2011. :hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

Can't say for certain because I know of nobody living who has had personal experiences of them :)

[Jimbuna]

Don't Chew Gum at Night

In Turkey, chewing gum at night is apparently the equivalent of chewing on the flesh of the dead.

[Sean C]

That's really weird.

[Reece]

Are these superstitions cumulative? If only a 10th of the ones in this thread are true I died, horribly, sometime in 2011. :hmmm:
I died a minute ago!! Just ask my wife!! :oops: :yep:

[August]

I died a minute ago!! Just ask my wife!! :oops: :yep:




Everything in your country is so poisonous, it's a wonder that you've survived this long! :D

[Jimbuna]

Don't Jump Over a Child

Another thing you shouldn't do in Turkey? Jump over a child. Doing this will curse them to be short. Forever.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Kiss Babies on the Lips

If you plant one on a baby in Nigeria, legend says you'll condemn them to spend their entire adult lives drooling.

[Sean C]

Also weird.

[Jimbuna]

Carry an Acorn to Stay Forever Young

Women in Ancient Britain often kept acorns in their pockets to ensure a youthful complexion.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Let Your Purse Touch the Floor

In Brazil, putting your purse or wallet on the floor means you'll become penniless.

[Jimbuna]

Don't Tempt Your Fate

In Cuba, if you declare that it's "el ultimo," or your last drink, then you're tempting fate and death will shortly follow.

[Jimbuna]

Avoid Sleeping With Fans On

Many South Koreans do not sleep with fans running in closed rooms — if they do, it's believed to be fatal.

[August]

Avoid Sleeping With Fans On

Many South Koreans do not sleep with fans running in closed rooms — if they do, it's believed to be fatal.




Maybe if they stopped sharpening the blades and strengthened their ceiling attachments a bit.

[Jimbuna]

Knock on Wood

Knocking on wood, naturally, is one of the most prevalent superstitions people talk about.

[August]

Knock on Wood

Knocking on wood, naturally, is one of the most prevalent superstitions people talk about.


According to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199990009.001.0001/acref-9780199990009), “traditionally, certain trees, such as the oak, ash, hazel, hawthorn and willow, had a sacred significance and thus protective powers.”
Furthermore, the theory goes, Christian reformers in Europe may have deliberately transformed this heathenish belief into a more acceptable Christian one by introducing the idea that the “wood” in “knock on wood” referred to the wood of the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion.
However, no tangible evidence supports these origin stories.
The Oxford English Dictionary traces the phrase (https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203877) “touch wood” only back to the early 19th century, locating its origins in a British children’s tag game called Tiggy-touch-wood, in which children could make themselves “exempt…from capture [by] touching wood.”
Of course, much folklore is learned informally, by word of mouth or customary behavior. So it’s possible – even likely – that the phrase and the ritual predate its first appearance in print


https://theconversation.com/why-we-knock-on-wood-for-luck-129864

[Sean C]

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the phrase (https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203877) “touch wood” only back to the early 19th century, locating its origins in a British children’s tag game called Tiggy-touch-wood, in which children could make themselves “exempt…from capture [by] touching wood.”



That reminds me of an origin story I heard [read?] somewhere about the phrase "Olly, olly oxen free!" when playing a game of "hide-and-seek" in the U.S.


The story goes that a similar game was played in Germany and that, when the person who was "it" [i.e. the seeker] could not find the remaining hiders - they would declare "Alle, alle auch sind frei!", meaning "All the rest are free!" [literally: "All, all also are free!"]


So, when German immigrants commingled with other American immigrants, the phrase became perverted into the meaningless English phrase which probably no one but myself and Mr. Burns remembers today.


Then again, I could be suffering from that syndrome where people mis-remember the past and which is complete B.S. :hmmm:

[Armistead]

Some southern mountain superstitions

Got to hold your breath walking through or by a graveyard. No clue why.
If you wear new shoes to a funeral it's bad luck
Put acorns on things you don't want struck by lightning.
See an owl during the day someone you know is gonna die
Hanging cloth diapers on a clothesline at night summons evil
We use to play "jump over a crack or break your momma's back" as a kid
If you swallow a watermelon seed it will grow in your belly and explode your stomach
Brick dust spread at a doorway will keep evil from entering
Never put moonshine in #13 mason jar, bring bad luck. The lore is shiners always broke them so not many on the market today. I come from the moonshine capitol county of the world and have asked many old folks and they say they used them or never cared to look and it's a myth, but the myth drives the price up of a #13 Ball mason jar.
One of my grandmaws....If you slam the screen door it will bring you back luck...like a switch

[d@rk51d3]

Some southern mountain superstitions

If you swallow a watermelon seed it will grow in your belly and explode your stomach


Brother in law was rushed to hospital may years back.
Opened him up, and his appendix was jam packed full of them, to the point of bursting.

Apparently, if you swallow them whole there is that risk, but if you bite them through they'll pass. :06:

[Sean C]

We use to play "jump over a crack or break your momma's back" as a kid
If you swallow a watermelon seed it will grow in your belly and explode your stomach


Same here. My mother's side of the family is from West Virginia and I lived there for a short time. WV gets a bad rap, but it's [mostly] not true.



One of my grandmaws....If you slam the screen door it will bring you back luck...like a switch


LOL! Reminds me of my grandma! Damn, I miss her. :'(


Brother in law was rushed to hospital may years back.
Opened him up, and his appendix was jam packed full of them, to the point of bursting.

Apparently, if you swallow them whole there is that risk, but if you bite them through they'll pass. :06:


You have got to be s#!++ing me. In his appendix? :hmmm: I might have to look this up.