Do you throw salt over your shoulder, avoid going under the stairs, or leave something behind for good luck when you move house? Have you ever wished on a star? Superstitions have been passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial. Here are some you may recognize and some that may be new to you. Some you will believe, others you will reject, others you can have fun with.
Apples: You’ve heard: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Or, that if you peel an apple in one long strip and recite the letters of the alphabet as you do so, the letter you’ve reached when the peel cracks is the first initial of a lover-to-be! Or, if you cut an apple in two, without cutting a seed your love wish will come true.
Bats: If a bat approaches you, someone is trying to cast a spell on you or betray you. If someone hits you or enters your house, it is a sign of death or bad luck for someone you love.
Bees: Bees bring news and you have to notify them of any death. If the bees buzz before the beginning of spring, it means that more cold will come. If they stay in their hive it means rain.
Bridges: If you make a wish while crossing a bridge, it will be granted within one year. It is also considered good luck if you are walking under a bridge when a train passes over it, even more so if the whistle blows.
Brooms: If you pass a broom under someone’s feet, that person will have bad luck for a year. Keep a broom behind the door to sweep away the witches. If a child begins to sweep, he can expect visitors and never step over a fallen broom, pick it up.
Birds – If a bird flies into your house, it usually means good luck or good news to come. If the bird is black, then bad news is on the way. Stealing a bird’s nest is bringing sadness. If you hear an owl, expect news of a death. Shooting a bird means that you will have bad luck for the rest of the year.
Candles: Many superstitions have been forgotten since the advent of electricity, but we still put candles on a cake and make a wish when we blow them out. Did you know that a strong and straight flame means the arrival of a stranger?
Cats: If a cat washes its face and paws more than three times, it can expect company. Black cats bring luck, gray cats even more luck, but white cats bring sickness. Some people believe that if a cat follows you, you can expect some money soon. If a black cat crosses your path, it is said to bring bad luck; However, there are ways to counter this, one is to go home and start over; another is to take 12 steps backwards!
Christmas: A child born on Christmas Day is supposed to be lucky and can understand the language of animals. In the northern hemisphere, a white Christmas means fewer deaths in the coming year, a lack of snow means the opposite.
Clover: Finding a four-leaf clover brings luck. Putting it in your left shoe guarantees this luck.
Coins: It is considered lucky to carry a coin with the year of your birth on it. The Scots believe that if you put a coin in each shoe on New Year’s Day, you will have money all year.
Dogs: Many people believe that a howling dog is a sign of death. If a strange dog enters your house it is considered lucky although some people believe otherwise. A dog lying at the door looking out is a sure sign of a visitor. If his dog is watching, then someone’s about to leave for the day,
Eyes, ears, eyebrows: They all have the same meaning when they sting or irritate. Right means spite, so if your right ear burns, itches, or rings, it means someone is saying bad things about you. The left is for love, so if your left ear, eye, or eyebrow itches or twitches, someone is talking fondly about you.
Nails: It is considered lucky to cut your nails on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but unlucky on a Friday. When you cut your nails, be sure to dispose of the clippings so no one can put a spell on you.
Flowers: Saying it with flowers has a whole new meaning when you consider the following: Carnations are for fidelity; the daisies say you’re sorry; honeysuckle means constancy; the lilies say “you are the only one for me”; the roses say I love you; violets indicate hope and marigolds represent wisdom.
Gloves: Dropping gloves means disappointment. You can avoid this by allowing someone else to collect them for you.
Hair: Cutting your hair when there is a new moon means that it will grow faster. A lock is considered lucky. Some people believe that the rain makes your hair grow faster. A loose hair on your shoulder means a letter before the end of the week. If you drop your comb while combing your hair, it means you’ll have an argument with the first person you meet.
Hands: If the palm of your left hand itches you will receive money, if your right hand itches it is time to pay money. Another superstition says; when two people share the same basin to wash their hands, they fight before the end of the day.
Hats: It is considered unlucky to wear a hat indoors or place a hat on the bed.
Horses: Two white horses are considered lucky. Horseshoes are said to bring good luck if they are hung over the door with the ends up. Most horseshoes have seven nail holes; the number seven is believed to be protective.
Houses: When visiting a house, never leave by the same door you entered, if this is not possible, do not let yourself be led by the door! If a door opens by itself, you can expect a visitor. If you get blocked and manage to get in through a window, you have to open the door, then get out the window and get back in through the door, otherwise bad luck will beset you for the rest of the year.
Insects: Busy ants predict bad weather. Ladybugs bring good luck. Killing spiders brings rain. Finding a spider on your clothes means a letter, money, or both.
Travel – If you return after leaving, you can expect frustrations throughout the day. To avoid this, go around three times before heading home, and then take a different route to your destination if you can. Some say that it is an omen if you start a journey on the 13th of the month, but whether it is a good omen or a bad omen is not mentioned.
Mirrors: Breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck (we’ve all heard this). Did you know that it is considered unlucky to look in a mirror by candlelight? Once the bride has dressed, she should not look back in the mirror. Don’t look in the mirror holding an animal.
Moon: Some say that it is lucky to look at the moon over the left shoulder. A halo around the moon means rain. It is considered good luck if you first see the moon through the branches of a tree.
Nails: If you find a nail with the point facing you, good luck will be yours for the rest of the day.
New Year’s Day: Empty pockets on this day means having little to no money all year, but drinking every last drop from any bottle is considered good luck! Having someone tall and dark as the first to visit you is considered lucky…
Noses: some say that if your nose itches it means that a fool will kiss you; others say that you are preparing for a fight. Body language devotees will say you’re lying. If your nose bleeds for no apparent reason, some say that you are in love!
Numbers: Who among us can say they don’t have a lucky number or two?
Opals: Thought to bring bad luck, but if you were born in Libra, this is your birthstone.
Peacock Feathers: Traditionally, peacock feathers are considered unlucky.
Playing cards: Dropping cards can bring bad luck. Cards considered unlucky include the Nine of Diamonds (the curse of Scotland). The Four of Wands (called the devil’s bedpost); and the ace of spades (often referred to as the death card if it is drawn while the cards are being cut). To change your luck, ask for a new deck, or get up from the table, turn around three times, and rejoin the game (it might seem a bit stupid doing this in the Casino, but “who cares”.
Peas: If you find a pod with nine peas in it, it’s considered a good omen, so make a wish and toss the pod over your right shoulder as you do so.
Pins – See a pin, pick it up, all day have good luck. How many times have you recited this little rhyme?
Squares: When a square falls it means bad luck. If it is a photograph or painting of someone, tragedy could soon befall that person.
Rabbit’s Foot – Unlucky for the rabbit, but considered lucky by many.
Rainbow: Make a wish when you see a rainbow and your wish will come true. If you see a rainbow on a Saturday, good luck is on its way to you.
Rats – We all know that rats leave a sinking ship, but rats leaving a house have the same meaning! Catching two rats in one trap is considered lucky!
Rings: A birthstone ring is said to bring good luck. It is considered bad luck to remove your wedding ring in public.
Shirts: Putting your shirt on inside out means you’re going to have a bad day ahead, but if you keep it on and wear it inside out, it’s supposed to bring good luck.
Shoes: It is considered bad luck to put new shoes on a table, but it is considered lucky to throw an old shoe at a newlywed, one of the reasons shoes are traditionally tied to the wedding carriage.
Skirts: Kissing the upturned hem of a skirt is supposed to bring luck to the wearer. If your petticoat hangs below your skirt you must make a wish before adjusting it or you will have a bad day ahead.
Slippers – It is supposed to be unfortunate to cross slippers as it brings a bad encounter into the house.
Scissors: If you drop a pair of scissors, you should step on them gently before picking them up to avoid arguments. Hanging your scissors on a nail or hook brings good luck. If someone gives you a pair of scissors, give them a coin in return.
Snails: Seeing lots of snails, or snails crawling to higher ground, is a sure sign of rain.
Spoons: Dropping a spoon means a visitor. Dropping a big soon means a whole family or visitors. Dropping a knife means that a strange man will call. Dropping a fork signifies the arrival of a woman.
Stars: If you wish on a star, your wish will come true. A shooting star brings good luck.
Thirteen: The number 13 has a long history and has been considered unlucky for most of it. If 13 people gather at any given time, one is said to be dead within 12 months! Some consider Friday the 13th to be bad luck; others say it is a day to test all superstitions in an effort to break any curse.
Towels: How many believe that if they drop a towel, a visitor will arrive?
Umbrella: It is considered very unlucky to leave an umbrella open or open it in a closed place.
Weddings: Losing a wedding ring can mean losing a husband/wife. If a cat sneezes in the bride’s house on her big day, it means that it rains.
Wishbones – Many of us have pulled a wishbone and made a wish while breaking the biggest part. Another superstition is that the person who gets the short piece will get married first, or if both people are already married, they will attract a lover.
Wood: How many times have you: “knocked on wood” when you want something to come true?
It doesn’t matter if you believe in superstitions or not, you have to admit that at one time or another you have thrown salt over your shoulder, knocked on wood or wondered if you were tempting fate by going under a ladder.
