Strange Superstitions and The Superstitious Among Us

[MaximOfSurrey]

It's not really as much superstition as it is being wary. I never, ever walk directly under a bird. Or at least under and facing its rear.

 

[pigeon toe]

I do the spilled salt over the shoulder, the not putting my purse on the floor, And I got a talking to by my boyfriend for putting his hat on the bed lol .

I never knew putting your purse on the ground was bad luck. Maybe that's why my co-worker always freaks out and moves my purse when I leave it on the ground? I just thought she was a little nutty!

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Flying Scotsman, I subscribed to the whole feng shui thing for a long time and thought it worked rather well, but then realised it was simply because I was keeping everything clean and uncluttered and switched to FlyLady instead lol

I had a friend who was totally into the feng shui stuff...paid big money for a "consultant" to come in and tell her how to arrange things, what colors to put in what corners, whatever. Extremely silly stuff. So every time I was over at their house, I'd look around for all those feng shui things to rearrange or change, or even flat-out hide sometimes.

Wonder if that's what caused their divorce?

 

[Miss Match]

~ NEVER say the name of Shakespeare's Scottish play out loud in a theatre (most, including me, are conditioned to never say it out loud ever, just in case).
~ Don't whistle in the theatre, esp. the dressing rooms.
~ Never walk under a ladder set up onstage.
~ Respect the theatre's resident ghost (all theatres have a ghost). Or, to prevent a ghost from settling in, always leave a light on at center stage when closing the theatre.
~ Never recieve a bouquet of flowers before the show has begun. Also never use real flowers as props/decor onstage.
~ Never clean out your makeup box.... also, never spill the contents of a makeup box, and never wear new makeup on opening night.
~ Never knit onstage or in the wings.

And of course.... NEVER say "Good luck"!!! Always "Break a leg!"

I never believed in these before, but in the past couple of years I've seen too many things go wrong after people broke them that I've been made to believe.

I was recently in a show where the Stage Manager and the Asistant Stage Manager were talking on headsets, when the ASM mentioned the name of the Scottish Play. As soon as he said it, our lead actor forgot his lines. Another time, while we were doing the play, an actor who had been running around saying it to freak people out tripped on stage and threw out his back, needing to go to the hospital. I was wished good luck right before a dance scene, and my partner dropped me on stage and I actually hurt my leg- didn't break it, though!

When things keep happening, even skeptics start to believe. (That sounds like a horror movie tag line, but it's true)

 

[Rockapin-up]

I never knew putting your purse on the ground was bad luck. Maybe that's why my co-worker always freaks out and moves my purse when I leave it on the ground? I just thought she was a little nutty!

My co-worker Gary had told us ladies one time about 7 years ago when he saw one of the ladies purse on the floor. He said it would keep you struggling with money. Ever since then I don't put my purse on the floor. That and another e-mail I read about how a woman's purse is the dirtiest thing she owns, because it's alway put on the floor where God knows what has been tracked around.

 

[rockyj]

I sing or hum in the dark.

I think this started when I was a little kid. You know to keep the monsters away.lol

 

[RaasAlHayya]

I have also heard the "no purse on the floor" thing. I was shopping in a friend's boutique and had put my purse under a chair to keep it out of the way and another lady asked me if it was mine. When I replied that it was, she said I shouldn't put my purse on the floor because I would lose all my money. I had never heard of that before, and for a long time thought she meant that my purse might get stolen.

--Leslie

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

I carry a Staurolite cross and shark's tooth.

The cross because to me Nature and God are inseperable, and it is my way of being 'connected' to God through nature. They are also for good luck and supposedly ward off evil.

The shark's tooth because often on many tall ships, the sailors would nail a shark's tail to the bowsprit for general good luck. And the tooth is my way of doing the same sort of thing only on land.

Prien

 

[Rosie]

My co-worker Gary had told us ladies one time about 7 years ago when he saw one of the ladies purse on the floor. He said it would keep you struggling with money. Ever since then I don't put my purse on the floor. That and another e-mail I read about how a woman's purse is the dirtiest thing she owns, because it's alway put on the floor where God knows what has been tracked around.

I always thought this was something done in Black and Latino communities. No purse on the floor. Whenever you give someone a purse as a gift, you have to put money in it to ensure their purse is never empty.

I don't know if I do anything considered "superstitious". I probably do but never think of it. I don't put my purse on the floor so I guess that counts as one.

Oh!

I cover my head when cleaning the house. Not just because of dust, (my house isn't THAT dirty since I clean regularly) but it is thought that while cleaning, not only are you cleaning dirt but what ever negative thoughts or energies your home has picked up during the week. Covering one's head while cleaning, is protecting your Ori (head, inner and outer) from absorbing this negative energy while its kicking up and trying to find a place to go since you are cleaning it out.

After sweeping my floors, I sweep with a corn broom to spiritually clean the house and throw rain water on my doors and at my windows. [huh] Yeah, I am pretty superstitious in other's eyes I guess.

 

[EAL]

I always put on my shoes, and everything else for that matter, left side first. I put my pants on left leg first, socks left foot first, shirts left sleeve first, etc.

I don't remember when I started this - I've done it as long as I remember, and I don't really know why I do it that way - I'm a pretty rational person and don't look at it like a good luck type thing. But I wouldn't even consider changing it.

 

[Adelaidey]

Haha, almost forgot this one....

My friend started me on this one-- if you're a girl, never sit directly at the corner of the table, or you'll never get married! Apparently its an old Polish superstition... and ever since she yelled at me for sitting at a table corner once, I never have again! (I know, silly, but I don't want to be single forever!lol)

 

[Dan G]

whoa, that applies to girls only right? I'll have to move my place just to be safe.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Not sure if this is superstition or obsessive compulsive disorder, but whenever I leave my apartment for a vacation/trip/etc. I always have to check that the front door is locked like 5 times before I leave.

 

[PA Dancer]

My Uncle always had to leave a house thru the same door he came in.

I throw salt, knock on wood, don't walk under ladders, and I get in and out of bed on the same side.

....and I always keep a broom near the door

 

[Undertow]

I still knock on wood and I also try not to jinx myself by saying something negative (which is usually what causes me to knock on wood).

Sometimes, for fun, I'll throw salt over my shoulder, although I don't quite believe in it.

 

[Starius]

My Uncle always had to leave a house thru the same door he came in.

You know, when I was younger, I would always navigate my way around furniture and objects as if I was dragging an invisible rope. Thus, I would always take the same path back as I took to get where I was. Probably more obsessive compulsive than superstitious.

I don't do it anymore, of course.... but occasionally, I'll think about it.

Otherwise, I don't think I'm very superstitious, other than my family's favoritism and positive outlook of the number 13.

 

[staggerwing]

Years ago, my dad told my you should always put either the left or right shoe on first, since to do otherwise is bad luck. Trouble is, I can't remember which one it was. So, for 40 years, I've always put my left shoe on first. Now, if I were to change, my luck might get better - then again...

 

[PA Dancer]

I used to have this great book about superstitions and where they came from and how they got started.
I don't know if I still have it or not tho.....let me go check.

::::enter musak here:::::

Wow! I still have it! I thought I sold it on ebay a few years ago!
All right!!!

Well, if anyone wants to know where the superstitions came from, please let me know.

 

[Starius]

I used to have this great book about superstitions and where they came from and how they got started.
I don't know if I still have it or not tho.....let me go check.

::::enter musak here:::::

Wow! I still have it! I thought I sold it on ebay a few years ago!
All right!!!

Well, if anyone wants to know where the superstitions came from, please let me know.

How about the one about never putting new shoes on a table? Thats one my mother has always been big on.

 

[PA Dancer]

How about the one about never putting new shoes on a table? Thats one my mother has always been big on.

Shoes, new: on table
Dates back to 1869 Notes & Queries states putting new shoes on the table will cause a quarrel in the household.

It didn't say where the superstition originated, but I found this website for this and other superstitions:
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Superstition

It says that the shoes would scratch the table.