Superstitions (maybe a mega) thread

[HokusPokusButBetterNotRiskingIt]

Inspired by not doing washing on NYD, superstitions thread! Big and small, all are welcome.

Please, do say where they are from as well approximately.
No rude exclamations of how stupid these or people keeping these are, please.

I will start😁
Born in Central European country, we (generally, but most people I know) don't sweep or taking rubbish out on Christmas Eve to not to sweep away or take out our luck accidentally with the rubbish.
Great discussion ensued about robot hooversbeing allowed or not. Did not risk it so Eufy had day off too.
And no hanging washing, or someone you know might die that year, so all is put away on 23rd evening.

NYD needs small things like rice, lentils so more of tiny bits you eat for lunch, the more money the year will bring. (lentils/rice/wheat etc representing coins basically)
NYD no hanging washing, so no washing to not bring grief.

Never cross hands with anyone when cheering with glasses. Death will come between. I very much keep that.

If it's nice clear weather on Epiphany, wheat harvest will be excellent.

I'm quite superstitious really, the ones I try to do / remember are

• No housework on NYD, or you'll wash someone out of your life
• salute magpies
• no walking under ladders or over rows of 3 drains
• salt over the shoulder
• new shoes off the table
• Christmas tree doesn't go up until 13th and comes down on 6th
• knock on wood, or touch wood
• we say white rabbits on the 1st of every month

Don't walk under road signs

I am Irish and there are a few superstitions I remember.

I don't do all of these I hasten to add!

Things like fairy rings and fairy trees. Don't piss off the fairies! If you get into a fairy ring you might not be able to find your way out again. If you cut down a fairy tree you will have awful luck - editing to say "awful luck" is a bit of an understatement

If you break 2 x things, you should go down the garden and break a third thing.

If a bird flies into your windscreen you should turn around and go home.

If you go to someone's house you have to go out the same door (or is it the other door?) you came in by.

If you see a magpie you don't salute, you spit (gross, I know) and say "morning john"

Don’t damage or take anything from a fairy fort. Don’t bring hawthorn into the house.

Ireland.

I was thinking about saluting magpies but I had a group of like 20 around the house and would just not do anything else😂

I also still cary fish scale in my wallet from Christmas dinner years ago.

Don't leave purses/wallets empty.

I don’t walk under ladders. I often worry about pissing off fairies based on folklore especially when I’m out and about in fields with my dog.
My beloved late dad was flat out with Holy Water on May Eve to prevent piseogs (basically bad spirits).

Theres an amazing Seanchaí (story teller) called Eddie Lenihan I recommend, he gives fantastic talks on Irish folklore. I do enjoy his tales about various traditions and language.

I can remember a former boss going ballistic at me because I put the new years calendar up before the end of the current year
is that a superstition? Or just him.? I don’t know any others - not my thing

My Russian grandmother was horrified that I gave my toddler a ‘mirror’ to play with
Burn nail clippings

Baby pram cannot enter home before the baby so people keep them with family, friends or neighbours.

No umbrellas up indoors
No new shoes on the table
Something about turning inside out clothes the right way (or was it inside out and back to front?!)

On Old Year's Night at midnight, someone has to open the front door and someone has to open the back door to let the good luck flow through the house.

Salt over the shoulder.

When you've used an egg you need to break the shells to stop witches sailing in them and sinking sailors. (I don't do this because a.) it's ridiculous and b.) I like witches, let them have a little cruise if they want to.)

I practice virtually all of the ones @OnlyYellowRoses mentions plus:

When giving the gift of a handbag or a purse, you have to include a coin to ensure ongoing wealth
Knives, or any blades I suppose, cannot be given as a gift, there has to be a financial transaction (usually of a penny) otherwise the friendship will be cut.

Scottish east coast with a mother from the Scottish west coast.

I am loving the fairies bits by the way.

I am probably more OCD than superstitious then I reckon as I don't do any of the above.

However if I don't do a certain thing in order then I worry something bad will happen.

superstitions that I naturally follow are. no shoes on the table, no umbrellas indoors, salute to a single magpie and say "hello mr magpie, where's your family ?" don't walk under ladders(tbh that's just sensible anyway lol) don't cross on the stairs, there are prob more but can't remember of the top of my head. DD told me last night that she shouldn't have washed her hair because she might have washed the good luck for the year away lol hadn't heard of that before that .

oh I thought of some more, if you drop a knife it's bad luck to pick it up again so ask someone to pick it up for you, salt over the shoulder I do too. told you there was prob more 😂

I grew up with loads but don’t let them be part of my life now. The only one that makes sense is to not walk under a ladder, that’s just common sense.I put a wash on , on NYD and thought of my old neighbour . She’d have turned in her grave!

We alao broke a plate at the wedding for luck and cleaned it together (to show how the partnership works)

I think that’s more to do with getting ahead of yourself and countingyour chickens before you get there. DM was like that. She’d never talk about any event in future as a given, it would always be followed by ‘please God’. My DGM( her mum) would say ‘if God spares me’ which in her Irish accent would sound like ‘ if God spears me’ which we all found hilarious.

Saluting magpies, never give an empty purse as a gift (always pop a coin in), silvering babies (tuck a coin in the pram), never give knives as a gift.

I've accidentally done the rice and lentils for lunch thing yesterday! Hope it works 💰 🤑

Don’t cut a baby’s hair before they can speak (West Indian superstition).

Don’t walk across 3 drains.

Don’t walk between the two poles holding up a road sign (and if you do, you have to say “double cheese” afterwards. Don’t ask me where that one came from. I have no idea).

Don’t put new shoes on a table.

Don’t let your money plant die.

My Chinese friend once told me don't put your handbag on the floor or your money will flow out.