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.

Covering mirrors if there's a death, salt over the shoulder (into the devil's eye), don't break a mirror, and if you break 2 things, break a third thing. I break sticks from the garden or tear fabric.

Irish. Make sure you get a piece of straw from the crib in church (after it's been blessed) and put in your purse, wallet or phone case to avoid ever being short of dosh during the coming year. A bit of it in the house has a general apotropaic effect.

I suspect the English superstitions around May (the month and the plant) are specifically related to not wanting to be seen as Catholic, and it's interesting to see it turning up here (not just on this thread).

I shall bring something for fairies next time I am picking something in the forests 😁 Thanks!

Catch a falling leaf and keep it for a year for good luck. You have to get rid after 1 year though.

@DeanElderberry as I said upthread, I always thought it was to do with Anne Boleyn being married in May with May flowers. That would absolutely tie in with the whole Protestant/Catholic issue.

London, with Irish roots

No new shoes on the table
No putting umbrellas up indoors
If you see a single magpie, you have to say ‘Good morning etc Mr Magpie, how’s the family?’
If your right palm itches, you’ll be getting money. If your left palm itches, you’ll be losing it.
Touching wood
7 years bad luck if you break a mirror
Holding your collar if a funeral is passing

Well, Irish fairies aren’t cute and miniature, they’re acquisitive, amoral and given to kidnapping new babies and nursing mothers and replacing them with changelings.

@WilfredsPies

Yes, to itchy palms and coming into money
Break a mirror and 7yrs bad luck
1 magpie for sorrow and 2 for joy

Oh yeah. I am just loving learning about these.

Gennie is also evil, not happy creature giving 3 wishes, not like many people think (cheers disney)

My gran would go nuts if you put a pair of shoes on the table - I had no idea until I did that once and my mum told me. They were also funny about:

Standing with your back to the door edge;
Carrying a spade through the house;
Opening an umbrella in the house;
Giving knives as a present (a penny would be produced in exchange);
Wearing your best clothes on NYE and
You may not be your own first foot (ie if one of your party is tall dark bloke, don't send him outside to be the first foot. It's not done!)

I’ve never heard about the month of May being unlucky as a month but there’s a lot of beliefs about May Eve/May Day piseogs so that might be where that’s come from.
Not sure what the exact story is with the colour green being referred to as unlucky but it has to do with the fairies. Maybe it’s regarded as a fairy colour? I clearly missed that episode of the podcast.

Cannot recommend Tell me a story with Eddie Lenihan (on Spotify) enough. His stories of fairies and fairy trees and general Irish folklore are fantastic and so interesting.

Mine come from a mix of Indian/Pakistani heritage but I wonder if any of these will crop up in other cultures as well- some are very lighthearted but I sometimes still witness people adhere to them:

when leaving someone’s house you should never leave after “quarter to” -if it hits that time you wait until bang on the hour to go. Your host will also insist on this good naturedly.

If you sneeze once before leaving the house you have to wait until you’ve sneezed a second time before you can leave.

Washing your hair on a particular day of the week brings bad luck.

when a baby is born you put a small black mark of eyeliner behind the baby’s ear to ward off “evil”.

don't look in the mirror in the dark as you will see a ghost standing behind you (this one terrified the shit out of me as a kid)

This thread has made me smile. My parents were pious Catholics so enjoined to reject superstition, but still.

I used to salute magpies in the UK but since moving to Australia haven't felt the lightest urge to salute the native ones, maybe because despite the name, they aren't magpies, or even related. Just as well too, there are loads of Australian magpies where I live and I'd be waving all day.

Other ones I still consider reflexively, though don't always carry them out:

Not passing on the house stairs
A prayer to St Anthony of Padua for lost things
Touch wood
A purse as a present must have money in it
Clothes put on inside out stay that way
Don't kill spiders, put them outside - I would reconsider this if children were in my garden. You can move a redback on, but the buggers come back to live under the garden furniture
Christmas decorations up on Christmas Eve and not before, down on Twelfth Night
No hawthorn blossom in the house.

I haven’t heard the May one either and I’m from rural Co. Cork! Googled and getting married in May is thought unlucky but that’s a Roman superstition. Maybe there’s more to it but I’ve never heard it.

I did hear of the green one some time back. Unlucky to wear to a wedding as the fairies love the colour, will be attracted to the event and cause mayhem apparently. At a recent Irish wedding I’d say about 30% of the women were wearing green though 😁
It was a good party mind you.

Those are a couple of my mother's, we are from Yorkshire but she had a Scottish grandfather and there is Irish on both sides.

Don't burn green wood, it is bad luck, I believe it also causes more smoke.

Don't pass the salt pot directly to another, you are 'passing sorrow', you need to put it down next tot he person who asked for it.

Everything in the house has to be clean and tidy for New Year.

A specific one to Burnley, do not talk under the aqueduct. No idea where that came from.

If you spill salt it is the devil trying to steal it so you must use your right hand to throw it over your left shoulder, "into the devil's eye", your guardian angel is standing behind your right shoulder.

Xmas decorations and tree goes up Xmas eve. Until we moved to Lancashire when we could not find an Xmas tree as they had all been sold weeks before.

@Marisislikethesunwithoutthewarmth yes to the mirror one, also if there is a death mirrors have to be covered.

I've worked in a few hospitals, usually there is no ward 13. If you hear a member of staff say a patient has been transferred to 'Ward 13' they have actually gone to the morgue.

Do not set up the cot until the baby has been born.

NEVER give away or sell the cot if you don't want more children.

Another one is about whether you want to be... I can't remember the word, something like wizeled, basically if you want to get pregnant you borrow a baby to cuddle, if you don't then you avoid babies.

If you put an item of clothing on inside out you are not under any circumstances allowed to take it off, turn it to the right side and put it back on. I frequently wore an inside out sock all day when I was a kid. It's about the unluckiest thing to do, apparently. I'm from Wiltshire.

@TwitTwoodiniEscapeOwlogist

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 do this.
It comes from a poem called Eggshells by Elizabeth Fleming.

Always say "hello mr magpie and how is your wife today ?" To a single magpie because if I ask how the wife is then there are two and no longer bad luck. Thanks mum. Can't not do this now !!

I visited a friend and she kept showing me her knickers and saying she had put them on inside out.

I was perplexed, it is apparently a superstition that if you put your pants on inside out then you have to tell and show everyone you meet that day.

I think someone made it up as a joke.

Hward of it, but finally found someone who says a warning before pouring hot water down the drain to warn jinns so they don't get injured and angry! Actually excited about finding out it's one of DH's elderly aunts

Don’t point at a rainbow (will disappear and take its luck with it)

if you drop your umbrella, someone else has to pick it up for you

Can anyone recommend good book about Fairies mythology please?

If you’re interested in Irish based mythology then anything by Eddie Lenihan.
I feel like I should add I’ve never even met the man but I’m a huge fan of his stories🤣

Thank you!