Subscribe to Listverse20 Weird Superstitions
- Published September 10, 2007 - 210 Comments
According to the dictionary, Superstition is an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear. There are superstitions for almost all aspects of our daily lives and most have unknown origins. Sometimes they are logical (for example, don’t walk under a ladder) but most of the time they are ridiculous. Some people can become controlled by their superstitions (such as the fear of walking on cracks) which is very unhealthy. Here is a list of 20 weird superstitions.
1. A bird in the house is a sign of a death
2. A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it.
3. Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.
4. If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.
5. If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.
6. An acorn at the window will keep lightning out
7. A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen.
8. It’s bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
9. A horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.
10. If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.
11. If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.
12. Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
13. All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.
14. If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.
15. To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy.
16. If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.
17. You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
18. Dream of running: a sign of a big change in your life.
19. If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
20. It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.
Technorati Tags: superstition, Weird
September 10th, 2007 at 4:38 am
great list, but numbers 6 and 20 are the same..
September 10th, 2007 at 4:42 am
It’s also bad luck to have the same entry appear twice.
(6 & 20)
September 10th, 2007 at 4:43 am
It’s also bad luck to have the same entry appear twice.
(6 & 20)
September 10th, 2007 at 5:06 am
oh ain’t Mike funny? hey…what’s the one about spilt salt? spill salt and throw a pinch over your shoulder. not sure why. anyone know what that is supposed to prevent?
love this site..btw.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:10 am
the thing with the salt is to keep the devil or whatever off your back. really common in Greece. how funny is that?
September 10th, 2007 at 5:31 am
“Three on a match is badluck” comes from the Civil War, and it WAS bad luck. When you lit the match, the enemy sharp shooter would see it. When the second guy used it, he would aim. By the time the third guy used it, the sharpshooter was ready to fire.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:33 am
Lighting three cigarettes on one match, I believe comes from the trenches of the first world war. Lighting three cigarettes off one match, gave an enemy sniper time enough to sight in on the light and get off a shot.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:35 am
My buddy is in Iraq and tells me that (unlike here) they can smoke pretty much anywhere, but that smoking at night and/or lighing more than one at a time is dangerous and discouraged by the army.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:36 am
Zdank,
Really? Civil war, huh. I didn’t know that. I’d always heard WW1.
September 10th, 2007 at 6:05 am
6 and 20 – oops – thanks. Fixed.
September 10th, 2007 at 6:06 am
The war origins are interesting. Thanks
September 10th, 2007 at 6:33 am
(cyn)It’s said that salt represents friendship, so when you spill salt, you might lose a friend, but you can avoid it by throwing a pinch with your left hand over your left shoulder. (I don’t exactly know what happens if you do it with the right):P
I’ve also heard that when you lend a book to a friend, you lose both the book and the friend, that it’s real bad luck to drink a toast with water in your glass, that you can scare away wasps and bees if you bite your tongue….
September 10th, 2007 at 6:34 am
I dont know if these also exist in western world:
A girl drinks salty water (lots of it) then goes to sleep. Superstition says she will see her future husband in dream as he’s giving her water.
If your right hand becomes itchy you will earn money, if your left hand then you will lose money.
hmm, how to describe it… If you start to stare into nothing that means a guest is coming.
Hichups means someone is thinking about you. And if you can name that person, the hichup will be gone.
Are those weird enough
:P
September 10th, 2007 at 6:45 am
thanks Mike and Morgaine.
you know how it’s said in any legend there is a grain of truth..wonder if there is something similar w/ superstitions. like at one time something happened that seemed to confirm it then it just became like a habit. the thing that amazes me is that they persist and in a lotta cases cross cultures.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I just wrote about a sniper seeing a soldier light a match, and realized Zdank beat me to it. The sniper and three cigarette story always gave me a creepy shiver.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Bonnie,
Just another way that smoking shortens your life…
(Thank you! I’ll be here all week! Try the chicken wings!”
September 10th, 2007 at 7:31 am
I read the three matches for the Boer War. However, it does show how it fits for any war.
Of course, now we’d say lighting cigarettes is bad luck…
September 10th, 2007 at 7:43 am
# 16 – in France, you never, ever give a knife as a gift. It’s like the kiss of death. Or it’s cursed, or something similar.
Not walking under a ladder – not a superstition, more like common sense.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:50 am
I heard ladder thing is about Christian’s triangle (Father-Son-Spirit) So when you cross beneath it, you would broke it. Thats why bad luck.
And the mirror thing. It was thought mirrors are doors. When broken a bad spirit will come out of it. So usually they buried the broken pieces. I also heard Romans hated blurry reflections thinking it will have ill efect on their soul.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:53 am
Wow – lots of good additions – keep it up
September 10th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Actually Özhan, I think walking under a ladder vastly increases your chances of receiving a bucket of paint, or a hammer, or a piano, or a 1 ton Acme safe, on your head.
;+)
September 10th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Methinks you’ve been watching a few too many Warner Bros. cartoons, Che.
September 10th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Actully ladder probably will act as cover… But nobody can know the actual reasons behind Super-Stitions
September 10th, 2007 at 8:43 am
I was thinking of exactly the same thing as Che! And I definitely don’t watch cartoons!
September 10th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Here are a couple peculiar to my (highly supersticious) family. There’s an old well down in the field and family legend says that if you look into the well at dawn on your 16th birthday, you will see the face of the person you will marry.
The farm has been in the family since Texas was still part of Mexico. Family legend says that whenever a member of the family is born, a tree begins to grow and when that person dies, so does the tree. Needless to say, we take very good care of our trees.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Fe: that is great! How nice to hear about superstitions that are specific to a family.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:29 am
My grandmother was very superstitious, and one that always stuck with me was that it’s bad luck to place a hat on the bed. I have no idea where that came from, but to this day, I don’t allow hats on the beds in my home.
September 10th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Kwame: I have heard of that one – and shoes on the table or shoes upside down.
September 10th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Was watching “Mad Men,” a TV show about an advertising agency in the 1960s and they speculated that the “3 on a match” superstition was propagated to sell more matches (or zippos? they became popular during WWI…). I do believe this started around WWI though, since prior to that nobody had much use for sharpshooters (there were a few sharpshooter “units” in the civil war, tho). Remember, before the 20th century they all used to just line everybody up a hundred feet in front of each other and shoot. Targeting officers specifically was considered dishonorable. Not sure how they did it in the Boer Wars, tho.
September 10th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
My dad always was weird about this one “Its bad luck to cut your nails on sunday” Go figure?
September 10th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Next time I see a black cat, I’ll remember to tie it to my leg, so it’ll never have the oppertunity to walk away from me. Next stop, Vegas.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
9000– The Civil War is where snipers more or less started. The Confederate army, especially toward the end of the war, was full of country boys that carried their own rifles. (as the army had a supply problem) They were good at long-range hunting, and as the south was being decimated, kind of took whatever shots they could whenever they could.
Regardless, if you think about it it makes sense. The idea is to not have fire lit long enough for a sniper to get a bearing on you. A Zippo would cause the same problem- probably worse since a lighter’s flame is brighter than a match. Since the army still recommends not doing it (see comment #8) it’s probably for a good reason.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Chad’s gonna earn the nickname “Bloody Leg McLuckdice” in VegAS.
just say it’s a tumor on your calve.
i mee-arrrrrghing tumor.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Lucille Ball was a firm believer in #1. When her father died, there was a bird sitting on the sill of his open bedroom window. From that point forward she refused to even stay at a hotel that had a picture or painting of birds in the hotel room.
September 11th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Yarr- I have thought about it, and no, it doesn’t make any sense at all.
Yeah, there were snipers during the revolutionary war, too. And there were entire sharpshooter units on the union side during the civil war (as I already said). But they didn’t sit around in the dead of night waiting for someone to light a match so they could pick one guy off. They were rarely even that close to each other.
Remember, the two sides would meet on a field, they’d all line up and shoot at each other, someone would retreat, the other side would move on. Sleep, march, fight, march, repeat.
I’m not saying that nobody ever got sniped. All I’m saying is I doubt the superstition was started back then, because of the military strategy of the time. Grunts weren’t afraid of being picked off by a sniper at night, because well, they hardly ever fought at night (unless the day’s battle was still going on) and when they were fighting, they were actually fighting, not sitting around, smoking.
You smoke in camp, or on the march, or while you’re lining up… there was really no time during the civil war when the average soldier sat around in the dark worried about a sniper. He was more worried about the vast army that could randomly hurl thousands of bullets in his general direction, or overrun the lines and stab him with a bayonet. At night they all had campfires and lanterns and stuff, anyway. Or they were marching somewhere. They lit their smokes with embers from the fire. This is getting ridiculous.
Yes a zippo is brighter, but you can light it, and put it out for as many cigarrettes as you have to light, unlike a match, which you have to leave burning for longer. The fact that the army recommends not smoking at night means nothing to me, since as of WWI this is obviously a wise policy.
Someone, PLEASE tell me I’m wrong. The best part of the internet is that there’s always someone out there willing to correct you.
September 12th, 2007 at 8:37 am
9000-
There may have never been an instance in history where a sniper shot one of three guys lighting cigarettes off one match.
But…
Just the same as it is recommended (think special forces, etc) to be sure you use only one shot to kill a target because a second could give away your position to the enemy, putting a light on long enough to draw sniper fire, whether a match, a lighter, or whatever is kind of dumb.
And yes, there were sharpshooters in the Revolutionary war. And yes, armies lined up and faced each other during the Civil War…
However, in the Revolution, snipers were on the American side, and it was a new, rarely used, and controversial tactic. In the Civil War— I was talking about the END of the war, when the Confederate army had no shoes, food, etc. Lots of the men had been scattered and separated from their units. In other words, bands of 3 or so rogue soldiers that killed whoever, whenever, however they could. These guys weren’t standing on a field waiting to face an army. They were hiding in the woods waiting for a clean shot. (Again, might not have anything to do with cigarettes, but alot to do with snipers.)
September 12th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I’m definately going to try 10 on the equinox. Anything to help! Ugh. Also, 12….I hope that’s not true, or there’s a lot I don’t know about my family.
September 12th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Yarr-
Dude. Are you seriously telling me that there was a pervasive fear among union soldiers at any point in the Civil War that they could be shot by a sniper if they lit a pipe at night? Just how often do you think union soldiers found themselves concealed in absolute darkness in a battle zone? I don’t care if it was possible, I don’t care if it ever actually happened, but do you honestly think that this was something that soldiers were even thinking about?
Dude, please find ANYTHING to back that up and I’ll send you $100 by paypal. I’m serious.
And you’re wrong about snipers only being on the American side of the Revolutionary war, too.http://www.americanrevolution.org/ferguson.html
You keep bringing up the modern army, and special forces, and Iraq and all that crap. We’re talking about the Civil War here. It was like ‘Braveheart’ with muskets. I can’t believe we’re even arguing about this.
I know wikipedia shouldn’t ever be considered the final authority on anything, but whoever wrote this article obviously knows more about it than either of us. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_on_a_Match_(superstition)
OK, and if all that isn’t enough to shut you up, Yarr, there’s the fact that the Union taxed matches during the civil war, so most soldiers probably used campfires to light their smokes. Or ‘permanent matches’ (an early form of lighter, using oil and a wick on a metal rod) if they were well-to-do.
Oh, wait, I know I know I know! They made their own matches from twigs and sulphur, wandered away from camp to go smoke in the dark, toward rebel lines, and then some wayward starving, shoeless rebs would see them from over yon’ forest and decide to take a shot. Upon hearing about this, Union soldiers became terrified, and a superstition was born.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:04 am
9000-
I wasn’t arguing about matches, pipes, cigs, etc anymore and I said that in my comment. And, I misspoke about sharpshooters being only on the American side. Mybad.
And I’ve gone on to other lists so…
My one last shot in expaining my statement about the Civil War being more or less where SNIPERS began is this:
Sharpshooters were trained marksmen, part of the line, whose job it was to pick off specific targets on the enemy side of the field. They were part of the group with a function. Modern snipers are basically the same with the difference that they are often sent out on their own or in small groups to take specific targets. Unless they smoke, they don’t have much to do with cigarettes.
The sharpshooter had a place in the line. He didn’t hide in the woods so much and take random targets.
The hidden in the woods (or cave, or house, etc) SNIPER as we know it picked off random targets, day and night, whether the army was camped or in battle. This was the rogue Johnny I was talking about, and I’m pretty sure Union troops were a little anxious about it whether they smoked or not.
And for every example given, there are just too many “what ifs” and “but rathers” involved. The shoeless Reb was obviously not the first guy to ever shoot another guy from deep cover. Lighting a match is surely not the only way to give one’s position away to an enemy.
Like I said in my last comment, there may never have been an instance of a sniper shooting a guy that was lighting up, but if I thought it would draw the attention of one, I would be careful anyway.
The entire argument is useless anyway. The ‘3 on a match’ is a superstition that came from somewhere, and the sniper bullet is the most obvious explanation. Maybe everyone is wrong and there is some goblin out there that for some reason causes people who light 3 on 1 to get jock itch or have back hair. Whatever. I’m going to college humor to look at some boobs.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Wonderful list…
There are many superstitions about black cats depending on the tradition. One goes that is a black cat crosses your path extend you hand out to attempt to pet it. If it stays you will have good luck. If it runs it means bad luck.
I follow #8 as best I can. So much as it is habit and I don’t even think about it anymore.
My mom works in a nursing home so she sees death all the time. The ladies there follow #13. When one of the patients die they open all the windows in that room for 3 days. Some of the newer RN’s think they do it to rid the smell, but they learn quickly.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I forgot to add…
My fiance has a superstition that if your nose itches, you will kiss a fool. (I still find it funny that my nose itches on a regualr basis)
I also have my own superstition. I will never sleep on the side of the bed nearer the door or with the door open. Bad things always happens when I do.
Also when I have bad dreams I will make sure to tell at least one person. This stops it from coming true. (Kind of like making a birthday wish and blowing out your candles or breaking the wishbone then telling what you wished for cancels the wish.)
September 28th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Ravyn: Thanks for the comments – it is interesting to hear about the nurses doing that. What country are you in if I may ask? The dreams one is interesting too – I don’t do it for the reason you cite, but I do always tell someone about my nightmares.
September 28th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
jfrater: I live in the U.S. I am not sure if all nurses do that but I know that the ones at my mom’s work do. About the dreams one, I did state that I tell someone about bad dreams or nightmares. I have had a history already of bad dreams coming true when I had not said anything for appearing foolish or mental. You can only take so much. Ever since I started explaining them, the dreams stopped occuring in life. I know it probably makes me sound weird.
September 28th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Ravyn: Ah interesting. As far as the dreams – if telling other people the dreams sorts out issues in real life, I say go for it! You can feel free to speak your mind here
September 29th, 2007 at 9:54 am
thank you jfrater. I am absolutly loving this site. I was coming about once a week to look around for a while and as the short time has moved on my visits get more and more frequent. I love it. Keep up the great work.
September 29th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
I wonder what were the developments and origins of those.
Some of ‘em seem to make sense — don’t return your friend’s gift of a knife, nearly enough in kind, and some acrimony would probably set root, to you. Perhaps the one would be so naively generous, but it should be better off to return on the gift — kind of a practical moral, there.
If the groom drops the ring, he’s a putz, distracted on something during the pivotal ceremony — distracted by another woman, perhaps. Whatever the cause to his clumsiness would be, it certainly would not bode well, for the new wife’s sake.
Some of those superstitions could be whimsical to hear the origins of, I expect.
Anyhow, quaint stuff. Kudos & whatnot
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:24 am
i think the 3 cigs off the same match is only bad luck for the guy holding the match, cause by the time hes got to the 3rd ciggy, his fingers are burning. lol
October 6th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Since there is another Sean on here, I have added a title to my name. Alot of superstitions were started by people with agendas. You may have heard of the curse from taking rocks from a volcanoe in Hawaii. It was started by a bus driver that was tired of sweeping rocks off of the bus every night.
This gives me an idea for a list. How about common sayings and their origins. I’ll start it off with “the whole nine yards” and “balls to the wall” both of which were coined by WWII fighter pilots.
October 7th, 2007 at 6:55 am
heres mine, freeze the balls off a brass monkey, a brass monkey was the device used to hold cannon balls on a ship, when it was really cold, the copper would contract and the balls would fall off.
October 12th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
30-zombiejorge- i don’t cut my nails on tuesdays, i did it a couple times and things went wrong…
October 17th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I dont get the one about the acorn and lightning i mean .. lightning never hit my house befor! i mean i think thats just wierd , do any of u think so??
October 17th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
lydia: I think as far as science is concerned, the acorn will do absolutely nothing to stop lightning entering your home.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:21 am
the lighter one does come from WW1 the story was
cigarette 1: attracts the snipers attention
cigarette 2: the sniper takes aim
cigarette 3: the sniper fires
there are ones I use.
-the first cigarette you take out the packet must be turned upside down and put back in and you then smoke it last if you smoke it earlier it’s bad luck.
-when getting off a bus always step straight onto the pavement(sidewalk) never step in the road first… this has led to some fairly amusing sights as I try and step the 2 feet to the pavement
the cat one I know know is if a black cat crosses your path it’s good luck but if a white cat does it it’s bad
one I was told when I was little is that when you eat a boiled egg you have to smash the shell up so the devil can’t use it as a boat.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
OK, number 12 instantly gave me the willies! Just the other day it was raining when I took my son to the bus stop and when I came back up the stairs I just closed the umbrella and tossed it on the floor. I’d better hide the knives…
October 28th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Chaz: very insightful comment – thanks
Of course, smashing the egg shell makes it much easier to get in to the egg – so it has two benefits 
StewWriter: oh no! And it is Halloween this week! I would buy some new locks for the doors too – just in case Jason comes a knockin’
October 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I think with the egg shell he means to completly smash it no just peel it off the egg. I always mine off in one piece but shattered….hehe
October 28th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Ravyn: oh – I see!
October 28th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Jamie:
November 1st, 2007 at 3:19 am
I am so glad I found this site. Its PACKED with interesting things to read.
November 1st, 2007 at 3:20 am
alisa: I am glad you did too! The more the merrier. Often the comments are full of very interesting and useful extensions on the original lists too – user contributions are a big part of the site.
November 25th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
how about saying “god bless you” when someone sneezes?
i guess thats not really a weird superstition but i think its odd that it is expected to be said whenever a person sneezes.
November 28th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
another fun list! my mother is EXTREMELY superstitious! it made for a rather unusual childhood…
here are some of my chilhood faves that i find myself performing or saying without any conscious effort…
1.) a cat born in May will be a poor mouser
2.) when a cat sneezes 3 times indoors, it will rain in 24 hours
3.) having a black dog will always ensure your safety at night (don’t ask… i never did!)
4.) if a cow is left in the pasture overnight and it storms, her milk the next morning will never make good cream
5.) if you find a buck’s shed antler in the woods, leave it alone. if you take it home, the deer will follow you and eat the young veggies in the garden.
6.) if you stand in front of a window during a thunderstorm, you attract lightening to the house.
7.) if you eat the last piece of something (cake, pizza,chicken) you will have an upset stomach later because you didn’t offer it to others first.
8.)staring at the full moon will change the color of your eyes for one month.
needless to say, i grew up on a farm in Oklahoma for a few years, and my mother bred manx cats. or she used too… now she breeds corgis.
November 29th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
its funny how superstitions stay with us throughout history. even as a kid I was never dumb enough to believe any of them.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:30 am
im not very superstitious but this is the only one i follow..
When you see an Ambulance go past with sirens on..Touch your t-shirt collar…if you dont, you or someone close to you will be in the next ambulance you see.
December 1st, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I don’t follow any superstitions really but my mother used to. One in partiular is that at the end of every new year you have to open the windows and doors and sweep out all the bad things of the past year so that they don’t carry over to the next year.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:56 am
this is crazy
December 11th, 2007 at 10:48 am
12. Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
Who the hell came up with that one ? What does it mean ? Weird.
December 23rd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I liked it. But I don’t like these kind of things. I don’t like supersticious things, they scare me.lol.=].
December 28th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
My favorite is holding your breath as you pass a cemetary. I do this frequently.
January 11th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Great list! I love anything supersition/occult-related. I was suprised you didn’t include one common supersition: Putting a hat on a bed is considered very bad luck.
Anyway, keep up the good work!
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:08 am
People almost always forget the whole mirror superstition. I know that here (Ireland) it’s only bad luck to break a mirror and throw it away. If you keep using it, even a shard, there’s no bad luck involved.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:23 am
@ spilling salt: apparently the devil is constantly behind you and when you spill salt he comes right over your shoulder so you throw the salt over into his eyes to make him back off again.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:56 am
My family follows these 2:
Don’t open a umbrella indoors – bad luck.
Don’t rock an empty rocking chair- brings death…or something to that extent.
Also i just found online while checking on the popularity of the rocking chair one:
“Smell dandelions, wet the bed.”
January 29th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I’ve always heard… if you dream your teeth fell or were taken out, someone you know will die… its actually happened to me twice!
January 30th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
melloyello, I remember the dandelion one. In fact, growing up we called them Pee-the-Beds.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
It’s good to know these things.
February 1st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
hi im from the uk,and we have some pretty bizarre superstitions.
like always salute a single magpie,we have the cat and the ladder thing also.but the most bizarre is the ones trawlermen have,when i was younger,i used to work at sea,my word!!!
no woman on board ship
dont wear anything green
never whistle on board ship
dont mention any animals apart from fish
(this was my faveourite,as i quite ofton used to ask my skipper for a monkey wrench,hee hee)
and always make sure you get lucky when you are ashore between trips!!!!
February 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
(Scotsman living in France) Hi there, to reply to Nsew, my Bro told me that we say bless you after sneezing as long ago before modern medicine any sign of illness usually meant death was imminent. The nursery rhyme “a ring a ring of roses, a pocket full o’ posies, atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down” is believed to be a similar example of sneezing = death.
Now, new shoes on a table – my Mother is adamant about that one and believes it claimed the life of a relative – though I think it’s irrational I do it anyway !
Dandelion in French is literally ‘pissenlit’ which means pee the bed. Dandelions are considered by herbalists as a powerful diuretic – so there’s definitely some truth in there.
Superstition and belief draw a fine line in the practise of Feng Shui. E.g. a mirror in a bedroom will reflect the negative energy one exudes during sleep. Yet, having a clutter-free room allows the (Chi or Qui) energy to flow more easily. This to me is common sense, having a tidy and clean living space is bound to make us feel good.
Can anyone explain why lighting a cigarette from a candle kills a sailor, please??
love the site.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:48 am
i think all of those things only work if the person experiencing them believes they will
February 25th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
In most parts of the world a black cat crossing your path is bad luck, but in Wales its a white cat. And For a Miner to see a white rabbit on the way to work was a sign of bad luck.
My mother would never let us rock an empty rocking chair, she said if you did there would be a death in the family. Her other worst was for a bird to fly into a window hitting it. If the bird lived things would be fine, if it died there would be a death.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Having great fun reading all these posts. About the “God Bless You” when you sneeze: I was told that when you sneeze the heart contracts and stops for a beat so you are closer to death, thus you ask for God’s blessing.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
An alternative to the hand-itch: If your left hand itches, you will receive money; if the right hand itches, you will shake hands with someone. One I didn’t see mentioned: the dropping of silverware – company’s coming – a knife is a man, a fork is a woman and a spoon is a child. From my own experience…the unluckiest day of the week is the one on which you were born – mine is a Wednesday!
March 5th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
These comments are cracking me up. Especially the one about the egg shell and the devil’s boat! Haha! Cracking me up! Get it? =P
March 14th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
How are 6 and 20 the same? They are not :S
March 15th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I once knew a man who walked around a ladder instead of under it (because he was superstitious), and he fell off the curb and broke his collarbone.
March 24th, 2008 at 6:51 am
i heard that if you hang a horse shoe upside down(like an a upsidedown u) all the luck will drain out the ends, therefore no more luck left in the horse shoe and it becomes bad luck because you wasted all the good luck.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:07 am
a friend of mine has some interesting superstitions. while wating for a train to pass i would count the cars. she says that is very bad luck. and she says knocking on a persons window is bad luck. also indians are afraid of owls and i dont know why. i love them.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:23 am
i think these are very true
April 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
1) knocking on a persons window can scare them, they may shoot
you.
2) a ladder in your path means someone is working above. If they drop somnething as your under it, it will hit you on the head. A ladder in your path should very rightly cause caution in general whether walking around or under. duh.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Apparently:
The sneeze one is that someone replies with ‘bless you’ and the sneezer says ‘and you too’ if they say ‘thankyou’ then this allows a doorway for the devil, think its something about bein selfish.
Black cats down an alley is bad luck.
A ring a ring of roses nursery rhyme is about the black death in England. Posies were something to do with the smell, I think…
Magpies:
1 for sorrow
2 for joy
3 for a girl
4 for a boy
5 for silver
6 for gold
7 for a story never to be told!
lol cant remember the rest! haha
Dont step on cracks in the pavement it brings bad luck.
Stand on 2 attached drains goodluck, 3 is bad luck
Touch red for a postman passing, blue for an ambulance!!
If any1 knows the history or different versions of these let me no!!
Great website btw!
May 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Homer Simpson
May 11th, 2008 at 7:52 am
No matter what happens, it always seems to mean that someone is going to die.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Haha, I just remembered one from my own childhood.
When I was young, I was really scared of zombies. Even though I didn’t believe they were real, I still felt like one was going to come from my parents’ room’s window and kill me if I didn’t sleep facing my own window. It’s really weird, now that I think about it.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Do not wear white dress when u r relaxing in a seashore
May 19th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
i kind of agree with 18
May 19th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
i agree with 18
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
Zdank, answer 2 your question, – Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck. ty xxxx
June 4th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
17. You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THAT YOU’RE GONNA HAVE SOME CRAPPY LONG WEEKENDS MAN
June 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
number 20 and 6 arnt even the same
June 7th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
see comment #10 ribena
June 13th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
If your ear(s) start ringing, someone’s speaking ill of you. – Start naming people in your mind. When the noise stops, you’ve found the ill-speaker. (Doesn’t apply to tinnitus.)
June 24th, 2008 at 9:54 am
I always heard that the cigarette thing was started in Korea, not WWI, of course my dad is a drunk too so…..
June 27th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
well the whole salt thing is going into christianity[gods left hand man and right had woman] his left hand man challenged jesus and got sent to hell[making him the devil].
thats y u throw it over ur left shoulder.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:01 am
anyone ere?
July 7th, 2008 at 9:06 am
hey my ear always ring. thanks cissy, i might just try naming people when it happens again to prove if this theory or belief is true.
i always wanted to stop that ringing. it hurts my ear real bad.
my dad always believe in not whistling at night. and he never explains it. something to do with alerting the devil probably.
and he mentions about biting the new shoes, or the new shoes will bite you when you first wear them.
and no cutting of nails at night.
and i never believe in any. i’m a man of science.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:41 am
i always thought my friend kags was a little weird because whenever we were near a fire and the smoke blew toward him, he would say “i hate rabbits!” he swore that made the smoke change direction. since then i have seen others say that too… though sometimes it was “i hate white rabbits!”
anyone else heard of this?
August 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I always heard when a broom falls in the house, company is coming. What is funny is the main times this happens to me is when I am rushing to clean the house when I am having guests.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
haha i’v grew up with supperstiton in my family and i have notice that it is only in your head, your only using your minds ability to belive in something enough to make it happen
September 14th, 2008 at 10:30 am
ohhh i always thougt it was if u step on a crack u break ur mothers back
September 14th, 2008 at 10:46 am
my friend belives dat If you sweep under someone’s feet, they will never marry oh and he also belives that if a baby looks in a mirror b4 they are one year old they will die or never say goobye to a family member or u might never see them agian
September 14th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
My favorite:
On the first day of the month, if the first thing you say is, “Rabbit, rabbit,” you will have good luck all month. My sister and I always say it at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve instead of “Happy New Year!”
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:55 am
love emm,, im doin superstitions as a project,, and iv always been saying them
it dont say anything about magpie’s though,, absolutly amazing…
lol
September 26th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
i was browsing the web on superstitions and i came across this after reading this page so i figured i would post it for whoever was wondering about the acorn thing..
“Long before they began exploring the world in their long boats, the Vikings associated oak trees with Thor, the god who created thunder and lightning with his great anvil and hammer. Because the tree attracted lightning, they believed it was sacred to Thor. But they also believed that the acorn, the fruit of the tree, was always spared the god’s wrath, and so they began putting acorns on window sills to protect their houses.”
i got that from http://www.wintersteel.com/Superstitions.html
=]
September 28th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
superstitious people.. things happen, you cant control what goes on throughout the world.
October 12th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Ya know this is all fake but some of it kinda makes since. I dont know it’s all very strange.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:28 am
I don’t think superstitions are true, I think that Sh*t Happens and we’ll get over it and if you have good luck well congrats. Some simple superstitions like Star signs then w.e thats okay but stuff like dont go out of your house on friday the 13 is bull!
October 18th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
20 is true because that means you smoke way to much if the match still has light!
October 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
porkchop r u a david archuleta fan b/c archuleta means porkchop
October 20th, 2008 at 3:22 am
My grandmother told me that “shoes on a table bring death to the family”. I will never allow shoes to be on a table in my presence.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:39 am
My Dutch granny told me girls had to lift up their feet when driving across railway tracks in a car, or they would never marry. No idea where that superstition came from.
October 24th, 2008 at 11:37 am
how gay i was looking up civil war stuff
October 24th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
here’s mine
1. Place a broom on your door upside down to cast away evil spirit,.
2. Don’t sweep during night time.You’re sweeping away good luck.
3. Don’t cut your nails at tight. someone will die.
4. Don’t comb/cut your hair at night. bad luck.
5. During meal; falling spoon means a female visitor is coming while falling fork is a male visitor.
6. Dreaming of snakes means someone will or is betraying you.
7. Siblings should not marry at the same year unless if it’s a double wedding. it means death.
8. Mirrors at home should be covered if someone dies. mirrors may trap the soul.
9. Do not whistle at night. You’re calling evil spirits.
10. Killing a cat is bad luck.
11. howling dog means seeing evil spirits.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
My mother has this superstition were if a spoon falls and hits the ground, visits will arrive. If you want to avoid this you tap the spoon to the floor 3 times. I suppose this a tradition passed on through generations because I remeber my grandma doing this.
When I’m mad at her I drop the spoon on purpose and crack up watching her hit it at the floor. Silly but sometimes true…
November 13th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
i need some superstions for my science project e-mail me at cutieroxy7@yahoo.com k thanx
November 26th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I know the story behind the last one. In WWI if the enemy saw three lights bein lit he would shoot immediately towards them…or something like that…nvmnd
November 27th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
a few seconds after i read number 19, my grandfather clock chimed… =/
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
i no this superstiton where if you see a ambulance you must hold your breath or pinch your nose untill you see a black or brown dog!! if yuu eva find 1 lol
!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 am
i hv heared if yuu see a albatross its good luck but if yuu shoot it it will give u bad luck as its a good omen!! the rime of the aincent mariner is sad
:(:’(
December 5th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I’ve always wondered about 3. If you notice when you move into a house there is always a broom there. I wonder where that one comes from.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
My boss’s are from India and if any of them drop a coin on the floor, they pick it up and touch it to their forehead. Apparently you get bad luck if you don’t do it.
December 6th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Most Koreans believe that if you sleep in a closed room (meaning no door or window open) with a running electric fan, it will (somehow) cause you to suffocate. Most Koreans I know actually believe this as a fact and some even take offense if I suggest that this is a superstition.
PS I’ve slept with a fan on and all doors/windows closed tight virtually my entire life and I’m still kickin. Maybe when I die of old age at 112, my Korean friends will chalk it up to fan death.
December 20th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I lookoooove this website!!
Here’s mines:
- when you see a random mattress while you’re out, pinch air into your shirt. Means a surprise is coming
- right ear burning and itchy means someone is talking bad about you. Left ear means they’re talking good.
- when buttoning up a shirt and accidently missing a few buttons means a surprise is coming
- when putting a shirt on inside out by accident means a surprise
- telling bad dreams will forbid them from coming true
- hat on bed bad luck
- handing a knife to someone means bad terms with the person
- lending clothes means same as above
- left hand itchy money coming. Don’t scratch it just put hand in a fist. If it’s your right hand you will owe someone money
- don’t walk backwards. Attracts bad energy
- doing anything like psychic reading or ouija board or tarots cards palm reading etc messes up your aura and gives you bad energy.
- when having a big idea or big plans for the near future do not tell anyone. People will most likely be jealous which causes bad energy and forbids your ideas/plans froM coming true
- keeping a statue big or small of an elephant with a dollar tied to it’s trunk brings money
Theres more just can’t think of any.
I live by these! My boyfriend sometimes gets annoyed lol
December 21st, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Actually, the superstition of looking into a well and seeing your future husband/wife also exists in Russia and some other European countries, but with more rituals (you have to walk backwards a certain amount of steps, do it at Midsummer night, etc.)
Here are some common superstitions from Russia:
To look into a mirror before leaving a house means that you will return shortly, having forgotten something, for an example.
Before going somewhere far away, there’s the tradition to sit down for about five minutes, “Sitting for the road,” for good luck.
If you say something bad, spit three times over your left shoulder to prevent it from happening.
If a fork falls on the floor, you’ll have a male visitor soon, if a spoon falls — a female one.
If the swallows are flying low, it will rain soon (for all I know, that may be true…)
When a child’s tooth fell out, in old Russia, they’d throw it behind the oven and say, “Little mouse, here’s a milk tooth for you, bring me a root one.”
The more birthmarks you have, the happier you’ll be in life.
If you accidentally poke yourself with the needle while sewing, you’ll be in love soon.
And etc.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Well walking under a ladder is bad luck, when you spill salt you should throw it over your left shoulder, see a crow means death, see one magpie means seath, 2 joy, 3 baby girl, 4 baby boy, 5 silver, 6 gold, 7 is a secret that should never be told, if to knives are crossed over eachother uncross them otherwise it means bad luch, uhm my memory has gone blank now uhm…. Oohh yes thats right if you smash a mirror it is 7 years bad luck and so on and so on , there are so many simple ones that this person hasn’t mentioned like under a ladder ect.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:43 am
i don’t believe in this stupid.
frankly, i think it’s weird.
but they are funny to read.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:43 am
in this stuff**
my bad. sorry.
January 12th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I heard that if a baby see’s its reflection before it’s first b-day it will die, anyone know why?
January 19th, 2009 at 4:38 am
They didn’t have cigarettes during either the American or British Civil War!
January 21st, 2009 at 6:32 am
heres a nother 1
if u pick up stickis on a sunday the man in the moon will het u
January 21st, 2009 at 10:57 am
great site! really helped with my project
January 21st, 2009 at 1:54 pm
This is very helpful in DI
January 21st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
And thanks
January 27th, 2009 at 6:22 am
If u collect sticks on a sunday the man in the moon will get u
January 28th, 2009 at 9:46 am
This is a good list. and i think Jacob black is hot!
February 4th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
stupid people…..
February 8th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I think there are ethereal forces at work that no one knows of… whether you believe them to be “superstitions” or if they’re you’re “beliefs” then that’s all up to you, as an individual. If we all tried to follow every one of the things listed, we’d be walking backwards, throwing away perfectly good salt, living lives of fear!
Just be the best U that you can be!
February 10th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
here’s mine lol. the magpie thing if you are alone and see a magpie u r supposed 2 bow and say a rhyme 2) never borrow salt.that was told to me by my mum when i was little she got it from my gran.i don’t know y u cant. 3)ladder, you will come face to face with death. 4)if you walk under a sign being held up by 2 posts u hold your breath or spit. 5)never split a lamppost. 6)if you open an umbrella indoors don’t put it over your head. 7)never put new shoes on a table.
dead bird on the doorstep means there will be a death in the house. 9) for a girl to dream of being pregnant means someone will die to dream of someone else being pregnant means someone they know will die. 10) if a bird flies in to a window its a death omen. number 10, once me a friend were watching romeo and Juliet and just as they died a bird flew in to the window. number 9 i have had this dream a lot and soon after someone dies coincidence maybe but i also had a dream that a friend was pregnant 4 months before she did fall pregnant,but any-who 3 days after that dream she called me to tell me that she had just found out that 4 days before this call her ex had died in a crash. I have not had this dream since but every time I did for days I was always thinking about it hoping no one would die but someone always did.
February 11th, 2009 at 7:10 am
i like dead birds i think we should shoot them all
February 12th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Wow, cool site! I host a paranormal talk show and I was looking for weird superstitions for my Friday the 13th show. Glad I found you! I will mention this site on the show as well!
Here are some I know of:
An Owl hooting outside a house for 7 days in a row means someone in the house will die soon.
The reason you say God Bless after a sneeze is way back they thought a sneeze was a demon being expelled, so they said Bless You to keep it from getting back in.
When a Hearse passes hold a button.
Never whistle while passing a graveyard.
Knock on wood when you mention any good thing that may happen or mention a bad thing that may not. This goes back to the Pagan believe that spirits lived inside the trees, they would knock on them to get their attention to ask them for favors.
If you cut a branch or limb from a tree you bury a silver coin at the base in payment. Same reason as above.
When someone is dying you cover all mirrors, because it is believed that at death a spirit may see itself in a mirror and become confused or trapped and remain.
I hope the bird into the window thing is wrong, because I have a crazy bird that flies into my sliding glass door over and over every day! LOL. (I finally realized he was using the glass to bash the berries in his beak after I saw the purple juice and seeds on the glass)..
As for black cats I have three, and they have never been bad luck but rather good luck!
Death comes in threes. I have notice this seems to apply to famous people the most. Next time a famous person dies, pay attention, within the week two others will pass.
Thanks for the great read!
Raven
February 12th, 2009 at 4:53 am
PS: I guess that should have been an owl hooting for 7 NIGHTS in a row… LOL
February 13th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Or maybe if you see a fossiled cavemen would it give you good luck or bad luck?
February 26th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I’ve heard the superstition that if you touch water in any way while you’re sleeping you wet the bed haha!
but the only superstition i really adhere to is when you talk about something bad happening theoretically (eg. ‘what if I fell and broke my leg tomorrow?’) i ALWAYS say ‘God forbid – touch wood’ and touch the nearest wooden thing!
magpies is definitley the most common one – when you see them it is supposed to be in accordance with this o$ld traditional nursery rhyme which im sure everyone knows: ‘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, eight for a wish, nine for a kiss, ten for a bird you must not miss’ but there are variations I think.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
it is bad luck to open a packet of crisps up side down
it is good luck to say white rabbits three times as your first word of a different month
March 13th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
haha tht funny gracey ….x
March 21st, 2009 at 8:27 am
This is all interesthing!! =]
My grandma always have told me not to sit a baby or pass a baby to another person above the table.
i kno weird!! i still sit babies on the table though n notin has happened!
March 21st, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Has anyone mentioned the superstition of Organized Religion yet? Mmm, just wondering.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:11 am
I agree with wombat(post 47) on the three from a match- and believe I’ve seen as much on one of those humerous WW2 era newsreel shorts poking fun at common superstitions. Logically I would agree probably actually from a fear of snipers during a war- but everyone should get a grip and quit fighting about which specific war. Here’s one of my favorites- it is bad luck to give someone a wallet/purse with no money in it. I had also always heard to throw spilled salt over your left shoulder since your left side was considered more ’sinister’ and thus where the demons/devil would come from.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:35 am
whoops- not about bones of the upper arm- humorous
April 6th, 2009 at 10:29 am
lol i thought number 20 was just because you’ll burn your finger!
apparently not
April 7th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
@zdank it wasn`t the civil war it was world war one in the trenches. another weird one bad luck to put new shoes on dining table? or bad luck opening umbrella indoors?
April 7th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
oops sorry its already been commented on ! LOL
April 20th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I definitely do the knock on wood thing, although for some reason if there’s no wood nearby I was always taught to knock on my head!
A few others my family always do:
If you leave the house, but forget something and have to return to get it, you have to sit down for at least 30 seconds before you leave again, though I don’t know why!
If you enter your house through one door and then exit through another you will have company.
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Hey!! Great site… it really helps me get through my boring work routine (don’t tell my boss though).
My grandmother will never pass the salt directly from hand to hand.. she picks it up an leaves it on the table again for the next person to pick it up… she says otherwise the people exchanging the salt will fight.
About the dream related ones.. I wouldn’t consider them superstitions cause there are so many interpretations for what you dream.. The other night I dreamt I had lice and my mom said it meant I would get money… talk about weird.
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
By the way… I bought 2 lottery tickets that day… =P
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 am
I have a few I think are really random:
-Keeping one shoe upturned when the other is the right way up is bad luck.
-If you’re sitting on something high and your legs are dangling, don’t swing them. Again, for some reason, this is supposed to invite bad luck.
-Snipping a scissor (opening and closing the blades, I dont know what else to call it) when you’re not actually cutting something, as in, just snipping it in mid air, supposedly will cause a fight between you and someone you are close to.
-Sneezing before a journey once or thrice is bad luck and may mean you will have an accident. If you can muster up a sneeze to even it up to two or four, though, you’ll be okay.
-a pimple exactly on the middle line of your face, that is the line going down from your forehead to your chin dividing your face into two exact halves, means someone’s got a crush on you (this is very popular with teenage girls).
April 27th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
o.o
my best friend gave me a knife as a gift and i haven’t seen him in about a year after……
April 27th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
147. Kerry your # 9 is screwed up
April 28th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
WHAT IF A BIRD FLIES INTO YOUR CAR WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING?
April 29th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I saw on an anime, “xxx Holic” that in japan it is bealived that if you cut your nails at night, you will not be present at your parents death. (because you will be dead… O.o )
April 29th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Quite a few in my family will have fits if you split a telephone pole (you go around one way, they the other) while walking with them. It’s supposed to bring bad luck. My Aunt would spit on a broom if you accidentally touched her anywhere with it. Ever heard of “step on a crack, break your momma’s back”?
May 7th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
IN RESPONSE TO:
13. Özhan – September 10th, 2007 at 6:34 am
I dont know if these also exist in western world:
A girl drinks salty water (lots of it) then goes to sleep. Superstition says she will see her future husband in dream as he’s giving her water.
The reason for this is that after someone drinks a lot of VERY salty water and then goes to sleep, the body sweats and expels out the water but leaves the salt which by that time has circulated into the brain. Heavy doses of salt can cause halucinations and strange dreams. This is why if you are ever shipwrecked, you do NOT drink the water from the ocean. It will actually mess up your head and you will die faster.
But as long as you can wake up in the morning and drink a lot of clean water to flush out the salt from the night before, it is a certain way of having some pretty funky dreams when you want to try and have some fun. Be cautious though. If you do this under stress, when you are angry or during a bad or depressing time, you may wind up having some very vivid and realistic nightmares.
Use With Caution.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
My two favorites are: a hat on a bed and to look at the back of a mirrior… Check out the movie Drugstore Cowboy and you will see just how bad the hat on a bed can be…
May 28th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I find number six the most ridiculous.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
A hat on a bad is about as bed as you can get….. But the one that should make you run for cover is looking at the back of a mirror, even by accident will haunt you forever…
June 20th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
i don’t belive this it’s scary tough but besides that i don’d belive it it’s just scary shit to scare ppl to bring atraction to the supernatural world ghost goblins witches r real but this is not some of it is but not all the black cat shit totally real but nothing else that’s all i have to say wast your time reading this shit i don’t care i have better things to do read eat sleep u guys seariously don’t waste your time on this peaz
June 24th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
My parents and I had 3 black cats that all lived at least to 15 years old, and we never had any bad luck.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:57 am
During my grandfather’s death a couple of dogs in my neighbour howled a lot through the night. Actually my grandfather was very sick and we didn’t need any dogs to tell he won’t live long. Anyways the dogs howl most of the night regardless regardless of whether anyone dies or not.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:56 am
can any one answer this question , if abird flys into a window and dies (it didn’t fly into the house ), what does this mean
July 14th, 2009 at 11:06 am
@happy (178): it means death is coming…
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
i dont believe in any of these things, they just nonsense.
July 24th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I’ve heard of the three cigaettes one! My dad told me that it came frpm the trenches of WWI as it would take long enough for a sniper to get a bead on you and shoot you. i don’t know if that is the origin of it or not but, it sounds as good as any other! LOL!
July 27th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
A Raven comes at 5am everymorning and knocks my window. I wonder what that means.
July 27th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
It knocks three times on each window
July 30th, 2009 at 7:07 am
I remember when i was younger If you whistle indoors then youll loose your money, if a cat thats not yours comes into your house then you are lucky, and you shouldnt sleep in a bed with your feet facing the door, plus the usual no new shoes on a table and you cant open umbrellas indoors.
July 31st, 2009 at 10:50 am
What does it mean when your black cat sleeps at the head of your bed(just above your pillow) while you sleep?
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:55 am
If you see a Hearse Passing what do you mean by button? button in polo or button like in a keyboard coz press someones nipple coz its like a button….XD
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:57 am
Mikey L. Dont Sleep with your feet facing the door does it means a stranger opens a door and grabs your feet away from the room…(Scary)
August 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 am
LoL in School A Bird Flys into our window in our classroom and it lived but we had to pck it up and send it out
and about the grabbing your feet i meant grabbing your feet with your body and eats you(about eats you just jking)
August 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
ths is good fr superstitions but you need more ive got 1 if you have broken 2 things within a day you need to break a stick or something because if you dont then you will break a bone that can stop you from doing something even living
August 11th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
as far as number 20 is concerned it does have some actual implications. in the military (my step-dad is a U.S. marine) they tell one to not light more than 2 cigarettes with the same match so as to make it less likely to draw attention to yourself (at night obviously) and to make it more difficult for an enemy to draw a sight on anyone in that particular area
August 13th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I’ve enjoyed the superstitions. =)
A few that have been passed on to me through family:
1) Go out the door you come in, or else you bring me company.
2) Bring a gift when you go an visit someone for the first time in the New Year – it brings you both prosperity, not doing so is bad luck.
3) Spill salt, and you spill money.
4) A dead bird in the house means you’ll be hearing about a death soon.
5) Kill a spider in the house, and it will rain for 40 days, catch it and let it go outside instead, and it will bring you good luck with money.
6) A dropped knife is a male visitor, a fork is a female one, a spoon is a child.
7) Another New Year’s one for us is to open all the doors at midnight to let the remnants of the old year out, and the New Year in. (We also wish the Neighbourhood a Happy New Year with a few shouts of Happy New Year at the same time)
9) When you give a wallet, always give it with money in it – to make sure the wallet will always have money in it.
10) No new shoes on the table, for any reason whatsoever. It’s the one thing that makes my mother freak out, and has me compulsive about shoes on the table at all.
That’s about it. Thanks!
August 24th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Covering mirrors is an orthodox Jewish thing, isn’t it? I’m not sure but I seem to recall that.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
i got two birds and my sister has a horse shoe in her room and sh still has bad dreams lol and i have went out the front door and came back into the back lol this is all not true
September 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
i killed many spiders inside and it didn’t rain at all
September 21st, 2009 at 11:41 am
cool.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:40 am
u am weird ha
September 25th, 2009 at 1:46 am
haahahahahahahah i love jord
September 25th, 2009 at 1:47 am
i love dale 4 eva
September 29th, 2009 at 1:15 am
hiya
September 29th, 2009 at 1:17 am
you look nasty
October 8th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
those are some wierd superstitions
October 21st, 2009 at 5:02 pm
My high school boyfriend’s mother was extremely superstitious…her two favorites were
a. don’t spin a hat in the house (think a basketball on your finger) and…
b. if someone sweeps over your feet you need to spit on the broom to avoid bad luck.
I was also told as a child to hold my breath when passing a graveyard, and that if I told someone about a dream/nightmare before breakfast it would come true.
My two cents on the shoes on the table thing…Why the hell are you putting shoes on a table anyway? No shoes or hairbrushes atop the place I eat, ever.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I heard that if you carry around a raven or crows foot it’s supposed to bring you good luck.-My grandmother fallows this I do too.
Also never accept food that is left on your door step, if you eat it. Apparently you will die a slow horrific death. My grandparents and mother fallow this.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
^^ HAHA SUSPICOUS SUPERSTIOUS FREAK LOL
FREAKY
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Anyone heard of the superstition of spitting in a persons hat? I believe particularly on Halloween? Whats that about? Thanks.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:18 am
The logic behind the 3 cigs, is that the lighting a match gives you away, the first cig allows the sniper to center, the second to calibrate distance, and the third smoker would get shot
Also the white lighter myth: Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrex, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain were all left-handed, all died at the age of 27, and all their autopsies reported that a white bic lighter was found in their pockets. This is why it is said that white lighters are unlucky. So if you are 27 and left-handed, don’t use a white bic lighter, you will die.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:42 am
they are brilliant
November 13th, 2009 at 3:19 am
In reply to RobS (entry 9).
The British army are trained not to smoke at night or use white ligh or fires. That not a superstition. Its dangerous cos the enemie will bluddy see you! No professional soldier would do it.
Common sense really mate
November 20th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Re the Owls, my ex husband told me his Cherokee Indian grandparents would tie a knot in a bedsheet to drive the Owl away. When I’ve heard owls in my woods I’ve done this and it actually works. His grandparents said hearing an owl means someone close to you will die soon.
Re another superstition: my mom had birds (cardinals, wrens, etc.) playing on her porch for weeks. She left her sliding glass door to her bedroom open (no screen) for fresh air and one wren flew in one day, another came in another day, and a squirrel came in – all went back out alive. Then another day she found a red cardinal dead where it had tried to fly in and crashed into the closed glass door. After that no birds came back to her porch, except for 2 cardinals who landed on the privacy fence overlooking her glass door, and then flew off. Really weird!
I wonder what it means???????