Little superstitions

[Arlanymor]

What little superstitions do you and your family follow? My aunt died today (we didn't think she would make it until Christmas and I got to see her very recently so I am feeling sad, but fairly fortunate in that regard, she really was not well) - my mum was with her and sent me a text to let me know. I responded with my sympathies (it was her sister) and I said: "Don't forget to open a window." And mum said she already had - do you do that too? To let their soul out?

I don't care about walking under ladders (I look up first!) or putting shoes (new ones, I'm not a grot!) on tables or anything like that. And I think it's lucky if a black cat crosses my path as nine times out of ten I get to have a cwtch! So I don't consider myself superstitious, but the window thing is second nature.

So what do you do? (I think I am trying to cheer myself up a bit with distractions).

sorry for your loss OP.
I miss my Nan so much! One of her’s was not to do any washing on New Years Day as you’ll wash the luck away.so I follow that one. And when she sat down at a table, in a cafe or pub or whatever, if there was a bottle of salt she’d lob a bit behind her to hit the devil in the eye 🤣 she got really annoyed when it was paper sachets and it didn’t have the same impact. I don’t do it publicly but will at home sometimes.

Thank you, that's kind and sorry I hadn't forgotten about this thread - I was busy wittering on others! Oh I think I have heard about that one before about New Year (think I need to start implementing it frankly, January has been a shocker!) I definitely know about the salt one, but only if I spill it.

Nanas are ace and you just reminded me about something my mum's mum always said - you're not allowed to say the word 'pig' on a boat otherwise it will sink. Don't ask me why and I don't even know if she ever went on a boat! But if she had have done then the 'P' word would have been out of bounds!

I have quite a few superstitions that I keep.

Don't put red and white flowers in the same vase/bouque - not good at all!

Salute and greet the magpies- however many there are!

Touching wood is another one!

Leave from the same door you came through when visiting someone.

I can't think of anymore at the moment.

Oh I do magpies too. "Hello Magpie - how is your family?" and then a salute.

I didn't know that about the flower colours (guess no one ever buys me any - boo hoo!) and I didn't know that about doors either, that's so interesting!

My Nan would never open an umbrella in the house, spilled salt over left shoulder and into eye of the devil, never buy any one a present of a knife or scissors unless they give you a token coin back , otherwise you'll 'cut' the relationship. Never bring hawthorn (May) or snowdrops into the house, no new shoes on tables, don't cut your hair on a Friday...... I could go on, I still follow most of this, so does my poor indoctrinated daughter, husband thinks we mad, Nan has a lot to answer for!

Mum was very superstitious, i never had any green clothes as she thought green was an unlucky colour.

The one year I saluted the magpie my football team got relegated despite never being in the relegation zone until the last day.

I'm not really superstitious myself but have little things I must do like wear a watch all the time and know exactly where I am in the world so when traveling I have to take a map! I think that's more a mental issue.

However, I always ensure my hair clippings and nail clippings are safely disposed of so no one can use them to cast a spell.... thanks dad... I'm probably the only man happy to have gone bald!

in addition to the coin payment for a gift knife, my grandma would always put a coin in a gift purse and the recipient should ke it so you’d never be without.

we also open the back door at midnight New Year’s Eve (or morning if haven’t stayed up) to let the old year old and open the front door to let the old year in.

also a lot of saluting at magpies and trying to see at least 2 …

I can’t think of a single one. I guess it’s the way you’re brought up. My parents had no superstitions.

My mum’s main superstition was that for every three pieces of really bad luck, you’d have one piece of really good luck.

I am not sure where that came from but I’ve inherited it.

She also used to believe she could curse people, but that’s slightly less light hearted! She was genuinely scared of her own “powers”.

My only superstition is about magpies. It's quite unsettling aa there are quite a few magpies living in mine and neighbours gardens. I really hate to see just one.

So sorry for your loss.

i miscarried twins in January 2007. My Nanna was feeling terrible - she blamed herself for doing laundry on New Year’s Day, but I had done some too as I’d never heard of that. I’ve never done it since though, still with that nagging question of “did I cause it”.

I throw salt over my shoulder and salute magpies, but that’s pretty much it for superstitions for me.

Nans definitely do! I remember now mine would never gift a bag or a purse without putting a penny inside - with the idea being that the receiver would never be poor, or something like that...

My mum was really superstitious. If we put an item of clothing on inside out we had to wear it like that all day. Don't bring lilac blossom into the house that's really unlucky. Don't look at the new moon through glass, that's unlucky. Don't wear green to a wedding, that's unlucky. Opals are really unlucky. Don't wash blankets in May, you will wash the head of the household away. A newborn baby has to have a coin for luck and must never spend it. Lots of others too. I'm surprised we got through the day.

Sounds like you got a dodgy magpie! Or maybe it was a rival magpie?! Or maybe it supported the magpies! (They're a football team right, or did I make that up?!)

Oh yes we used to have the hair thing too, I had completely forgotten that now that we don't cut hair at home. I guess that superstition had a silver lining for you?!

Oh I didn't see this before I posted about the coin in a gift purse/bag - yes absolutely.

I have heard about the door thing at New Year too, but never done it. I very much like the sentiment though.

I think so too - all of mine come from my family going way back, definitely nothing new that I have picked up later in life. Although a French friend of mine is fanatical about making eye contact when clinking glasses otherwise you'll have seven years bad sex... she really believes it! I am not going to put that into my repertoire of superstitions!

Oh I hope that's true, I've had three bad things recently so am overdue some luck!

When I was little I once dreamed something that came true and for months after I was worried that I could control the world through my dreams - I used to do anything to avoid going to bed for a while!

I think it comes from the fact they mate for life, so if you see one it may mean that it's lost its partner? It is sad to think about that. I think they are beautiful birds though, just gorgeous with that petrol blue streak within their tails.

As a student midwife I worked in a labour ward and a lady arrived in wanting to be scanned and monitored as a bird had flown inside her house. I'd never heard that superstition before. All was fine thankfully! But I was very confused at the time

Ive remembered another one! An elderly neighbour used to put coal on our doorstep after midnight on new years eve. It was to bring good luck!

Thanks lovely, I appreciate it.

Oh that's so very sad - I do think that superstition is part of how we try and make sense of the world when there are no answers. You definitely didn't cause it and neither did she. It was rotten, horrible and unfair, and nothing anyone could have done. Sending love.

I slightly worry with the salt thing that I am going to hoof it directly into someone else's eyes...

Oh I hadn't heard that one - good that you were able to put her mind at ease though.

Aww that's actually very, very sweet!

I always have to say "star light, star bright, the first star i see tonight. wish I may, wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. It doesn't work if you have seen more than one, which wasnt terribly helpful living in a dark skies conservation area...

I get a genuine "eeeek" moment when I walk into the staffroom and someone has left a wet umbrella fully open to dry.

I always smile and say "hi mum" whenever I see a single white feather when Im walking. Which is lovely until you round a corner and see the rest of the massacred dead pigeon. I prefer to think my mum isn't behind those ones.

I kind of laughed/hiccuped at 'I hope my mum isn't behind those ones'!

I don't understand the umbrella one - won't it go mouldy if you don't do that? Or should it be outside perhaps?