to wonder if people really are superstitious?

[bringincrazyback]

Just that, really. Sparked by discussions just after Christmas about it being 'bad luck' to have your decorations up after 6th Jan etc... I'm not being goady here – I'm genuinely curious, not being superstitious myself. Are many people still superstitious in this day and age?

Load of old twaddle, obviously. And some of them are so easily proved wrong. I've given multiple family members gloves as presents over the years. Oddly enough I have still carried on seeing them. I find it very weird that people still believe this stuff!

if I’m alone I’ll salute a single magpie

WTAF?

Yes! My DM has drummed it into me as her DN said it all to her.

Don't walk across 3 drains.
Don't have decs up after 6th Jan.
Don't do washing on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, New Years Day and Easter Friday or Easter Sunday.
Don't cross your knife and fork.
Don't see anything whilst you have an item of clothing on (you're sewing bad luck onto yourself).
Don't hoover up a penny or chuck one away.
Christmas wreaths bring bad luck.
Honestly the list goes on. It drives me nuts!

Sew*

I'm not sure it's superstition but people naturally look for patterns. Your team wins when you wear your blue scarf, then you keep wearing it.
You wear your lucky interview shoes.

Humans naturally seek comfort in patterns, to the extent that they invent them.

Researcher into superstitions here... It's definitely dying out, compared to even a generation ago. Lots of reasons why, but mostly it's to do with a better understanding of science/logic.

But how many MNers still give their DC a coin to chuck in a well/fountain? Or tell them to make a wish when they blow out birthday cake candles? And how many could explain why they do that?

Don't sew anything whilst you have an item of clothing on (you're sewing bad luck onto yourself).

Wait, so you can only sew if your completely naked?

@JazzTheDog same in the police. Never say the word quiet unless it's the very end of your shift and you want to annoy the next team
Don't say the names of arsehole problematic custodies they will magically appear.
And you don't want to be working nightshift on a full moon, it sends people crazy.

When I was in my late teens, a younger relative made up this silly superstition that it was bad luck to keep your feet on the floor of a vehicle when crossing a railway line. No idea why, but to this day I lift my feet when crossing a railway...lol

I tend to veer into superstitious behaviour but it’s anxiety related - so if I don’t do x, y will happen.
Although I suppose a lot of negative superstitions are, a kind of preventative measure - don’t walk under the ladder etc etc all right avoid the vague “bad luck”

But how many MNers still give their DC a coin to chuck in a well/fountain? Or tell them to make a wish when they blow out birthday cake candles?And how many could explain why they do that?
Quaint 'magic'. Like Father Christmas or the Easter Bunny. Certainly not out of any genuine belief.

I don’t think it is mostly women who are superstitious. I originally come from an area that had large farming community and fishermen - both highly superstitious to the point of not going out on sea as planned etc as something had/hadn’t been done. My grandparents were very superstitious and a few have stuck with me, I know that logically it’s all rubbish but with the shitty ‘luck’ I have in life I’m not taking any risks

An acquaintance and I were discussing our respective cancer treatments the other day; she said she'd been on her way into hospital for a procedure once when she'd seen two crows outside the building and turned round to leave "you know that means a death" - her friend had to drag her back!
I don't think it's age related as much as education, background etc.

I'll admit to being quite superstitious. Mostly out of habit than anything else.

Always amazed at how riled some people seem to get about superstitious people, especially if their habits and beliefs are causing no harm to others.

I don't think I'm especially stupid to practice certain superstitious beliefs and have a decent level of education.
Most superstation that had lasted can be boiled down to a relatively practical application historically which might be redundant nowadays but the habit has continued.

Ultimately, my superstitions don't put anyone out. I don't insist that others do as I do so no harm done.

I wouldn't walk under a ladder but I'm sure that's more of a self preservation thing.

My DH doesn't like the fact I have a peacock feather hat upstairs in a hat box - apparently it's bad luck to keep their feathers inside. So whilst I'm all for indulging a bit of harmless ladder dodging, I am not going to start storing my hats in the garage to appease my DHs irrational thoughts.

@lealea6366 whem we where kids we'd to hold our breathe and lift out feet if we where in a vechile passing a graveyard

Others my family had

You can't cross someone in the stairs or or cut your toenails in a Sunday if you do the devil will be after you all week.

You can't buy yourself a new purse. Someone else has to buy you one and put a few silver coins in it.

I saw the new moon through glass this morning but then remembered I have two black cats to counteract it

@chesterfuckingdrorrs

Exactly! Psychiatric nurse here and the full moon this is sooooo true!

I'm not superstitious at all. But I'm a Libra, and we don't believe in all that nonsense.

Ewan