What superstitions actively affect your life?

[PinkFing]

As in you adhere to them every day:

I’ll start
Magpies can make or break my day

I can’t handle salt without chucking some over my left shoulder.

I have to touch wood
to avoid cursing something I say.

The beginning of each month starts with lots of rituals to avoid bad luck (white rabbits, pinch punch etc) I used to take the words ‘white rabbits’ to the ceiling of my bunk as a kid so it’s be the first thing I said!!

I used to avoid all the cracks in the pavement as a kid but managed to stop that.

There’s probably loads more but over to you

None. I grew up with a very superstitious mum and I could see it caused her stress, and I thought it was damaging rather than helpful. I'd agree it's about feeling a lack of control, and fear. People can get genuinely distressed about these things. Why do that to yourself? It's all a load of crap.

Can anyone explain the magpie one please?

Those of you who don't open an umbrella in the house - how do you get a wet umbrella dry?

If anyone says anything good or complimentary about my daughter, I have to say "kinahora", meaning "no evil eye" in Yiddish.

I have a full on convo with any magpies I see - just to cover myself - from what I don't know...

New shoes on the table frighten the life out of me - but I think that may be an old memory from Blood Brothers?

@itsevolutionbaby

Can anyone explain the magpie one please?

One for sorrow Two for joy Three for a girl Four for a boy Five for silver Six for gold Seven for a secret never to be told

If you see a singular magpie, you've to salute and say "hello Mr magpie".... I've just realised I've no idea why but I still do this !

@itsevolutionbaby

Can anyone explain the magpie one please?

I think it's the old rhyme which starts one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy - people think seeing a solitary magpie is "unlucky" so make a wee speech to it.

All superstitions are utterly bonkers. Except perhaps walking under a ladder which just makes sense from a safety perspective. It's so irrational to think if you see a random black and white bird and don't salute it or make a littel speech, something bad will happen.

Isn't that the basis to much of OCD thinking - you have to do X, Y or Z, or something bad will happen to you or your loved ones?

Magpies too. I actually had to have hypnotherapy to address it.

I am not superstitious, but my late MIL was peacock feathers unlucky to have in the house apparently, I always think of her if I see some.

I would have said absolutely none, but then I remembered that we're not allowed to say the 'q' word at work, so that I suppose!

I work on a birth suite. You can't ever say it's "quiet", as apparently that would jinx things, although honestly we wouldn't often get the opportunity to anyway

I was told to salute a single magpie and ask after his wife!

None however I do a couple of religious things that some would consider superstitious I suppose I always bless myself to say a quick prayer when I see an ambulance with blue lights or a funeral. Just a little word for whoever needs it.

@limer leave it in the porch or just fold it up ?

I like having my superstitions as it connects me to my grandma (where they all come from)

@LubaLuca

I have no superstitions at all. I haven't even heard of some of these.

Same. Not walking under ladders is just common sense, obviously. I suppose some of the others might have their roots in a sensible reason eg the open umbrellas one might have begun with someone exasperated by being obstructed or it dripping.

Now I'm very slightly wishing my DH was susceptible to superstitions so I could invent some eg it's unlucky to leave shoes in the hallway instead of putting them on the shoe rack.

Saluting magpies theres bloody hundreds of them round here

Magpies, we have lots outside our office at work so I don't just see one thank goodness!

Spilt salt, magpies, umbrellas.

Have to ask the single magpie where Mrs Magpie is.

@niceupthedanceagain Makes sense!

I don't have a porch, and my folded umbrella goes back into my handbag, so I don't want any dampness on it at all. It's one of those where you press a button to open it, so I'm also worried about water getting into the mechanism. So I open up my wet umbrella and hang it on my kitchen radiator until it's absolutely bone dry.

Fascinating to hear all the superstitions!

Aren't half of the single magpies likely to be female?

I have been told in the past that shoes on the table signified a death. I suspect that it's because years ago the coffin was displayed on a table in the house before the funeral.

In terms of things that actively affect my life - the only one is White Rabbits, which has to be 1st thing said on the first of the month. I'm sure it used to be for good luck - but now (in my head) it's to avoid bad luck.
On the last day of the month I go to bed and think don't forget tomorrow. If I wake up after midnight I mutter it. When I wake up properly in the morning I say it again.

And then it's only valid for one month and I've got to do it again the next month. It drives me nuts.

My other engrained superstitions: single magpies (sorrow), crossed knives (arguments), passing on the stairs( unlucky), giving knives as gifts (cut a friendship) and new shoes on table (death!) are avoidable, rare and /or easily mitigated by respectively: saluting, uncrossing and putting a spoon between them,crossing my fingers as I pass, being given a coin in payment, and shrieking at whoever tries to put them onto the table.

I avoided telling the kids about White Rabbits - because it's ridiculous and I didn't want to pass it on. DD developed the drain cover one all by herself - so I reckon we're susceptible in our family...

I'll throw salt if I spill it.
Magpies- little bastards.
No new shoes on the table- got that one off my not so superstitious mum; that's the one she really adheres to. I'm a precious, long awaited only and any of my shoes especially triggered her.
Touching wood.
No whistling in the theatre.
Never put a horse shoe the wrong way up.
Never make a toast with just water.
I try v hard not to break mirrors.
I would definitely be wary of baby things in the house.
I also wear tons of pearls- but won't wear a single one on my wedding day & will definitely have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in my shoe!

I don't walk under ladders- but that's also common sense. I don't put umbrellas up in the house willy-nilly but I don't have a porch so open them to dry them off in the bath.
Won't have peacock feathers in the house either, but I'm phobic so won't have them anywhere near me anyway!

@ThreeKneeRepeater

Never bring lilac flowers indoors. No shoes on the table. The magpie one. The umbrella one. The ladder one. But that’s common sense in case something falls on you. Used to have to hold our collar if an ambulance passed, until we saw a dog, I think. Can’t really remember. If someone gives you a knife as a gift you have to give them a coin in return. I remember when I used to take my new babies out in the pram, older people would press coins into their hands. Not sure why.

@ThreeKneeRepeater.

The old people pressing coins into palms of babies is to bring them good luck and prosperity throughout their life.

I can't pick up a dropped knife. Really annoying leaving a knife on the floor until a dc comes home from school.

Apparently picking up a dropped knife means you will have cross words with someone.