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Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:31 pm
Superstitions of the World
Superstitions
SUPERSTITIONS
Superstitions are also known as folk beliefs, and in The Study of American Folklore, Jan Brunvand proposes this definition. "Superstitions involve beliefs, practices, and procedures based upon conscious or unconscious assumptions, usually concerned with the nature of cause and effect" (1986: 301). Brunvand also notes folklorist Alan Dundes' definition which states that superstitions can often take the form of "If A, then B, unless C." Dundes gives the example that if one breaks the mirror (A), then you'll have seven years of bad luck (B) unless you get all the pieces and throw them in running water (C). Superstitions are powerful in that it can influence people how to act or not to act in everyday life.
Filipinos have many superstitions, such as beliefs pertaining to weather, food, and people among other things. No doubt that there will be some superstitions listed here which you remember hearing in your childhood. In that case, it is a little like meeting an old friend.
Quote unquote from
http://www.pinoystuff.com/folklore/superstitions/superstitions.htm
Check the sites listed below for easy reference and good source of information concerning Superstitions.
SITES FOR EASY VIEWING:
http://www.pinoystuff.com/folklore/superstitions/superstitions.htm
http://www.islandnet.com/~luree/silly.html
http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/supers.html
http://members.tripod.com/~mccurtain_2/genietips/tip1.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And you thought it was so simple to understand how the world viewed things.
Do not be afraid of fear itself. Take it by the hand and face it steadfast. Many superstitions are out there. You will be amazed.
Sit back and learn and share and be amazed by what you find here.
Blessed Be
Superstitions
SUPERSTITIONS
Superstitions are also known as folk beliefs, and in The Study of American Folklore, Jan Brunvand proposes this definition. "Superstitions involve beliefs, practices, and procedures based upon conscious or unconscious assumptions, usually concerned with the nature of cause and effect" (1986: 301). Brunvand also notes folklorist Alan Dundes' definition which states that superstitions can often take the form of "If A, then B, unless C." Dundes gives the example that if one breaks the mirror (A), then you'll have seven years of bad luck (B) unless you get all the pieces and throw them in running water (C). Superstitions are powerful in that it can influence people how to act or not to act in everyday life.
Filipinos have many superstitions, such as beliefs pertaining to weather, food, and people among other things. No doubt that there will be some superstitions listed here which you remember hearing in your childhood. In that case, it is a little like meeting an old friend.
Quote unquote from
http://www.pinoystuff.com/folklore/superstitions/superstitions.htm
Check the sites listed below for easy reference and good source of information concerning Superstitions.
SITES FOR EASY VIEWING:
http://www.pinoystuff.com/folklore/superstitions/superstitions.htm
http://www.islandnet.com/~luree/silly.html
http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/supers.html
http://members.tripod.com/~mccurtain_2/genietips/tip1.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And you thought it was so simple to understand how the world viewed things.
Do not be afraid of fear itself. Take it by the hand and face it steadfast. Many superstitions are out there. You will be amazed.
Sit back and learn and share and be amazed by what you find here.
Blessed Be
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:32 pm
You'll 'cut off' fortune if you use scissors on new years day
Coral beads are said to change color indicating whether the wearer is ill or well.
Nails should be bitten, not cut, for the same time, for that would make them thieves.
If you go to the bathroom in the night with no clothes on, insects will fall on you
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.
If you want to see a friend again, then don't ever say goodbye to them on a bridge.
Never take a broom with you when moving house - buy a new one.
If you see a chimney sweep then shake his hand so that some of his good luck rubs off onto you.
Seeing a single crow is very unlucky. But 2 mean good luck! 3 means health, 4 means wealth, 5 is sickness & 6 mean death!
If your ear is burning, then someone is talking about you. To determine whether what they are saying is good or bad, remember this rhyme, - Left for love, Right for spite!
If the palm of your right hand is itchy, then it foretells that money is coming to you, but don’t scratch it as that stops the money from coming! If it’s your left palm that is itchy, then scratch away, as that means that you'll soon be paying out money
If you see a magpie, remember this rhyme - 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.
How you start the year is how you will end it, so you must ensure that you are wearing new clothes & looking your best, have paid off all your debts & are with your partner (to ensure that you are still with them at the next New year). Also you must open
Dropping a pair of scissors is said to warn that a lover is unfaithful.
Never place shoes on a table as it means bad luck for the remainder of the day.
A bride must sew a swan’s feather into her husband’s pillow to ensure fidelity.
You must knock on wood 3 times after mentioning good fortune or the evil spirits will ruin things for you.
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you’ll have good luck.
Don’t break a mirror, or you’ll have seven years bad luck.
Don’t wash clothes on New Year’s Day, or somebody in your family will pass away.
Don’t walk under a ladder, or somebody will have an accident;
Don’t hit anyone with a broom, or it will make him or her lazy.
IF YOU BELIVE IN A SUPERSTITION, IT WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW YOU!
If the head of a bed is placed towards the north it foretells a short life, towards the south a long life, the east riches, the west travel.
Bad Luck: to leave bellows lying on the table or on the floor, since in such a position they presage domestic quarrels.
One's life is prolonged if, in later years, a visit is made to one's place of birth.
If you burn beef bones by mistake it is a sign of much sorrow to come on account of poverty. To burn fish or poultry bones indicates that scandal will be spread about you.
To cut bread in an uneven manner is a sign that you have been telling lies.
The best time for cutting one's corns is when the Moon is on the wane.
If a front door does not face the street, ill luck will attend the house. You should always close a front door with your face towards it.
To let fall an egg and smash it foretells good news; but if the egg is undamaged or merely cracked, bad luck is to be feared. When you have finished eating an egg it is a safeguard against misfortune if the empty shell is crushed with a spoon. If you burn eggshells, the hens will cease to lay. It is unlucky to take eggs out of, or bring them into, a house during the hours of darkness. Eggs laid on Good Friday never become stale.
When a woman reaches age 31 she may expect some great change to occur. Frequently it consists of an important journey, some unexpected danger, or some great temptation. She should be particularly cautious during this period, and take special care in her b
When eating a fish, you should begin at the tail and work towards the head.
To cross two forks accidentally is a sign that slander will be spread about you. To drop a fork foretells the visit of a woman friend. To stir anything with a fork is to stir up misfortune.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Coral beads are said to change color indicating whether the wearer is ill or well.
Nails should be bitten, not cut, for the same time, for that would make them thieves.
If you go to the bathroom in the night with no clothes on, insects will fall on you
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.
If you want to see a friend again, then don't ever say goodbye to them on a bridge.
Never take a broom with you when moving house - buy a new one.
If you see a chimney sweep then shake his hand so that some of his good luck rubs off onto you.
Seeing a single crow is very unlucky. But 2 mean good luck! 3 means health, 4 means wealth, 5 is sickness & 6 mean death!
If your ear is burning, then someone is talking about you. To determine whether what they are saying is good or bad, remember this rhyme, - Left for love, Right for spite!
If the palm of your right hand is itchy, then it foretells that money is coming to you, but don’t scratch it as that stops the money from coming! If it’s your left palm that is itchy, then scratch away, as that means that you'll soon be paying out money
If you see a magpie, remember this rhyme - 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.
How you start the year is how you will end it, so you must ensure that you are wearing new clothes & looking your best, have paid off all your debts & are with your partner (to ensure that you are still with them at the next New year). Also you must open
Dropping a pair of scissors is said to warn that a lover is unfaithful.
Never place shoes on a table as it means bad luck for the remainder of the day.
A bride must sew a swan’s feather into her husband’s pillow to ensure fidelity.
You must knock on wood 3 times after mentioning good fortune or the evil spirits will ruin things for you.
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you’ll have good luck.
Don’t break a mirror, or you’ll have seven years bad luck.
Don’t wash clothes on New Year’s Day, or somebody in your family will pass away.
Don’t walk under a ladder, or somebody will have an accident;
Don’t hit anyone with a broom, or it will make him or her lazy.
IF YOU BELIVE IN A SUPERSTITION, IT WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW YOU!
If the head of a bed is placed towards the north it foretells a short life, towards the south a long life, the east riches, the west travel.
Bad Luck: to leave bellows lying on the table or on the floor, since in such a position they presage domestic quarrels.
One's life is prolonged if, in later years, a visit is made to one's place of birth.
If you burn beef bones by mistake it is a sign of much sorrow to come on account of poverty. To burn fish or poultry bones indicates that scandal will be spread about you.
To cut bread in an uneven manner is a sign that you have been telling lies.
The best time for cutting one's corns is when the Moon is on the wane.
If a front door does not face the street, ill luck will attend the house. You should always close a front door with your face towards it.
To let fall an egg and smash it foretells good news; but if the egg is undamaged or merely cracked, bad luck is to be feared. When you have finished eating an egg it is a safeguard against misfortune if the empty shell is crushed with a spoon. If you burn eggshells, the hens will cease to lay. It is unlucky to take eggs out of, or bring them into, a house during the hours of darkness. Eggs laid on Good Friday never become stale.
When a woman reaches age 31 she may expect some great change to occur. Frequently it consists of an important journey, some unexpected danger, or some great temptation. She should be particularly cautious during this period, and take special care in her b
When eating a fish, you should begin at the tail and work towards the head.
To cross two forks accidentally is a sign that slander will be spread about you. To drop a fork foretells the visit of a woman friend. To stir anything with a fork is to stir up misfortune.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:33 pm
Part 2
It is a warning of treachery if a person's garter comes undone. If a girl loses a garter, a proposal of marriage at an early date is foretold.
To break uncolored glass in any form but that of a mirror or a bottle is a fortunate omen; but if the glass is red, future trouble and anxiety are implied. If green glass is broken, bitter disappointment will be your lot.
If you knock your hand accidentally against a piece of wood or a wooden article, it is an indication that you are about to have a love affair. If you knock your hand against iron, however, it must be taken as a warning against treachery.
Tying a knot in one's handkerchief is a means of warding off evil.
Finding a horseshoe is an assurance of good luck, but if you give it away or throw it away, your luck will leave you.
If after leaving your house, you turn back to fetch something, you must sit down when you get indoors and count backwards from seven, in order to avoid ill luck. It is unlucky to move into a new house during the months of April, July, and November.
If, before you retire to bed, you chants Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Bless the bed that I lie on, it will keep away evil spirits and ensure your good health.
If someone is lying dangerously ill, a lighted candle should be placed in a shoe, and all other lights in the room turned out. Then the name of the complaint from which the person is suffering must be written on a piece of paper and burned in the candle flame, and at the same time the following rhyme should be said three times: Go away death! Go away death! Life from the flame Give new breath I the candle must then be snuffed with the fingers.
The dropping of a knife foretells the visit of a man friend in the near future.
If someone lends you a pocket-knife, return it in the way in which it was given; that is, with the blade open or shut, pointing away from you or towards you.
Lightning will never strike a person when he is asleep, nor will it visit a house in which a fire is burning.
The days of the week on which it is considered most lucky for women to make any important decision or to undertake any great tasks are Tuesday and Friday. For men the fortunate days are Monday and Thursday
To spill matches is a very lucky sign, and if a girl accidentally upsets an entire box it will not be long before she becomes a bride. Crossing two matches by chance implies that joy and happiness await you.
When you have occasion to turn the mattress of a bed remember that if you turn it from foot to head, you'll never wed, and also that this task should never be performed on a Friday.
An infallible means of influencing one's luck regarding money is as follows: Choose a rainy day, and then to go to a place where there was a holly bush, clasp it round the main stem and chant three times, Holly tree, 0 holly tree, Let much wealth come t
If a girl's petticoat or slip shows below her dress, she is loved more by her father than by her mother.
Always pick up a pin when you see one lying on the floor, for See a pin and pick it up All the day you'll have good luck; See a pin and let it lie Luck will surely pass you by. To upset a box of pins foretells a surprise, so long as some of them are left
If you give anyone an empty purse he will never be blessed with riches. Place a coin inside it for luck.
Breaking one blade of a pair of scissors is an omen of quarreling and discord; if both blades are broken at once; a calamity is to be feared. . Scissors should always be sold; they should never be given.
A seventh son possesses many talents and is predestined for worldly success. The seventh son of a seventh son is gifted with the art of healing. The seventh daughter of a seventh daughter possesses the power of second sight.
If you do not present a new pair of shoes to a poor person at least once during your life, you will go barefoot in the next world.
If your shoelace persists in coming untied, take it as an omen that you are about to receive a fortunate letter or some kind of good news.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
It is a warning of treachery if a person's garter comes undone. If a girl loses a garter, a proposal of marriage at an early date is foretold.
To break uncolored glass in any form but that of a mirror or a bottle is a fortunate omen; but if the glass is red, future trouble and anxiety are implied. If green glass is broken, bitter disappointment will be your lot.
If you knock your hand accidentally against a piece of wood or a wooden article, it is an indication that you are about to have a love affair. If you knock your hand against iron, however, it must be taken as a warning against treachery.
Tying a knot in one's handkerchief is a means of warding off evil.
Finding a horseshoe is an assurance of good luck, but if you give it away or throw it away, your luck will leave you.
If after leaving your house, you turn back to fetch something, you must sit down when you get indoors and count backwards from seven, in order to avoid ill luck. It is unlucky to move into a new house during the months of April, July, and November.
If, before you retire to bed, you chants Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Bless the bed that I lie on, it will keep away evil spirits and ensure your good health.
If someone is lying dangerously ill, a lighted candle should be placed in a shoe, and all other lights in the room turned out. Then the name of the complaint from which the person is suffering must be written on a piece of paper and burned in the candle flame, and at the same time the following rhyme should be said three times: Go away death! Go away death! Life from the flame Give new breath I the candle must then be snuffed with the fingers.
The dropping of a knife foretells the visit of a man friend in the near future.
If someone lends you a pocket-knife, return it in the way in which it was given; that is, with the blade open or shut, pointing away from you or towards you.
Lightning will never strike a person when he is asleep, nor will it visit a house in which a fire is burning.
The days of the week on which it is considered most lucky for women to make any important decision or to undertake any great tasks are Tuesday and Friday. For men the fortunate days are Monday and Thursday
To spill matches is a very lucky sign, and if a girl accidentally upsets an entire box it will not be long before she becomes a bride. Crossing two matches by chance implies that joy and happiness await you.
When you have occasion to turn the mattress of a bed remember that if you turn it from foot to head, you'll never wed, and also that this task should never be performed on a Friday.
An infallible means of influencing one's luck regarding money is as follows: Choose a rainy day, and then to go to a place where there was a holly bush, clasp it round the main stem and chant three times, Holly tree, 0 holly tree, Let much wealth come t
If a girl's petticoat or slip shows below her dress, she is loved more by her father than by her mother.
Always pick up a pin when you see one lying on the floor, for See a pin and pick it up All the day you'll have good luck; See a pin and let it lie Luck will surely pass you by. To upset a box of pins foretells a surprise, so long as some of them are left
If you give anyone an empty purse he will never be blessed with riches. Place a coin inside it for luck.
Breaking one blade of a pair of scissors is an omen of quarreling and discord; if both blades are broken at once; a calamity is to be feared. . Scissors should always be sold; they should never be given.
A seventh son possesses many talents and is predestined for worldly success. The seventh son of a seventh son is gifted with the art of healing. The seventh daughter of a seventh daughter possesses the power of second sight.
If you do not present a new pair of shoes to a poor person at least once during your life, you will go barefoot in the next world.
If your shoelace persists in coming untied, take it as an omen that you are about to receive a fortunate letter or some kind of good news.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:34 pm
Part 3
To sneeze to the right is a promise of money, but sneezing to the left means a disappointment will soon come. There is an old rhyme that says: Sneeze on a Monday, sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for?
If soot bums in a ring at the back of the grate, pleasure and happiness are on their way to you.
Malice and envy are to be feared when sparks jump out of the fire.
Dropping a spoon means that a child or young person is going to call on you. To cross a spoon over fork presages happiness cut short by grief.
To put on your stockings or socks inside out is an omen that you will shortly receive a present. If your stocking comes down, your lover is thinking of you.
If thirteen people sit down to dine, the last to rise will meet with ill fortune.
To wash in water, which has been previously used by someone else means that you will quarrel with him, unless you clasp your hands together over the water when you have finished.
Never pour water into a tumbler which already holds some, for it is an invitation to evil spirits to visit you.
Never pour water into a tumbler which already holds some, for it is an invitation to evil spirits to visit you.
Women should not whistle, for it encourages evil spirits to visit them.
Spilling wine is an auspicious omen, if it is done accidentally; while to drop a glass of wine and break the glass is a token of a happy marriage and enduring affection.
When you are talking to someone, and if you should both happen to say the same word or sentence at the same time, you must each clasp the other's little finger and wish. Then, if you do not disclose your wish, it will be fulfilled.
People once believed the soul could escape from the body when a person sneezed. To stop this from happening, people ask God to bless and so to protect the person who sneezes.
People with hiccups were once thought to be possessed by the devil.
Yawning is caused by the devil so evil spirits enter your body when your mouth is wide open. Covering your mouth stops the evil spirits.
Watching someone else yawn makes you to yawn.
An itchy nose means your going to have a quarrel with someone.
Spit on your hands for strength. This originated from seeing animals lick their wounds, making people think saliva had some magical healing power.
To get rid of a cough, take a hair from the coughing persons head, put it in between two slices of buttered bread, feed it to the dog, and say - eat well you hound. May you be sick and I be sound.
To stop cramps, carry certain animal bones on your body. Another cure is to lay your shoes on your stomach, across the cramp.
Cross your fingers to make wish. Bad luck is trapped at the point where the two fingers meet so when we cross our fingers, we stop the bad luck from escaping and allow our wishes to come true.
Fingernail clippings must not be left behind. Fingernails can be used to cast spells on their owner, so they must never be left around for the evil spirits to find. They should be burned or buried instead.
An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.
An acorn at the window will keep lightning out.
Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
Seeing an ambulance is very unlucky unless you pinch your nose or hold your breath until you see a black or a brown dog.
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
To sneeze to the right is a promise of money, but sneezing to the left means a disappointment will soon come. There is an old rhyme that says: Sneeze on a Monday, sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for?
If soot bums in a ring at the back of the grate, pleasure and happiness are on their way to you.
Malice and envy are to be feared when sparks jump out of the fire.
Dropping a spoon means that a child or young person is going to call on you. To cross a spoon over fork presages happiness cut short by grief.
To put on your stockings or socks inside out is an omen that you will shortly receive a present. If your stocking comes down, your lover is thinking of you.
If thirteen people sit down to dine, the last to rise will meet with ill fortune.
To wash in water, which has been previously used by someone else means that you will quarrel with him, unless you clasp your hands together over the water when you have finished.
Never pour water into a tumbler which already holds some, for it is an invitation to evil spirits to visit you.
Never pour water into a tumbler which already holds some, for it is an invitation to evil spirits to visit you.
Women should not whistle, for it encourages evil spirits to visit them.
Spilling wine is an auspicious omen, if it is done accidentally; while to drop a glass of wine and break the glass is a token of a happy marriage and enduring affection.
When you are talking to someone, and if you should both happen to say the same word or sentence at the same time, you must each clasp the other's little finger and wish. Then, if you do not disclose your wish, it will be fulfilled.
People once believed the soul could escape from the body when a person sneezed. To stop this from happening, people ask God to bless and so to protect the person who sneezes.
People with hiccups were once thought to be possessed by the devil.
Yawning is caused by the devil so evil spirits enter your body when your mouth is wide open. Covering your mouth stops the evil spirits.
Watching someone else yawn makes you to yawn.
An itchy nose means your going to have a quarrel with someone.
Spit on your hands for strength. This originated from seeing animals lick their wounds, making people think saliva had some magical healing power.
To get rid of a cough, take a hair from the coughing persons head, put it in between two slices of buttered bread, feed it to the dog, and say - eat well you hound. May you be sick and I be sound.
To stop cramps, carry certain animal bones on your body. Another cure is to lay your shoes on your stomach, across the cramp.
Cross your fingers to make wish. Bad luck is trapped at the point where the two fingers meet so when we cross our fingers, we stop the bad luck from escaping and allow our wishes to come true.
Fingernail clippings must not be left behind. Fingernails can be used to cast spells on their owner, so they must never be left around for the evil spirits to find. They should be burned or buried instead.
An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.
An acorn at the window will keep lightning out.
Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
Seeing an ambulance is very unlucky unless you pinch your nose or hold your breath until you see a black or a brown dog.
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:34 pm
Part 4
To predict the sex of a baby: Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.
Spit on a new bat before using it for the first time to make it lucky
If you make a bedspread, or a quilt, be sure to finish it or marriage will never come to you
Placing a bed facing north and south brings misfortune.
You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck.
When making the bed, don't interrupt your work, or you will spend a restless night in it.
A swarm of bees settling on a roof is an omen that the house will burn down.
The sound of bells drives away demons because they're afraid of the loud noise
When a bell rings, a new angel has received his wings.
If you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake with the first puff you will get your wish.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney.)
To protect yourself from witches, wear a blue bead.
Touch blue and your wish will come true.
Before slicing a new loaf of bread, make the sign of the cross on it.
A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it.
If you say good-bye to a friend on a bridge, you will never see each other again.
Do not lean a broom against a bed. The evil spirits in the broom will cast a spell on the bed.
If you sweep trash out the door after dark, it will bring a stranger to visit.
If someone is sweeping the floor and sweeps over your feet, you'll never get married.
Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.
To prevent an unwelcome guest from returning, sweep out the room they stayed in immediately
If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.
Three butterflies together mean good luck.
If a candle lighted as part of a ceremony blows out, it is a sign that evil spirits are nearby
If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.
Keep cats away from babies because they "suck the breath" of the child.
A cat onboard a ship is considered to bring luck.
If you get a chill up your back or goosebumps, it means that someone is walking over your grave.
It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.
Evil spirits can't harm you when you stand inside a circle.
If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.
It's bad luck to pick up a coin if it's tails side up. Good luck comes if it's heads up.
To drop a comb while you are combing your hair is a sign of a coming disappointment.
Cows lifting their tails is a sure sign that rain is coming.
Don't step on a crack on a sidewalk or walkway.
A yawn is a sign that danger is near.
The number of Xs in the palm of your right hand is the number of children you will have.
Two people pull apart the dried breastbone of a chicken or turkey until it cracks and breaks, each one making a wish while doing so. The person who gets the long half of the wishbone will have his or her wish come true.
If you make a wish while throwing a coin into a well or fountain, the wish will come true.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
A bride's veil protects her from evil spirits who are jealous of happy people.
If a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means she will marry a sailor. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy. If she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire.
Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
If you bite your tongue while eating, it is because you have recently told a lie.
All wishes on shooting stars come true.
A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.
You sleep best with your head to the north and your feet to the south.
If you sing before seven, you will cry before eleven.
Salty soup is a sign that the cook is in love.
Rosemary planted by the doorstep will keep witches away.
If you leave a rocking chair rocking when empty, it invites evil spirits to come into your house to sit in the rocking chair.
A wish made upon seeing the first robin in spring will come true - but only if you complete the wish before the robin flies away.
A red ribbon should be placed on a child who has been sick to keep the illness from returning.
A rainbow in the Eastern sky, The morrow will be fine and dry. A rainbow in the West that gleams, Rain tomorrow falls in streams.
If you use the same pencil to take a test that you used for studying for the test, the pencil will remember the answers.
It is bad luck to see an owl in the sunlight.
Unless you were born in October, it's unlucky to wear opals.
A wish will come true if you make it while burning onions.
An onion cut in half and placed under the bed of a sick person will draw off fever and poisons.
If your nose itches, someone is coming to see you. If it's the right nostril, the visitor will be a female, left nostril, male.
A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
Mistletoe in the house protects it from thunder and lightning.
A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm because it attracts lightning.
It is unlucky to see your face in a mirror by candlelight.
It's bad luck to let milk boil over.
Clairvoyants use mandrake to increase their visions to enable them to see strange and wonderful things.
Mandrake is thought to have aphrodisiac and fertilizing properties.
Mandrake is a mysterious plant believed to have powers of preventing sterility in men and animals, causing barren women to bear children, and compelling love.
To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy.
Lettuce promotes child bearing if eaten by young women, and certain types of salad can bring on labor in pregnant women.
Lettuce is believed to have magical and healing properties, including the power to arouse love and counteract the effects of wine.
If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.
A cricket in the house brings good luck.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
To predict the sex of a baby: Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.
Spit on a new bat before using it for the first time to make it lucky
If you make a bedspread, or a quilt, be sure to finish it or marriage will never come to you
Placing a bed facing north and south brings misfortune.
You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck.
When making the bed, don't interrupt your work, or you will spend a restless night in it.
A swarm of bees settling on a roof is an omen that the house will burn down.
The sound of bells drives away demons because they're afraid of the loud noise
When a bell rings, a new angel has received his wings.
If you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake with the first puff you will get your wish.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney.)
To protect yourself from witches, wear a blue bead.
Touch blue and your wish will come true.
Before slicing a new loaf of bread, make the sign of the cross on it.
A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it.
If you say good-bye to a friend on a bridge, you will never see each other again.
Do not lean a broom against a bed. The evil spirits in the broom will cast a spell on the bed.
If you sweep trash out the door after dark, it will bring a stranger to visit.
If someone is sweeping the floor and sweeps over your feet, you'll never get married.
Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.
To prevent an unwelcome guest from returning, sweep out the room they stayed in immediately
If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.
Three butterflies together mean good luck.
If a candle lighted as part of a ceremony blows out, it is a sign that evil spirits are nearby
If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.
Keep cats away from babies because they "suck the breath" of the child.
A cat onboard a ship is considered to bring luck.
If you get a chill up your back or goosebumps, it means that someone is walking over your grave.
It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.
Evil spirits can't harm you when you stand inside a circle.
If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.
It's bad luck to pick up a coin if it's tails side up. Good luck comes if it's heads up.
To drop a comb while you are combing your hair is a sign of a coming disappointment.
Cows lifting their tails is a sure sign that rain is coming.
Don't step on a crack on a sidewalk or walkway.
A yawn is a sign that danger is near.
The number of Xs in the palm of your right hand is the number of children you will have.
Two people pull apart the dried breastbone of a chicken or turkey until it cracks and breaks, each one making a wish while doing so. The person who gets the long half of the wishbone will have his or her wish come true.
If you make a wish while throwing a coin into a well or fountain, the wish will come true.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
A bride's veil protects her from evil spirits who are jealous of happy people.
If a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means she will marry a sailor. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy. If she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire.
Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
If you bite your tongue while eating, it is because you have recently told a lie.
All wishes on shooting stars come true.
A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.
You sleep best with your head to the north and your feet to the south.
If you sing before seven, you will cry before eleven.
Salty soup is a sign that the cook is in love.
Rosemary planted by the doorstep will keep witches away.
If you leave a rocking chair rocking when empty, it invites evil spirits to come into your house to sit in the rocking chair.
A wish made upon seeing the first robin in spring will come true - but only if you complete the wish before the robin flies away.
A red ribbon should be placed on a child who has been sick to keep the illness from returning.
A rainbow in the Eastern sky, The morrow will be fine and dry. A rainbow in the West that gleams, Rain tomorrow falls in streams.
If you use the same pencil to take a test that you used for studying for the test, the pencil will remember the answers.
It is bad luck to see an owl in the sunlight.
Unless you were born in October, it's unlucky to wear opals.
A wish will come true if you make it while burning onions.
An onion cut in half and placed under the bed of a sick person will draw off fever and poisons.
If your nose itches, someone is coming to see you. If it's the right nostril, the visitor will be a female, left nostril, male.
A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
Mistletoe in the house protects it from thunder and lightning.
A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm because it attracts lightning.
It is unlucky to see your face in a mirror by candlelight.
It's bad luck to let milk boil over.
Clairvoyants use mandrake to increase their visions to enable them to see strange and wonderful things.
Mandrake is thought to have aphrodisiac and fertilizing properties.
Mandrake is a mysterious plant believed to have powers of preventing sterility in men and animals, causing barren women to bear children, and compelling love.
To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy.
Lettuce promotes child bearing if eaten by young women, and certain types of salad can bring on labor in pregnant women.
Lettuce is believed to have magical and healing properties, including the power to arouse love and counteract the effects of wine.
If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.
A cricket in the house brings good luck.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:34 pm
Part 5
Counting Crows: One's bad, Two's luck, Three's health, Four's wealth, Five's sickness, Six is death.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.
If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.
For good luck throughout the year, wear new clothes on Easter.
Pictures of an elephant bring luck, but only if they face a door.
If your right eye twitches there will soon be a birth in the family. If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
To cure a sty, stand at a crossroads and recite “Sty, sty, leave my eye, take the next one coming by.
If an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of the hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand the wish will be granted.
A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.
Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
It's bad luck to say the word pig while fishing at sea.
It brings bad luck for a flag to touch the ground.
First Flower of Spring: The day you find the first flower of the season can be used as an omen: Monday means good fortune, Tuesday means greatest attempts will be successful, Wednesday means marriage, Thursday means warning of small profits, Friday means wealth, Saturday means misfortune, Sunday means excellent luck for weeks.
If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip.
To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit.
It is bad luck to kill a ladybug.
If a young girl catches a ladybug and then releases it, the direction in which it flies away will be the direction from which her future husband will come.
If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.
A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.
A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end.
Ivy growing on a house protects the inhabitants from witchcraft and evil.
If your nose itches Your mouth is in danger. You'll kiss a fool, And meet a stranger. Rub an itch to wood It will come to good.
If your nose itches you will soon be kissed by a fool.
A horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.
Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.
Shed no blood on Good Friday, work no wood, hammer no nail.
A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
Cut your hair on Good Friday to prevent headaches in the year to come
A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday has a gift of healing. If a boy, he should go into the ministry.
The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck averts epilepsy and other fits.
A frog brings good luck to the house it enters
Never start to make a garment on Friday unless you can finish it the same day.
You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
A bed changed on Friday will bring bad dreams.
Never eat beef on New Year's, it roots backwards, and that is bad luck. Pork roots forward for it's food, and that means moving forward for good luck.
People would say that spirits could not walk upon a path, so after dark don't leave the path/road.
Don't step on sidewalk cracks. "Step on a crack break your mothers back" people say.
It is considered bad luck to pass a black cat after 9pm
If your feet itch it means that you will be walking on new grounds.
If you wash your face in the dew on the morning of the first of May, and you will either see faeries or see your future spouse.
If you are ever in an accident, you should be wearing clean underwear.
The groom should never see the bride the eve of their wedding or their marriage will fail.
If you put a broom outside your door, a witch will have to count each strand before entering your house and by then it will be dawn and time to stop the witching.
If you stare into a mirror by candlelight you will see the spirit of a lost loved one.
Christians used to think that lightening bolts were thrown at them by devils.
If you secretly put your toenail clippings in a glass of lemonade and make someone drink it, then that person is supposed to fall in love with you.
God Bless You - When someone sneezes his or her heart stops a beat. By saying God bless you; it merely thanks God for allowing the heart to continue beating again
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Counting Crows: One's bad, Two's luck, Three's health, Four's wealth, Five's sickness, Six is death.
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.
If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.
For good luck throughout the year, wear new clothes on Easter.
Pictures of an elephant bring luck, but only if they face a door.
If your right eye twitches there will soon be a birth in the family. If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
To cure a sty, stand at a crossroads and recite “Sty, sty, leave my eye, take the next one coming by.
If an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of the hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand the wish will be granted.
A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.
Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
It's bad luck to say the word pig while fishing at sea.
It brings bad luck for a flag to touch the ground.
First Flower of Spring: The day you find the first flower of the season can be used as an omen: Monday means good fortune, Tuesday means greatest attempts will be successful, Wednesday means marriage, Thursday means warning of small profits, Friday means wealth, Saturday means misfortune, Sunday means excellent luck for weeks.
If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip.
To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit.
It is bad luck to kill a ladybug.
If a young girl catches a ladybug and then releases it, the direction in which it flies away will be the direction from which her future husband will come.
If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.
A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.
A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end.
Ivy growing on a house protects the inhabitants from witchcraft and evil.
If your nose itches Your mouth is in danger. You'll kiss a fool, And meet a stranger. Rub an itch to wood It will come to good.
If your nose itches you will soon be kissed by a fool.
A horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.
Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.
Shed no blood on Good Friday, work no wood, hammer no nail.
A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
Cut your hair on Good Friday to prevent headaches in the year to come
A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday has a gift of healing. If a boy, he should go into the ministry.
The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck averts epilepsy and other fits.
A frog brings good luck to the house it enters
Never start to make a garment on Friday unless you can finish it the same day.
You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
A bed changed on Friday will bring bad dreams.
Never eat beef on New Year's, it roots backwards, and that is bad luck. Pork roots forward for it's food, and that means moving forward for good luck.
People would say that spirits could not walk upon a path, so after dark don't leave the path/road.
Don't step on sidewalk cracks. "Step on a crack break your mothers back" people say.
It is considered bad luck to pass a black cat after 9pm
If your feet itch it means that you will be walking on new grounds.
If you wash your face in the dew on the morning of the first of May, and you will either see faeries or see your future spouse.
If you are ever in an accident, you should be wearing clean underwear.
The groom should never see the bride the eve of their wedding or their marriage will fail.
If you put a broom outside your door, a witch will have to count each strand before entering your house and by then it will be dawn and time to stop the witching.
If you stare into a mirror by candlelight you will see the spirit of a lost loved one.
Christians used to think that lightening bolts were thrown at them by devils.
If you secretly put your toenail clippings in a glass of lemonade and make someone drink it, then that person is supposed to fall in love with you.
God Bless You - When someone sneezes his or her heart stops a beat. By saying God bless you; it merely thanks God for allowing the heart to continue beating again
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:35 pm
Part 6
considering if it had stopped they would not be alive.
Witches fly on broomsticks - comes from when the pagans were viewed hopping up and down on broomsticks in the fields, which was a harvest ritual.
Leaving the front door open for the prophet Elijah at Passover, so the kids think he drank the wine you left on the table for him, when in reality it was just evaporation.
There were fields in certain farms in Northern Ireland where a tree, especially a hawthorn, would be left standing in spite of the inconvenience to ploughing, rather than incur the hostility of the fairies who used it for their celebrations
Don't watch an animal defecating or you'll get a stye on your eye.
A red-tipped match will cure a case of the hiccups.
A wedding ring - An ancient symbol of completion, far older than the Christian religion. The ring signifies that which does not end or begin but it a circle of forever
When a couple is walking down the street holding hands and an obstacle (like a lamp post) comes between them you say bread and butter...thereby keeping the union until the hands meet again on the other side of the lamp post.
Counting a person's teeth robs them of one year of life for every tooth counted, this is why some people cover their mouths when they laugh, smile or yawn.
Whippoorwills call for the souls of the dead.
If an owl is staring at your house, someone there will die.
Clink two glasses of alcohol to scare the demon out of the alcohol.
It is bad luck to put up a calendar early or write in next year's diary before the New Year
When you cross a railroad track you need to touch a screw so you won't get pregnant.
If a woman's menstrual cycle begins while she is seated in a church the next child she has will be born dead.
If a bat gets in your hair you are possessed by the Devil.
Never take flowers from a grave or you will be the next to be in a grave.
If a single pigeon sits on your roof someone close is going to die soon.
A loud ticking from a clock means that a death is coming in the house soon.
Dropping silverware causes company. Drop a spoon and the company will be female, drop a fork and the company will be male. Dropping a knife will break the spell.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
considering if it had stopped they would not be alive.
Witches fly on broomsticks - comes from when the pagans were viewed hopping up and down on broomsticks in the fields, which was a harvest ritual.
Leaving the front door open for the prophet Elijah at Passover, so the kids think he drank the wine you left on the table for him, when in reality it was just evaporation.
There were fields in certain farms in Northern Ireland where a tree, especially a hawthorn, would be left standing in spite of the inconvenience to ploughing, rather than incur the hostility of the fairies who used it for their celebrations
Don't watch an animal defecating or you'll get a stye on your eye.
A red-tipped match will cure a case of the hiccups.
A wedding ring - An ancient symbol of completion, far older than the Christian religion. The ring signifies that which does not end or begin but it a circle of forever
When a couple is walking down the street holding hands and an obstacle (like a lamp post) comes between them you say bread and butter...thereby keeping the union until the hands meet again on the other side of the lamp post.
Counting a person's teeth robs them of one year of life for every tooth counted, this is why some people cover their mouths when they laugh, smile or yawn.
Whippoorwills call for the souls of the dead.
If an owl is staring at your house, someone there will die.
Clink two glasses of alcohol to scare the demon out of the alcohol.
It is bad luck to put up a calendar early or write in next year's diary before the New Year
When you cross a railroad track you need to touch a screw so you won't get pregnant.
If a woman's menstrual cycle begins while she is seated in a church the next child she has will be born dead.
If a bat gets in your hair you are possessed by the Devil.
Never take flowers from a grave or you will be the next to be in a grave.
If a single pigeon sits on your roof someone close is going to die soon.
A loud ticking from a clock means that a death is coming in the house soon.
Dropping silverware causes company. Drop a spoon and the company will be female, drop a fork and the company will be male. Dropping a knife will break the spell.
Source of info location and name......
Old Superstitions.com
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/general.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:35 pm
All locks in a house are unlocked at birthing to ensure an easy delivery.
Scatter Solomon's seal on the floor to banish serpents and venomous creatures from the room.
To protect your house from lightning, gather hazel tree branches on Palm Sunday and keep them in water.
Add caraway seeds to chicken feed to keep poultry from wandering. Feed the seeds to homing pigeons to help them find their way back.
Stuff fennel in your keyhole or hang it over your door to protect against witches.
Never carry a hoe into the house. If you do so by mistake, carry it out again, walking backward to avoid bad luck.
Never walk under a ladder, which is Satan's territory. If you must do it, cross your fingers or make the sign of the fig (closed fist, with thumb between index and middle fingers).
If you give a steel blade to a friend, make the recipient pay you a penny to avoid cutting the friendship.
Never give a knife as a housewarming present, or your new neighbor will become an enemy.
Never pound a nail after sundown, or you will wake the tree gods.
Nail an evergreen branch to new rafters to bring good luck. An empty hornets' nest, hung high, also will bring good luck to any age house.
When you move to a new house, always enter first with a loaf of bread and a new broom. Never bring an old broom into the house.
Source of information and link:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/moving.html
Scatter Solomon's seal on the floor to banish serpents and venomous creatures from the room.
To protect your house from lightning, gather hazel tree branches on Palm Sunday and keep them in water.
Add caraway seeds to chicken feed to keep poultry from wandering. Feed the seeds to homing pigeons to help them find their way back.
Stuff fennel in your keyhole or hang it over your door to protect against witches.
Never carry a hoe into the house. If you do so by mistake, carry it out again, walking backward to avoid bad luck.
Never walk under a ladder, which is Satan's territory. If you must do it, cross your fingers or make the sign of the fig (closed fist, with thumb between index and middle fingers).
If you give a steel blade to a friend, make the recipient pay you a penny to avoid cutting the friendship.
Never give a knife as a housewarming present, or your new neighbor will become an enemy.
Never pound a nail after sundown, or you will wake the tree gods.
Nail an evergreen branch to new rafters to bring good luck. An empty hornets' nest, hung high, also will bring good luck to any age house.
When you move to a new house, always enter first with a loaf of bread and a new broom. Never bring an old broom into the house.
Source of information and link:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/moving.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:36 pm
If you hear foot steps behind you on this night, don't look back. It may be the dead following you. Turning back could mean that you will soon join the dead.
Girls who carry a lamp to a spring of water on this night can see their future husband in the reflection.
Girls who carry a broken egg in a glass to a spring of water (during the day) can not only see their future husband by mixing some of the spring water into the glass, but she can also see a glimpse of her future children.
An old tradition was that girls should go into a field and there scatter the seed of hemp. While they did so they chanted “Hempseed I sow thee Come after me and show me”. Upon suddenly turning round, it was declared that each girl would see a vision of the man who would be her husband.
Bobbing for Apples - Each member of the party is given an apple, from which a small piece has been cut, and into which a fortune written on a slip of paper has been inserted. The apples are thrown into a large tub of water and the company invited to duck their heads and retrieve an apple with their mouths. Upon doing so they draw out the slip of paper and read their fortune.
To find out of your lover is true. select one of the letters which you have received from your sweetheart, especially one which contains a particularly passionate and important declaration; lay it wide open upon a table and then fold it nine times. Pin the folds together, place the letter in your left-hand glove, and slip it under your pillow. If on that night you dream of silver, gems, glass, castles or clear water, your lover is true and his declarations are genuine; if you dream of linen, storms, fire, wood, flowers, or he is saluting you, he is false and has been deceiving you.
Mashed potatoes offer a method of divining who will be the first to wed. Into the heap of mashed potatoes a ring, a three penny-bit, a button, a heart-shaped charm, a shell and a key are inserted. Then all the lights in the room are turned out, and each guest, armed with a spoon or fork, endeavors to find the hidden charms. The one who finds the ring win marry first; the three penny-bit signifies wealth; the button, bachelorhood or spinsterhood; the heart, passionate love; the shell, long journeys; the key, great success and power.
The old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween, and after these had burned out to make a circle of the ashes of each fire. Within this circle, and near the circumference, each member of the various families that had helped to make a fire would place a pebble. If, on the next day, any stone was out of its place, or had been damaged, it was held to be an indication that the one to whom the stone belonged would die within twelve months.
Halloween derives its name from the fact that in the Christian calendar it occurs the day before 'All Saints' or All Hallows' Day. It was the last night of the old year according to the ancient calendar of the Celts. On that night it was said that the witches, hobgoblins, warlocks, and other evil spirits walked abroad and devoted themselves to wicked revels. But the good fairies, too, according to some folklore, made their appearance at this time, but only from the hour of dusk until midnight.
If a bat flies into a house it is a sign that ghosts are about and maybe the ghost let the bat in
If bats come out early and fly around playfully, then it is a sign of good weather to come.
If a bat flies around a house 3 times, it is a death omen.
Peel an apple from top to bottom. The person with the longest unbroken peel would be assured the longest life. If you threw the apple peel over your shoulder, the initial it forms upon landing is the initial of your future mate.
When bobbing for apples, it is believed that the first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry.
If you go to a crossroads at Halloween and listen to the wind, you will learn all the most important things that will befall you during the next twelve months.
A person born on Halloween can see and talk to spirits
To prevent ghosts coming into the house at Halloween, bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway.
If a girl puts a sprig of rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under her pillow on Halloween night, she will see her future husband in a dream.
In Britain, people believed that the Devil was a nut-gatherer. At Halloween, nuts were used as magic charms.
Many people used to believe that owls swooped down to to eat the souls of the dying. If they heard an owl hooting, they would become frightened. A common remedy was thought to be, turning your pockets inside out and you would be safe
Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it into a flat dish, in the morning you will see the first letter of your sweetheart written in the snail's slime
You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits
Knocking on wood keeps bad luck away
If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you
If you ring a bell on Halloween, it will scare evil spirits away
In North America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In Britain and Ireland, it's the opposite.
If a candle flame suddenly turns blue, there's a ghost nearby
Source of information and its link:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/halloween.html
Girls who carry a lamp to a spring of water on this night can see their future husband in the reflection.
Girls who carry a broken egg in a glass to a spring of water (during the day) can not only see their future husband by mixing some of the spring water into the glass, but she can also see a glimpse of her future children.
An old tradition was that girls should go into a field and there scatter the seed of hemp. While they did so they chanted “Hempseed I sow thee Come after me and show me”. Upon suddenly turning round, it was declared that each girl would see a vision of the man who would be her husband.
Bobbing for Apples - Each member of the party is given an apple, from which a small piece has been cut, and into which a fortune written on a slip of paper has been inserted. The apples are thrown into a large tub of water and the company invited to duck their heads and retrieve an apple with their mouths. Upon doing so they draw out the slip of paper and read their fortune.
To find out of your lover is true. select one of the letters which you have received from your sweetheart, especially one which contains a particularly passionate and important declaration; lay it wide open upon a table and then fold it nine times. Pin the folds together, place the letter in your left-hand glove, and slip it under your pillow. If on that night you dream of silver, gems, glass, castles or clear water, your lover is true and his declarations are genuine; if you dream of linen, storms, fire, wood, flowers, or he is saluting you, he is false and has been deceiving you.
Mashed potatoes offer a method of divining who will be the first to wed. Into the heap of mashed potatoes a ring, a three penny-bit, a button, a heart-shaped charm, a shell and a key are inserted. Then all the lights in the room are turned out, and each guest, armed with a spoon or fork, endeavors to find the hidden charms. The one who finds the ring win marry first; the three penny-bit signifies wealth; the button, bachelorhood or spinsterhood; the heart, passionate love; the shell, long journeys; the key, great success and power.
The old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween, and after these had burned out to make a circle of the ashes of each fire. Within this circle, and near the circumference, each member of the various families that had helped to make a fire would place a pebble. If, on the next day, any stone was out of its place, or had been damaged, it was held to be an indication that the one to whom the stone belonged would die within twelve months.
Halloween derives its name from the fact that in the Christian calendar it occurs the day before 'All Saints' or All Hallows' Day. It was the last night of the old year according to the ancient calendar of the Celts. On that night it was said that the witches, hobgoblins, warlocks, and other evil spirits walked abroad and devoted themselves to wicked revels. But the good fairies, too, according to some folklore, made their appearance at this time, but only from the hour of dusk until midnight.
If a bat flies into a house it is a sign that ghosts are about and maybe the ghost let the bat in
If bats come out early and fly around playfully, then it is a sign of good weather to come.
If a bat flies around a house 3 times, it is a death omen.
Peel an apple from top to bottom. The person with the longest unbroken peel would be assured the longest life. If you threw the apple peel over your shoulder, the initial it forms upon landing is the initial of your future mate.
When bobbing for apples, it is believed that the first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry.
If you go to a crossroads at Halloween and listen to the wind, you will learn all the most important things that will befall you during the next twelve months.
A person born on Halloween can see and talk to spirits
To prevent ghosts coming into the house at Halloween, bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway.
If a girl puts a sprig of rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under her pillow on Halloween night, she will see her future husband in a dream.
In Britain, people believed that the Devil was a nut-gatherer. At Halloween, nuts were used as magic charms.
Many people used to believe that owls swooped down to to eat the souls of the dying. If they heard an owl hooting, they would become frightened. A common remedy was thought to be, turning your pockets inside out and you would be safe
Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it into a flat dish, in the morning you will see the first letter of your sweetheart written in the snail's slime
You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits
Knocking on wood keeps bad luck away
If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you
If you ring a bell on Halloween, it will scare evil spirits away
In North America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In Britain and Ireland, it's the opposite.
If a candle flame suddenly turns blue, there's a ghost nearby
Source of information and its link:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/halloween.html
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:36 pm
Bad Luck: Friday the Thirteenth - The Scandinavian's believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. It was also said that Christ was crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor.
Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder - A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself.
Bad Luck: Black Cats - In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.
Bad Luck: Spilling Salt - Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from the belief that Judas spilt salt during the last supper. Throwing spilt salt over the left shoulder is linked to its medicinal use. If it could not be administered, the next best thing was to throw it into the eye of the evil spirits that brought sickness upon us. These spirits were thought to lurk behind your shoulder, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Bad Luck: A bat flying into the house
Bad Luck: An owl hooting 3 times
Bad Luck: 3 butterflies together
Bad Luck: Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder
Bad Luck: A 5-leaf clover
Bad Luck: Breaking a glass while proposing a toast
Bad Luck: Putting a shirt on inside out
Bad Luck: Red and white flowers together
Bad Luck: Hearing a rooster crow at night
Bad Luck: Cutting your nails on a Friday
Bad Luck: Putting a hat on a bed
Bad Luck: Getting out of bed left foot first
Bad Luck: Violets blooming out of season
Bad Luck: A picture falling
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror
Bad Luck: Singing before breakfast
Bad Luck: Opening an umbrella indoors
Bad Luck: Giving away a wedding present
Bad Luck: Stepping on cracks in the sidewalk
Bad Luck: An itch inside your nose
Bad Luck: Crossed knives
Bad Luck: seeing an owl during daylight
Bad Luck: If a dog suddenly barks for no apparent reason in a house that has a sick person then
Bad Luck: You must wear new clothes at Easter or you will have bad luck
Bad Luck: There will be an argument if knifes are crossed at a table. Also, if a lover gives you a
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror means 7 years of bad luck, unless you take the pieces outside & bury them in moonlight. Also, an undisturbed mirror in a house suddenly fall & smashes then it means that there will soon be a death.
Bad Luck: Unless you were born in October, the wearing of an Opal will be ill-fated
Bad Luck: If pepper is spilt, then you will have a serious argument with a friend.
Bad Luck: Sparrows are said to carry the souls of the deceased to the after-life. To kill one means that you will be cursed.
Bad Luck: It is extremely unlucky to open an umbrella inside a house.
Bad Luck: If a groom drops the ring during the ceremony then the marriage is doomed to failure.
Bad Luck: Breaking a plate, especially if it had not already been cracked.
Bad Luck: To see the new moon for the first time through glass. Upon seeing the new moon you should turn whatever silver you have in your pockets or handbag, and thus ensure prosperity for a month.
Bad Luck: To upset pepper
Bad Luck: The blossom must never be cut from the tree and brought into the house before May 1, or ill fortune will attend you.
Bad Luck: Never mend a garment while you are wearing it, or misfortune will follow.
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror portends seven years of bad luck. It is also extremely unlucky to receive a mirror as a present
Bad Luck: To make a present of a knife or any other sharp instrument unless you receive something in exchange.
Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder, unless you cross their fingers while doing so.
Bad Luck: It brings ill fortune if a lease or any contract is signed in the months of April, July, or November.
Bad Luck: To spill ink threatens worry, annoyance, and the failure of a project that is on foot.
Bad Luck: Crossing two table-knives by accident portends bad luck.
Bad Luck: To give a pair of gloves to a friend unless you receive something in exchange.
Bad Luck: To encounter a gravedigger coming towards you. Usually this means there will be a severe illness.
Bad Luck: For those who completely rake out a fire before retiring. A few embers should always be left.
Bad Luck: To break a glass bottle portends misfortune
Bad Luck: If you fasten a button into the wrong buttonhole
Bad Luck: if a candle falls over
Bad Luck: For a golfer to borrow your partners umbrella
Bad Luck: Throwing stones into the sea cause bad luck
Bad Luck: Starting a cruise on a Friday
Bad Luck: Stepping on board a ship with your left foot
Bad Luck: To open an umbrella in the house
Bad Luck: It is unlucky to sit on a table unless one foot is touching the ground
Bad Luck: If a person stumbles when leaving his house at the beginning of a journey, or trips or stumbles more than once during the course of the journey, it is advisable to postpone it.
Bad Luck: To pass anyone on the staircase.
Bad Luck: New shoes should never be left on a table
Bad Luck: To put on the left shoe before the right, and it is worse still to put the right shoe on the left foot, or vice versa.
Bad Luck: Spilling salt. If both salt and pepper are spilt at the same time, the force of this ill omen is doubled.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/bad_luck.html
Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder - A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself.
Bad Luck: Black Cats - In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.
Bad Luck: Spilling Salt - Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from the belief that Judas spilt salt during the last supper. Throwing spilt salt over the left shoulder is linked to its medicinal use. If it could not be administered, the next best thing was to throw it into the eye of the evil spirits that brought sickness upon us. These spirits were thought to lurk behind your shoulder, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Bad Luck: A bat flying into the house
Bad Luck: An owl hooting 3 times
Bad Luck: 3 butterflies together
Bad Luck: Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder
Bad Luck: A 5-leaf clover
Bad Luck: Breaking a glass while proposing a toast
Bad Luck: Putting a shirt on inside out
Bad Luck: Red and white flowers together
Bad Luck: Hearing a rooster crow at night
Bad Luck: Cutting your nails on a Friday
Bad Luck: Putting a hat on a bed
Bad Luck: Getting out of bed left foot first
Bad Luck: Violets blooming out of season
Bad Luck: A picture falling
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror
Bad Luck: Singing before breakfast
Bad Luck: Opening an umbrella indoors
Bad Luck: Giving away a wedding present
Bad Luck: Stepping on cracks in the sidewalk
Bad Luck: An itch inside your nose
Bad Luck: Crossed knives
Bad Luck: seeing an owl during daylight
Bad Luck: If a dog suddenly barks for no apparent reason in a house that has a sick person then
Bad Luck: You must wear new clothes at Easter or you will have bad luck
Bad Luck: There will be an argument if knifes are crossed at a table. Also, if a lover gives you a
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror means 7 years of bad luck, unless you take the pieces outside & bury them in moonlight. Also, an undisturbed mirror in a house suddenly fall & smashes then it means that there will soon be a death.
Bad Luck: Unless you were born in October, the wearing of an Opal will be ill-fated
Bad Luck: If pepper is spilt, then you will have a serious argument with a friend.
Bad Luck: Sparrows are said to carry the souls of the deceased to the after-life. To kill one means that you will be cursed.
Bad Luck: It is extremely unlucky to open an umbrella inside a house.
Bad Luck: If a groom drops the ring during the ceremony then the marriage is doomed to failure.
Bad Luck: Breaking a plate, especially if it had not already been cracked.
Bad Luck: To see the new moon for the first time through glass. Upon seeing the new moon you should turn whatever silver you have in your pockets or handbag, and thus ensure prosperity for a month.
Bad Luck: To upset pepper
Bad Luck: The blossom must never be cut from the tree and brought into the house before May 1, or ill fortune will attend you.
Bad Luck: Never mend a garment while you are wearing it, or misfortune will follow.
Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror portends seven years of bad luck. It is also extremely unlucky to receive a mirror as a present
Bad Luck: To make a present of a knife or any other sharp instrument unless you receive something in exchange.
Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder, unless you cross their fingers while doing so.
Bad Luck: It brings ill fortune if a lease or any contract is signed in the months of April, July, or November.
Bad Luck: To spill ink threatens worry, annoyance, and the failure of a project that is on foot.
Bad Luck: Crossing two table-knives by accident portends bad luck.
Bad Luck: To give a pair of gloves to a friend unless you receive something in exchange.
Bad Luck: To encounter a gravedigger coming towards you. Usually this means there will be a severe illness.
Bad Luck: For those who completely rake out a fire before retiring. A few embers should always be left.
Bad Luck: To break a glass bottle portends misfortune
Bad Luck: If you fasten a button into the wrong buttonhole
Bad Luck: if a candle falls over
Bad Luck: For a golfer to borrow your partners umbrella
Bad Luck: Throwing stones into the sea cause bad luck
Bad Luck: Starting a cruise on a Friday
Bad Luck: Stepping on board a ship with your left foot
Bad Luck: To open an umbrella in the house
Bad Luck: It is unlucky to sit on a table unless one foot is touching the ground
Bad Luck: If a person stumbles when leaving his house at the beginning of a journey, or trips or stumbles more than once during the course of the journey, it is advisable to postpone it.
Bad Luck: To pass anyone on the staircase.
Bad Luck: New shoes should never be left on a table
Bad Luck: To put on the left shoe before the right, and it is worse still to put the right shoe on the left foot, or vice versa.
Bad Luck: Spilling salt. If both salt and pepper are spilt at the same time, the force of this ill omen is doubled.
SOURCE of INFORMATION
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/bad_luck.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:36 pm
Good Luck: Fingers Crossed - By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.
Good Luck: Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.
Good Luck: Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes. When the great plague swept Europe., sufferers began sneezing violently which was a sign of death. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact. Sneezing 'into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Up until this time, the opposite was true. Those who sneezed were congratulated, as it was believed that a violent sneeze would expel evil from their bodies.
Good Luck: A robin flying into the house
Good Luck: Sneezing 3 times before breakfast
Good Luck: Meeting 3 sheep
Good Luck: Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder
Good Luck: A 4-leaf clover
Good Luck: Spilling wine while proposing a toast
Good Luck: Putting a dress on inside out
Good Luck: 9 peas in a pea pod
Good Luck: Hearing crickets singing
Good Luck: Picking up a pin Dropping a glove
Good Luck: A horseshoe Peacock feathers
Good Luck: Cutting your hair during a storm
Good Luck: Sleeping facing south
Good Luck: White heather
Good Luck: Picking up a pencil in the street
Good Luck: Breaking clear and uncolored glass
Good Luck: Walking in the rain
Good Luck: Sleeping on un-ironed sheets
Good Luck: Avoiding cracks in the sidewalk
Good Luck: An itch on the top of your head
Good Luck: Scissors hanging an a hook
Good Luck: A ladybug on you
Good Luck: Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!
Good Luck: To find a four-leaf clover means immense good luck, so keep it safe, if you lose it
Good Luck: To pick up a piece of coal that has fallen in your path.
Good Luck : To have one's garments caught up by a bush or briar when out walking is a promise of good luck, involving monetary gain.
Good Luck: New enterprises will be fortunate if begun at the time of the new moon.
Good Luck: If by chance you meet the same person twice when you are out on business. It is even luckier if you encounter him once when you are setting out and again when you are returning.
Good Luck: Dolphins swimming nearby a ship
Good Luck: A naked woman on board a boat is said to calm the seas.
Good Luck: Golfers can have a successful day on the course if they start their round with odd numbered clubs and don't use balls with numbers higher than 4
Good Luck: To set out for golfing on a rainy day
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you will have good luck.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/good_luck.html
Good Luck: Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.
Good Luck: Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes. When the great plague swept Europe., sufferers began sneezing violently which was a sign of death. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact. Sneezing 'into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Up until this time, the opposite was true. Those who sneezed were congratulated, as it was believed that a violent sneeze would expel evil from their bodies.
Good Luck: A robin flying into the house
Good Luck: Sneezing 3 times before breakfast
Good Luck: Meeting 3 sheep
Good Luck: Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder
Good Luck: A 4-leaf clover
Good Luck: Spilling wine while proposing a toast
Good Luck: Putting a dress on inside out
Good Luck: 9 peas in a pea pod
Good Luck: Hearing crickets singing
Good Luck: Picking up a pin Dropping a glove
Good Luck: A horseshoe Peacock feathers
Good Luck: Cutting your hair during a storm
Good Luck: Sleeping facing south
Good Luck: White heather
Good Luck: Picking up a pencil in the street
Good Luck: Breaking clear and uncolored glass
Good Luck: Walking in the rain
Good Luck: Sleeping on un-ironed sheets
Good Luck: Avoiding cracks in the sidewalk
Good Luck: An itch on the top of your head
Good Luck: Scissors hanging an a hook
Good Luck: A ladybug on you
Good Luck: Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!
Good Luck: To find a four-leaf clover means immense good luck, so keep it safe, if you lose it
Good Luck: To pick up a piece of coal that has fallen in your path.
Good Luck : To have one's garments caught up by a bush or briar when out walking is a promise of good luck, involving monetary gain.
Good Luck: New enterprises will be fortunate if begun at the time of the new moon.
Good Luck: If by chance you meet the same person twice when you are out on business. It is even luckier if you encounter him once when you are setting out and again when you are returning.
Good Luck: Dolphins swimming nearby a ship
Good Luck: A naked woman on board a boat is said to calm the seas.
Good Luck: Golfers can have a successful day on the course if they start their round with odd numbered clubs and don't use balls with numbers higher than 4
Good Luck: To set out for golfing on a rainy day
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you will have good luck.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/good_luck.html
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:37 pm
A bird in the house is a sign of a death.
If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.
Light candles on the night after November 1. One for each deceased relative should be placed in the window in the room where death occurred.
You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.
If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
You will have bad luck if you do not stop the clock in the room where someone dies.
If a woman is buried in black, she will return to haunt the family.
If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
Mirrors in a house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next.
Dogs howling in the dark of night, Howl for death before daylight.
If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
If you touch a loved one who has died, you won't have dreams about them
A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
A person who dies at midnight on Christmas Eve will go straight to heaven because the gates of heaven are open at that time.
All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.
The soul of a dying person can't escape the body and go to heaven if any locks are locked in the house.
If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
Funerals on Friday portend another death in the family during the year.
It's bad luck to count the cars in a funeral cortege.
It's bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on.
Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.
Nothing new should be worn to a funeral, especially new shoes.
Pointing at a funeral procession will cause you to die within the month.
Pregnant women should not attend funerals.
If the person buried lived a good life, flowers will grow on the grave.
If the person was evil, weeds will grow.
If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.
A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.
If 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one of them will die before the year is over.
Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/death.html
If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.
Light candles on the night after November 1. One for each deceased relative should be placed in the window in the room where death occurred.
You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.
If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
You will have bad luck if you do not stop the clock in the room where someone dies.
If a woman is buried in black, she will return to haunt the family.
If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
Mirrors in a house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next.
Dogs howling in the dark of night, Howl for death before daylight.
If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
If you touch a loved one who has died, you won't have dreams about them
A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
A person who dies at midnight on Christmas Eve will go straight to heaven because the gates of heaven are open at that time.
All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.
The soul of a dying person can't escape the body and go to heaven if any locks are locked in the house.
If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
Funerals on Friday portend another death in the family during the year.
It's bad luck to count the cars in a funeral cortege.
It's bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on.
Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.
Nothing new should be worn to a funeral, especially new shoes.
Pointing at a funeral procession will cause you to die within the month.
Pregnant women should not attend funerals.
If the person buried lived a good life, flowers will grow on the grave.
If the person was evil, weeds will grow.
If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.
A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.
If 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one of them will die before the year is over.
Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/death.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:37 pm
If you don't cover your bald head it will start raining
If you shave your head on a Saturday, you will be in perpetual debt
You shouldn't wash your hair the day before an exam.
Hair at no age must be cut at the waning of the moon, which would prevent it growing luxuriantly.
Hair cut off should always be burned; it unlucky to throw shorn hair away; otherwise, birds might make a nest of your hair, weaving tightly, so that you would have difficulty rising on your last day.
Choosing to cut your hair (or nails) on a particular day means the following: Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health; cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth; cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news; cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes; cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow; cut them on Saturday, see your true love tomorrow; cut them on Sunday, the devil will be with you all the week.
Source of information:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/hair.html
If you shave your head on a Saturday, you will be in perpetual debt
You shouldn't wash your hair the day before an exam.
Hair at no age must be cut at the waning of the moon, which would prevent it growing luxuriantly.
Hair cut off should always be burned; it unlucky to throw shorn hair away; otherwise, birds might make a nest of your hair, weaving tightly, so that you would have difficulty rising on your last day.
Choosing to cut your hair (or nails) on a particular day means the following: Cut them on Monday, you cut them for health; cut them on Tuesday, you cut them for wealth; cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for news; cut them on Thursday, a new pair of shoes; cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow; cut them on Saturday, see your true love tomorrow; cut them on Sunday, the devil will be with you all the week.
Source of information:
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/hair.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:38 pm
In Greek superstition crows are seen as a bad omen, often foretelling death
Upon seeing Crows cawing, it is believed that the Crows are announcing the death of an individual.
The number 13 cannot be that unlucky as we should not forget that Greece won 13 medals in the Sydney Olympics its' best showing ever.
In most western cultures Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day, to Greeks this day is not considered unlucky. In the Greek culture it is Tuesday the 13th of the month which is unlucky
Greek Fishermen may spit into their nets so that they will ward off any evil allowing them to get a good catch
Bat Bones - Some Greeks consider bat bones to be very lucky. They carry a small bit of the bone in their pockets or purses with them where ever they go. The only problem is getting the bone as it is supposed to be very bad luck to kill a bat. Other Greeks believe quite the opposite. They think that bats are unholy creatures and should be avoided at all costs, and would never dream of carrying a piece of one as a talisman.
Bread is considered a gift from God. It has roots from the bible story, Sermon on the Mount, of how Jesus Christ fed thousands with the fish and the bread. The older village women always make the sign of the cross over a fresh loaf before slicing it. No bread is ever thrown away. If it is not eaten in some way or another, it is fed to the animals - chickens or pigs, and even dogs, as it would be a sin for it to end up in the garbage and has to be consumed by some living creature.
Evil Eye - It can strike at any given moment. More than likely, you’ve had it happen to you, but you’ve just never realized what did it.Take a moment and think about it. Perhaps there was an occasion that you were dressed up and someone told you how nice you look. A few minutes later you spilled coffee down the front of you or split your pants. Or maybe someone told you how beautiful your new vase was and a while later it fell to the ground shattering in a thousand pieces. That’s the evil eye. To ward it off, there are a few different things you can do. They sell ‘eyes’ here that are like charms, blue in color with an eye painted on them to ‘reflect’ the evil and you wear them on a necklace or a bracelet. You can also purchase a blue bead to wear instead of an eye. Blue is the color that wards off the evil of the eye, but it is also commonly thought that blue-eyed people are exceptional givers of it. So beware when a blue-eyed person pays you a compliment, according to the superstition, it could be disastrous. Another way to ward off the evil eye is with garlic. There are rare instances when a single clove will grow into the shape of a small head of garlic. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, guard it well as it is the best thing to keep away the evil eye. You can carry it in your pocket, or as I do, keep it in a hanky in your bra. I know what you’re thinking, but believe me… as long as the skin is left on, it doesn’t smell at all.If you can’t brave the garlic, there is an alternative. When you get a compliment remember to say ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under your breath and spit three times on your own person. If you know the individual that is complimenting you, tell them to spit on you too.
Cactus - No Greek home would be complete with out at least one cactus positioned somewhere near the front entrance. In a big ‘Feta’ can or garden pot, a cactus with its thorny spikes, takes it place proudly warding off the evil eye from the property.
Fish are believed to be wise and knowledgeable. But the Church also sees the fish as a revered symbol of silence. Fish don’t speak or make noise.
Garlic / Skordo - keeps evil away. You will usually find beautiful braids of Garlic, or some huge, one of a kind head, dangling in the entrances of shops, restaurants and homes. It is thought that garlic not only wards off the evil eye but also keeps away evil spirits and demons.It is also common for some folk to carry a clove of it on their persons or in their pocket books.
Never hand some one a knife. Set it down and let them pick it up, or else you will get into a fight with that person.
Greeks believe that Money attracts money, so never leave your pockets, purses or wallets completely empty and never completely empty your bank account. Always leave at least a coin or two. It is also considered good luck that when you give a gift of a wallet or a purse, that you put a coin or two in it before giving it to the recipient.
Onions are a popular ingredient used in healing. For colds and sniffles, you can grate onions and use them as a mustard plaster on the chest. To ease the swelling from a bad sprain, grate onions and mix them with a bit of Ouzo. Apply the paste to the swollen area and bandage it up. Leave it on over night and by morning, the swelling should be gone.
Greeks believe that in order for a cutting to root, it has to be stolen. You have to nonchalantly cut off a piece of the desired plant and take it home without telling the owner. According to superstition, it will root easily.
If you sneeze, it means that someone is talking about you. If you want to know who it is, there is a way you can find out. Ask someone around you to give you a three-digit number. Count each digit together and then count down the alphabet. Whatever letter it falls on, is the initial of the person that is talking about you.For example, 534 is the number given. Add it together 5+3+4=12. Count down the alphabet to ‘L’, which is the twelfth letter. That is the first initial of the person that is talking about you. Because you never know if what they are saying about you is good or bad, it wouldn’t hurt to whisper ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under your breath, just to be on the safe side.
Greeks spit to keep evil away from you. For example, if you hear of some one speaking of misfortune or bad news, and fear the possibility of the same thing happening to you, you would spit three times on yourself. Spitting is also commonly used to avoid misfortune, so you don’t give the ‘evil eye’ to yourself and jinx some endeavor.
Filahta Talismans are good luck charms. Sometimes they are pinned to the backs of small children’s and infant’s clothing, while other times people carry them in their pockets and purses. There are numerous items that are used for Filahta that are thought to guard you from evil, such as gold crosses, medals of Saints, evil eyes, beads, sachets containing anything from holy ground or something that has been blessed.
Touch Red (Piase KokkinoIt) is when two people have the same thought and speak the same words at the same time. Greeks believe this to be an omen that those two persons will get into a fight and they say to ‘Piase Kokkino’ or ‘Touch Red’ to avoid the argument. Both persons have to touch something that’s red, right then and there.
Overturned shoes (soles up) are considered very bad luck and even omens of death. If you accidentally take them off and they land soles up, turn them over immediately and say ‘Skorda (garlic)’ and a spit or two won’t hurt either.
Whooping Cough (Kokitis) - Before vaccinations were available, Greeks gave donkeys’ milk a child infected with whooping cough to cure it.
Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky in Greece, and not Friday the 13th.
It is customary to sprinkle salt in a new home before you occupy it, as the salt will drive any evil out and away from you and your family.
Salt is be used to get rid of an unwanted human presence. If you have an unwanted guest in your home and you want them to leave. All you have to do is sprinkle salt behind them. The powers of the salt will chase him out.
When greeting a Greek Orthodox priest it is customary to kiss his hand or ring in respect. But it’s considered a bad omen to see one walking in the street, and most folk whisper ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under their breath.
Crows are considered omens of bad news, misfortune and death. When you see or hear a crow cawing, you say Sto Kalo… Sto Kalo…. Kala Nea na me Feris which loosely translated means, go well into the day and bring me good news.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/greek.html
Upon seeing Crows cawing, it is believed that the Crows are announcing the death of an individual.
The number 13 cannot be that unlucky as we should not forget that Greece won 13 medals in the Sydney Olympics its' best showing ever.
In most western cultures Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day, to Greeks this day is not considered unlucky. In the Greek culture it is Tuesday the 13th of the month which is unlucky
Greek Fishermen may spit into their nets so that they will ward off any evil allowing them to get a good catch
Bat Bones - Some Greeks consider bat bones to be very lucky. They carry a small bit of the bone in their pockets or purses with them where ever they go. The only problem is getting the bone as it is supposed to be very bad luck to kill a bat. Other Greeks believe quite the opposite. They think that bats are unholy creatures and should be avoided at all costs, and would never dream of carrying a piece of one as a talisman.
Bread is considered a gift from God. It has roots from the bible story, Sermon on the Mount, of how Jesus Christ fed thousands with the fish and the bread. The older village women always make the sign of the cross over a fresh loaf before slicing it. No bread is ever thrown away. If it is not eaten in some way or another, it is fed to the animals - chickens or pigs, and even dogs, as it would be a sin for it to end up in the garbage and has to be consumed by some living creature.
Evil Eye - It can strike at any given moment. More than likely, you’ve had it happen to you, but you’ve just never realized what did it.Take a moment and think about it. Perhaps there was an occasion that you were dressed up and someone told you how nice you look. A few minutes later you spilled coffee down the front of you or split your pants. Or maybe someone told you how beautiful your new vase was and a while later it fell to the ground shattering in a thousand pieces. That’s the evil eye. To ward it off, there are a few different things you can do. They sell ‘eyes’ here that are like charms, blue in color with an eye painted on them to ‘reflect’ the evil and you wear them on a necklace or a bracelet. You can also purchase a blue bead to wear instead of an eye. Blue is the color that wards off the evil of the eye, but it is also commonly thought that blue-eyed people are exceptional givers of it. So beware when a blue-eyed person pays you a compliment, according to the superstition, it could be disastrous. Another way to ward off the evil eye is with garlic. There are rare instances when a single clove will grow into the shape of a small head of garlic. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, guard it well as it is the best thing to keep away the evil eye. You can carry it in your pocket, or as I do, keep it in a hanky in your bra. I know what you’re thinking, but believe me… as long as the skin is left on, it doesn’t smell at all.If you can’t brave the garlic, there is an alternative. When you get a compliment remember to say ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under your breath and spit three times on your own person. If you know the individual that is complimenting you, tell them to spit on you too.
Cactus - No Greek home would be complete with out at least one cactus positioned somewhere near the front entrance. In a big ‘Feta’ can or garden pot, a cactus with its thorny spikes, takes it place proudly warding off the evil eye from the property.
Fish are believed to be wise and knowledgeable. But the Church also sees the fish as a revered symbol of silence. Fish don’t speak or make noise.
Garlic / Skordo - keeps evil away. You will usually find beautiful braids of Garlic, or some huge, one of a kind head, dangling in the entrances of shops, restaurants and homes. It is thought that garlic not only wards off the evil eye but also keeps away evil spirits and demons.It is also common for some folk to carry a clove of it on their persons or in their pocket books.
Never hand some one a knife. Set it down and let them pick it up, or else you will get into a fight with that person.
Greeks believe that Money attracts money, so never leave your pockets, purses or wallets completely empty and never completely empty your bank account. Always leave at least a coin or two. It is also considered good luck that when you give a gift of a wallet or a purse, that you put a coin or two in it before giving it to the recipient.
Onions are a popular ingredient used in healing. For colds and sniffles, you can grate onions and use them as a mustard plaster on the chest. To ease the swelling from a bad sprain, grate onions and mix them with a bit of Ouzo. Apply the paste to the swollen area and bandage it up. Leave it on over night and by morning, the swelling should be gone.
Greeks believe that in order for a cutting to root, it has to be stolen. You have to nonchalantly cut off a piece of the desired plant and take it home without telling the owner. According to superstition, it will root easily.
If you sneeze, it means that someone is talking about you. If you want to know who it is, there is a way you can find out. Ask someone around you to give you a three-digit number. Count each digit together and then count down the alphabet. Whatever letter it falls on, is the initial of the person that is talking about you.For example, 534 is the number given. Add it together 5+3+4=12. Count down the alphabet to ‘L’, which is the twelfth letter. That is the first initial of the person that is talking about you. Because you never know if what they are saying about you is good or bad, it wouldn’t hurt to whisper ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under your breath, just to be on the safe side.
Greeks spit to keep evil away from you. For example, if you hear of some one speaking of misfortune or bad news, and fear the possibility of the same thing happening to you, you would spit three times on yourself. Spitting is also commonly used to avoid misfortune, so you don’t give the ‘evil eye’ to yourself and jinx some endeavor.
Filahta Talismans are good luck charms. Sometimes they are pinned to the backs of small children’s and infant’s clothing, while other times people carry them in their pockets and purses. There are numerous items that are used for Filahta that are thought to guard you from evil, such as gold crosses, medals of Saints, evil eyes, beads, sachets containing anything from holy ground or something that has been blessed.
Touch Red (Piase KokkinoIt) is when two people have the same thought and speak the same words at the same time. Greeks believe this to be an omen that those two persons will get into a fight and they say to ‘Piase Kokkino’ or ‘Touch Red’ to avoid the argument. Both persons have to touch something that’s red, right then and there.
Overturned shoes (soles up) are considered very bad luck and even omens of death. If you accidentally take them off and they land soles up, turn them over immediately and say ‘Skorda (garlic)’ and a spit or two won’t hurt either.
Whooping Cough (Kokitis) - Before vaccinations were available, Greeks gave donkeys’ milk a child infected with whooping cough to cure it.
Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky in Greece, and not Friday the 13th.
It is customary to sprinkle salt in a new home before you occupy it, as the salt will drive any evil out and away from you and your family.
Salt is be used to get rid of an unwanted human presence. If you have an unwanted guest in your home and you want them to leave. All you have to do is sprinkle salt behind them. The powers of the salt will chase him out.
When greeting a Greek Orthodox priest it is customary to kiss his hand or ring in respect. But it’s considered a bad omen to see one walking in the street, and most folk whisper ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under their breath.
Crows are considered omens of bad news, misfortune and death. When you see or hear a crow cawing, you say Sto Kalo… Sto Kalo…. Kala Nea na me Feris which loosely translated means, go well into the day and bring me good news.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/greek.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:38 pm
Bridal Shower - The first gift the bride opens should be the first gift she uses. Everything the bride says as she opens her gifts will be repeated on her wedding night. Somone should be assigned to write down these comments during the shower.
The person who gives the third gift to be opened at a bridal shower will soon have a baby.
Save the ribbons from the bridal shower gifts to make a mock bouquet to be used at the wedding rehearsal.
Certain days of the week are better than others for a wedding: Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.
Certain months are better than others for a wedding: Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true, When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate. If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know. Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man. Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day. Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go. Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred. Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see. Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine. If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry. If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember. When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.
A Lucky Bride: Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue, And a lucky sixpence In her shoe.
Married in White, you have chosen right. Married in Grey, you will go far away, Married in Black, you will wish yourself back, Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead, Married in Green, ashamed to be seen, Married in Blue, you will always be true, Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl, Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow, Married in Brown, you will live in the town, Married in Pink, you spirit will sink.
Good omens on your wedding day: Seeing a rainbow , having the sunshine, meeting a black cat, meeting a chimney sweep,
Bad omens on your wedding day: a pig, hare, or lizard running across the road, seeing an open grave, meeting a nun or a monk foretell barrenness.
If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.
The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall. This is origin of the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold.
The spouse who goes to sleep first on the wedding day will be the first to die.
If a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.
Take a pea-pod which has 9 peas and suspend it over the doorway using a white thread. If the next person who enters by the same door is not a member of the family and is a bachelor or spinster, then your wedding will take place in not more than a year's time.
The Cuckoo.-When you hear a cuckoo for the first time in the year, quote aloud: Cuckoo, Cuckoo, answer me true This question that I'm asking you; I beg that truly you'll tell me In how many years I'll married be. The number of times which the cuckoo replies is declared to represent the number of years that will elapse before you marry.
Take a photograph of the one you love and hold before it a ring on the end of a thread. Be careful to keep your hand still. If the ring moves in a circle, you win marry the person in the picture soon and will lead a life of bliss; if the ring moves to and fro, it is unlikely you will marry him. Should the ring not move at all, you are likely to remain single.
On the Eve of St. Agnes (on the night before January 21) take a row of pins and pull them out, one after the other. Then stick a pin in your sleeve and you will dream of the one you will marry.
If you find a four-leaf clover, put it in your right shoe and the next bachelor you meet will become your husband.
The New Moon.-This ceremony must be practiced on the first night of the new moon. Open wide the windows of your bedroom and sit down on the windowsill, gazing with unblinking eyes at the moon, and at the same time repeating softly and slowly the following incantation: “All hail, Selene, all hail to thee! I prithee, good moon, reveal to me this night to whom I'll wedded be.” During the night you will dream of your future husband.
Wedding-cake.-Take a small piece of wedding-cake, pass it three times through a wedding-ring and then lay the cake under your pillow. In your dreams that night your future husband will appear to you. Place a small piece of wedding-cake under your pillow and put a borrowed wedding ring on the third finger of your left hand. Before you retire to bed arrange the shoes, which you have worn that day in the shape of a T. Then, it is said, your future husband will appear to you in your dreams.
If a woman should eat a salted herring just before she goes to bed, her future husband will appear to her in a dream, carrying a cup of water with which to quench her thirst.
June is the best month to get married. Romans believed that Juno, their goddess of woman, blessed marriages that took place in her month.
In the olden days, when a wife was considered a possession, a wedding ring was a sign that the woman had been purchased by the groom.
Marry on the upswing of the clock, basically on the half-hour, like 2:30 instead of 2, or 3, because that way the hands of the clock are on their way up, not down
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/wedding.html
The person who gives the third gift to be opened at a bridal shower will soon have a baby.
Save the ribbons from the bridal shower gifts to make a mock bouquet to be used at the wedding rehearsal.
Certain days of the week are better than others for a wedding: Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.
Certain months are better than others for a wedding: Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true, When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate. If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know. Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man. Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day. Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go. Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred. Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see. Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine. If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry. If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember. When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.
A Lucky Bride: Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue, And a lucky sixpence In her shoe.
Married in White, you have chosen right. Married in Grey, you will go far away, Married in Black, you will wish yourself back, Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead, Married in Green, ashamed to be seen, Married in Blue, you will always be true, Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl, Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow, Married in Brown, you will live in the town, Married in Pink, you spirit will sink.
Good omens on your wedding day: Seeing a rainbow , having the sunshine, meeting a black cat, meeting a chimney sweep,
Bad omens on your wedding day: a pig, hare, or lizard running across the road, seeing an open grave, meeting a nun or a monk foretell barrenness.
If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.
The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall. This is origin of the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold.
The spouse who goes to sleep first on the wedding day will be the first to die.
If a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.
Take a pea-pod which has 9 peas and suspend it over the doorway using a white thread. If the next person who enters by the same door is not a member of the family and is a bachelor or spinster, then your wedding will take place in not more than a year's time.
The Cuckoo.-When you hear a cuckoo for the first time in the year, quote aloud: Cuckoo, Cuckoo, answer me true This question that I'm asking you; I beg that truly you'll tell me In how many years I'll married be. The number of times which the cuckoo replies is declared to represent the number of years that will elapse before you marry.
Take a photograph of the one you love and hold before it a ring on the end of a thread. Be careful to keep your hand still. If the ring moves in a circle, you win marry the person in the picture soon and will lead a life of bliss; if the ring moves to and fro, it is unlikely you will marry him. Should the ring not move at all, you are likely to remain single.
On the Eve of St. Agnes (on the night before January 21) take a row of pins and pull them out, one after the other. Then stick a pin in your sleeve and you will dream of the one you will marry.
If you find a four-leaf clover, put it in your right shoe and the next bachelor you meet will become your husband.
The New Moon.-This ceremony must be practiced on the first night of the new moon. Open wide the windows of your bedroom and sit down on the windowsill, gazing with unblinking eyes at the moon, and at the same time repeating softly and slowly the following incantation: “All hail, Selene, all hail to thee! I prithee, good moon, reveal to me this night to whom I'll wedded be.” During the night you will dream of your future husband.
Wedding-cake.-Take a small piece of wedding-cake, pass it three times through a wedding-ring and then lay the cake under your pillow. In your dreams that night your future husband will appear to you. Place a small piece of wedding-cake under your pillow and put a borrowed wedding ring on the third finger of your left hand. Before you retire to bed arrange the shoes, which you have worn that day in the shape of a T. Then, it is said, your future husband will appear to you in your dreams.
If a woman should eat a salted herring just before she goes to bed, her future husband will appear to her in a dream, carrying a cup of water with which to quench her thirst.
June is the best month to get married. Romans believed that Juno, their goddess of woman, blessed marriages that took place in her month.
In the olden days, when a wife was considered a possession, a wedding ring was a sign that the woman had been purchased by the groom.
Marry on the upswing of the clock, basically on the half-hour, like 2:30 instead of 2, or 3, because that way the hands of the clock are on their way up, not down
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/wedding.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:39 pm
Bullhorns (snails) inside the mines were propitiated with a bit of tallow taken from the miner's candle.
Children were warned to speak up clearly when seeing a miner on the way to work lest this light incivility send the man to work with a poor heart thinking of the dreaded ill wisher.
The old alluvial tin streamers had many taboos about using the names of animals and birds which they might meet with in the mines; and so referred to the owl as the braced farcer, the fox as the long tail, the cat as a rooker, and the rat as a peep.
The appearance of a black dog and the white hare at Wheal Vor mine near Breage was always said to presage some fatal disaster.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/mining.html
Children were warned to speak up clearly when seeing a miner on the way to work lest this light incivility send the man to work with a poor heart thinking of the dreaded ill wisher.
The old alluvial tin streamers had many taboos about using the names of animals and birds which they might meet with in the mines; and so referred to the owl as the braced farcer, the fox as the long tail, the cat as a rooker, and the rat as a peep.
The appearance of a black dog and the white hare at Wheal Vor mine near Breage was always said to presage some fatal disaster.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/mining.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:39 pm
This is in cateogories pertaining to the species in question. They will be in several parts.
Subcategory: Dogs
A dog eating grass - rain
Meeting a dog - good luck (especially Dalmatians)
A greyhound with a white spot on its forehead - good fortune
Being followed by a strange dog - bad luck (especially black dogs)
The spectral black dog (barguest) - a harbinger of death
A dog howling for no reason - unseen spirits
A dog howling three times - A death has occurred
At one time a dog that had bitten someone was immediately destroyed to protect the person from rabies (even if the dog was healthy)
Subcategory: Horses
Horse brasses were used to protect horses from witches
White horses - ill fortune
Inhaling a horses breath - cure for whooping cough
Eating a hair from a horse's forelock - cure for worms
Horses standing with their backs to a hedge - rain
Changing a horse's name - very bad luck
Subcategory: Albatross
An albatross flying around a ship in mid ocean - bad weather
Thought to be the spirit of dead mariners and so bringing bad luck to those who killed them
Subcategory: Adder
To see an adder - general bad luck
To kill an adder - general good luck
A live adder on the doorstep - a death in the household
Subcategory: Ant
Believed to be the final earthly incarnation of fairies
Believed to be the souls of children who had died unbaptised
Believed to be the transmuted souls of the Druids who refused to accept Christianity
Subcategory: Badger
Carrying a badgers tooth - Good luck (especially for gamblers)
Subcategory: Bats
In a church during a wedding ceremony - bad omen
In the house - either a death or a sign that the humans will soon be leaving
Flying close to a person - that person will be betrayed
Flying vertically upwards then dropping back to earth - 'The Witches Hour Has Come'
Flying early in the evening - good weather
Chinese belief - Bats are a symbol of long life and happiness
Subcategory: Bear
Believed to gain sustenance from sucking on their own paws.
Ghost bears are believed to reside at Worcester Cathedral and The Tower of London in England
Naming a bear - provokes attack
Subcategory: Bees
If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.
A bee landing on someone's hand is believed to foretell money to come, while if the bee settles on someone's head it means that person will rise to greatness.
Bees were once considered to deliberately sting those who swore in front of them, and also to attack an adulterer or unchaste person.
It was once held to be a sure sign that a girl was a virgin if she could walk through a swarm of bees without being stung.
An old country tradition states that bees should not be purchased for money, as bought bees will never prosper.
Bee-stings were once thought to prevent rheumatism, and in some places a bee-sting was also thought to cure it.
Subcategory: Beetle
Ancient Egyptian belief - Scarab revered as a symbol of the Sun God Ra
Walking over a person's shoe - an omen of death
Crawling out of a discarded shoe - ill omen
Devil's coach horse beetle raising it's tail - a curse
African belief - throwing beetles into a lake produces rain
A dead beetle tied around the neck - cure for whooping cough
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/animal.html
Subcategory: Dogs
A dog eating grass - rain
Meeting a dog - good luck (especially Dalmatians)
A greyhound with a white spot on its forehead - good fortune
Being followed by a strange dog - bad luck (especially black dogs)
The spectral black dog (barguest) - a harbinger of death
A dog howling for no reason - unseen spirits
A dog howling three times - A death has occurred
At one time a dog that had bitten someone was immediately destroyed to protect the person from rabies (even if the dog was healthy)
Subcategory: Horses
Horse brasses were used to protect horses from witches
White horses - ill fortune
Inhaling a horses breath - cure for whooping cough
Eating a hair from a horse's forelock - cure for worms
Horses standing with their backs to a hedge - rain
Changing a horse's name - very bad luck
Subcategory: Albatross
An albatross flying around a ship in mid ocean - bad weather
Thought to be the spirit of dead mariners and so bringing bad luck to those who killed them
Subcategory: Adder
To see an adder - general bad luck
To kill an adder - general good luck
A live adder on the doorstep - a death in the household
Subcategory: Ant
Believed to be the final earthly incarnation of fairies
Believed to be the souls of children who had died unbaptised
Believed to be the transmuted souls of the Druids who refused to accept Christianity
Subcategory: Badger
Carrying a badgers tooth - Good luck (especially for gamblers)
Subcategory: Bats
In a church during a wedding ceremony - bad omen
In the house - either a death or a sign that the humans will soon be leaving
Flying close to a person - that person will be betrayed
Flying vertically upwards then dropping back to earth - 'The Witches Hour Has Come'
Flying early in the evening - good weather
Chinese belief - Bats are a symbol of long life and happiness
Subcategory: Bear
Believed to gain sustenance from sucking on their own paws.
Ghost bears are believed to reside at Worcester Cathedral and The Tower of London in England
Naming a bear - provokes attack
Subcategory: Bees
If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.
A bee landing on someone's hand is believed to foretell money to come, while if the bee settles on someone's head it means that person will rise to greatness.
Bees were once considered to deliberately sting those who swore in front of them, and also to attack an adulterer or unchaste person.
It was once held to be a sure sign that a girl was a virgin if she could walk through a swarm of bees without being stung.
An old country tradition states that bees should not be purchased for money, as bought bees will never prosper.
Bee-stings were once thought to prevent rheumatism, and in some places a bee-sting was also thought to cure it.
Subcategory: Beetle
Ancient Egyptian belief - Scarab revered as a symbol of the Sun God Ra
Walking over a person's shoe - an omen of death
Crawling out of a discarded shoe - ill omen
Devil's coach horse beetle raising it's tail - a curse
African belief - throwing beetles into a lake produces rain
A dead beetle tied around the neck - cure for whooping cough
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/animal.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:40 pm
Subcategory: Birds
A bird that flies into a house, foretells an important message.
The white bird foretells death.
A bird call from the north means tragedy; from the south is good for crops; from the west is good luck; from the east, good love.
If a bird poops on your car, it is good luck.
If bird droppings land on your head it is good luck.
Subcategory: Blackbird
Ancient British Belief - A messenger of the dead
Two blackbirds sitting together - good omen
Subcategory: Boar
A manifestation of the Devil
Norse belief - A traditional food of the Gods
Subcategory: Bull
Bull's testes - aphrodisiac
To hide in a bull's pen - immunity from lightning
Subcategory: Butterfly
If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year
Represents the souls of unbaptised children
Inside the house - good luck
First butterfly of the season (white) - good omen
First butterfly of the season (brown) - misfortune
To see three butterflies together - bad omen
To see a butterfly at night - approaching death
Scottish belief - red butterflies are manifestations of witches
Subcategory: Calf
If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.
To stroke a calf on the back - bad luck to both the person and the animal
Twin calves - bad luck
Giving mistletoe as a gift to the first calf of the year - good luck to the herd
Subcategory: Cat
A kitten born in May - a witches cat
A black cat crossing your path - good luck (A white cat in USA, Spain and Belgium)
A black cat seen from behind - a bad omen
Stray tortoise shell cat - bad omen
Cats bought with money will never be good mousers
Cat sneezing once - rain
Cat sneezing three times - the family will catch a cold
USA belief - A cat washing on the doorstep - the clergy will visit
Killing a cat - sacrificing your soul to the Devil
Kicking a cat - Rheumatism
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night
Dreaming of white cat means good luck
When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true.
If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain. - English superstition
A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. - English superstition
English schoolchildren believe seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.
A black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. - Irish superstition
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. - French superstition
A cat on top of a tombstone meant certainly that the soul of the departed buried was possessed by the devil. Two cats seen fighting near a dying person, or on the grave shortly after a funeral, are really the Devil and an Angel fighting for possession of
To see a white cat on the road is lucky.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck. - Irish superstition
If cats desert a house, illness will always reign there. - English superstition
In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell foretells death by accident.
In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on. The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.
When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave.
In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat.
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh superstition
In 16th century Italy, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick man, he would die. But there's also a belief that a cat will not remain in the house where someone is about to die. Therefore, if the family cat refuses to stay indoors,
Subcategory: Cattle
Cattle were highly regarded by the Celts, and nn some areas it is thought that cattle should be informed of any deaths in their owners' household, or the cows, sensing that something was wrong, would sicken and probably die.
In mediaeval times it was thought that cattle would kneel at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve; and some people thought they were even able to speak that night, although it was considered dangerous for any human to hear their speech as misfortune w
Subcategory: Cockerel
White cockerel - good luck
Black cockerel - evil spirits
A cockerel standing in a doorway - a visitor
It is believed that the cockerels will all crow on final day to awaken the dead
Subcategory: Cows
If a plow kills a daddy long legs the cows will go dry
If you see nine cows in a shed with a gray bull next to the door, and all of them lie on the same side, you are in luck, because you will be granted one wish.
A cow lowing after midnight - approaching death
To milk a cow being sent to market - bad luck
Sprinkling the cowshed floor with primroses - a guard against witches
Cows lying down in a field - rain
Subcategory: Cricket
A cricket is a lucky house spirit that takes it's luck away when it leaves.
A cricket can tell of oncoming rain, death, and x-lovers.
Subcategory: Crow
One's bad, Two's luck, Three's health, Four's wealth, Five's sickness, Six is death.
A messenger of the gods
A familiar of the traditional witch
Harbingers of death and disaster
Subcategory: Cuckoo
First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the right - good luck
First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the left - bad luck
Hearing the first cuckoo on the 28th of April - Excellent luck
Hearing the first cuckoo on the 6th of April or after midsummer - bad luck
Your condition on hearing the first cuckoo will remain all year
they are all found from the same locale.
A bird that flies into a house, foretells an important message.
The white bird foretells death.
A bird call from the north means tragedy; from the south is good for crops; from the west is good luck; from the east, good love.
If a bird poops on your car, it is good luck.
If bird droppings land on your head it is good luck.
Subcategory: Blackbird
Ancient British Belief - A messenger of the dead
Two blackbirds sitting together - good omen
Subcategory: Boar
A manifestation of the Devil
Norse belief - A traditional food of the Gods
Subcategory: Bull
Bull's testes - aphrodisiac
To hide in a bull's pen - immunity from lightning
Subcategory: Butterfly
If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year
Represents the souls of unbaptised children
Inside the house - good luck
First butterfly of the season (white) - good omen
First butterfly of the season (brown) - misfortune
To see three butterflies together - bad omen
To see a butterfly at night - approaching death
Scottish belief - red butterflies are manifestations of witches
Subcategory: Calf
If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.
To stroke a calf on the back - bad luck to both the person and the animal
Twin calves - bad luck
Giving mistletoe as a gift to the first calf of the year - good luck to the herd
Subcategory: Cat
A kitten born in May - a witches cat
A black cat crossing your path - good luck (A white cat in USA, Spain and Belgium)
A black cat seen from behind - a bad omen
Stray tortoise shell cat - bad omen
Cats bought with money will never be good mousers
Cat sneezing once - rain
Cat sneezing three times - the family will catch a cold
USA belief - A cat washing on the doorstep - the clergy will visit
Killing a cat - sacrificing your soul to the Devil
Kicking a cat - Rheumatism
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
It is bad luck to see a white cat at night
Dreaming of white cat means good luck
When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true.
If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain. - English superstition
A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. - English superstition
English schoolchildren believe seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.
A black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. - Irish superstition
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition
It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. - French superstition
A cat on top of a tombstone meant certainly that the soul of the departed buried was possessed by the devil. Two cats seen fighting near a dying person, or on the grave shortly after a funeral, are really the Devil and an Angel fighting for possession of
To see a white cat on the road is lucky.
To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck. - Irish superstition
If cats desert a house, illness will always reign there. - English superstition
In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell foretells death by accident.
In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on. The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.
When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave.
In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat.
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh superstition
In 16th century Italy, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick man, he would die. But there's also a belief that a cat will not remain in the house where someone is about to die. Therefore, if the family cat refuses to stay indoors,
Subcategory: Cattle
Cattle were highly regarded by the Celts, and nn some areas it is thought that cattle should be informed of any deaths in their owners' household, or the cows, sensing that something was wrong, would sicken and probably die.
In mediaeval times it was thought that cattle would kneel at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve; and some people thought they were even able to speak that night, although it was considered dangerous for any human to hear their speech as misfortune w
Subcategory: Cockerel
White cockerel - good luck
Black cockerel - evil spirits
A cockerel standing in a doorway - a visitor
It is believed that the cockerels will all crow on final day to awaken the dead
Subcategory: Cows
If a plow kills a daddy long legs the cows will go dry
If you see nine cows in a shed with a gray bull next to the door, and all of them lie on the same side, you are in luck, because you will be granted one wish.
A cow lowing after midnight - approaching death
To milk a cow being sent to market - bad luck
Sprinkling the cowshed floor with primroses - a guard against witches
Cows lying down in a field - rain
Subcategory: Cricket
A cricket is a lucky house spirit that takes it's luck away when it leaves.
A cricket can tell of oncoming rain, death, and x-lovers.
Subcategory: Crow
One's bad, Two's luck, Three's health, Four's wealth, Five's sickness, Six is death.
A messenger of the gods
A familiar of the traditional witch
Harbingers of death and disaster
Subcategory: Cuckoo
First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the right - good luck
First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the left - bad luck
Hearing the first cuckoo on the 28th of April - Excellent luck
Hearing the first cuckoo on the 6th of April or after midsummer - bad luck
Your condition on hearing the first cuckoo will remain all year
they are all found from the same locale.
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:40 pm
Continutation
Subcategory: Daddy Long Legs
If a plow kills a daddy long legs the cows will go dry.
"When I was a kid on a farm in Ohio, somewhere we were told when we picked up a Daddy Long Legs to ask it "Where are the cows?" and it would point (with it's feelers) in the direction of the cows. I remember thinking this usually worked!"
Subcategory: Dolphins
Dolphins are believed to transport the souls of the dead to the afterlife
Dolphins playing in fine weather or close to the shore - Wind
Subcategory: Donkey
Placing three hairs from a donkey's shoulders in a muslin bag worn around the neck - cure for whooping cough or measles
Sitting backwards on a donkey - cure for snakebites and toothache
A pregnant woman seeing a donkey - the child will grow wise and well behaved
Subcategory: Dove
Miners seeing a dove - bad omen
A dove circling above - an omen of death
Killing a dove - misfortune
Subcategory: Dragonfly
Catching a dragonfly - marriage within the year
Subcategory: Duck
Laying dark brown eggs - bad omen
Flapping its wings while swimming - rain
Subcategory: Eagle
Strength, divinity and immortality
Christian belief - symbol of resurrection
Several eagles flying together - peace
Eagles sitting motionless - an enemy approaching
Eagle egg eaten by two people - protection against witchcraft
Hearing the cry of an eagle - omen of death
Subcategory: Elephants
In Siam, white elephants were rare and not made to work for their upkeep, so a White Elephant is an item that is a non profit expense. Considering the value of space in our homes, items kept as memorabilia could be considered White Elephants.
Subcategory: Ferret
Drinking milk from a bowl from which a ferret has drunk - cure for whooping cough
Subcategory: Fish
Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
It's bad luck to get married when the fish aren't biting, according to the custom of some fisherfolk.
A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.
If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
It's bad luck to say the word "pig" while fishing at sea.
Burning fish bones - unlucky
Subcategory: Flea
Suddenly leaving a body who was infested - death of the host
Flea bite on the hand - a kiss or good news
Person leaping over the midsummer bonfire - riddance of fleas
Subcategory: Fox
Seeing a lone fox - good luck
Seeing several foxes together - bad luck
Subcategory: Frogs
Frogs, like toads, were once thought to have peculiar properties, and were frequently used in healing charms, and in others of a slightly less innocent nature.
The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck prevented epilepsy and other fits.
Frogs were used in love-magic. In one story, a girl, whose lover was untrue stuck pins all over a living frog and then buried it. The young man suffered extreme pains and eventually returned to her. She dug up the frog and removed the pins, after which t
A frog brings good luck to the house it enters.
Believed to be the souls of dead children
Shiny skinned - fine weather
Dull skinned - rain
Frogspawn at the edge of a pond - storms
Touching a frog - infertility
Killing a frog - bad luck
Subcategory: Gnat
When allowed into a sick room - removal of ailments
Flying close to the ground - rain
Flying high - good weather
Subcategory: Goat
Associated with Pan (or the devil in some religions)
Meeting a goat when on an important journey - good luck
Meeting a black goat on a bridle path - treasure hidden nearby
Subcategory: Goose
Goose eaten on Michelmas day - good luck
Brown tinted meat - mild winter
White meat - harsh winter
Geese leaving a farm - omen of a fire
A goose laying two eggs - bad omen
Subcategory: Guinea Fowl
Generally good luck
Brings sunshine
Subcategory: Hares
Good Luck.
A guise of a witch
Crossing your path - omen of disaster
Dreaming of hares - bad omen or death
Seeing a brown hare - good luck
Carrying a hare's foot - good luck
Killing a hare - bad luck
Rubbing hare's blood into the skin - cure for freckles
Subcategory: Hedgehog
Another witches guise
Killing a hedgehog - protection against bad luck
Entering the house - very bad omen
Subcategory: Hens
A hen which crows is considered to be unlucky, as is a hen with tail-feathers like those of a rooster.
Hens which roost in the morning are said to be foretelling a death, usually that of the farmer or someone in his household.
A hen which enters the house is an omen that a visitor will arrive, and this is also the case if a rooster crows near the door or comes inside.
Subcategory: Heron
Seeing a heron near the house - bad luck
Killing a heron - extremely bad luck
Subcategory: Jackdaw
A jackdaw settling on the house - an omen of death
In some cultures, a jackdaw on the roof - a new arrival
Seeing one jackdaw - bad omen
Subcategory: Horseshoes
A circular ring made from an iron horseshoe nail gives the same protection against evil as the horseshoe itself.
The horseshoe or crescent moon shape was seen as a sign of good fortune and fertility.
Witches fear horses, so they are also turned away by a door with a horseshoe mounted on it. The horseshoe must be hung with the points up to keep the luck from spilling out.
Subcategory: Jaybirds
Jaybirds go down to the devil's house on Fridays to tell all the bad things that have happened during the week. Jaybirds who remain on Friday are checking up on what people are doing.
Subcategory: Kingfisher
Greek legend
Christian Legend
Seeing a kingfisher - good luck
Wearing kingfisher feathers - promotes the beauty of a woman by magic
Subcategory: Ladybird (Ladybug)
Landing on you - very good luck
Landing on your hand - Good weather
Number of spots - number of happy months ahead
Direction after it leaves your person - the direction from which your future love will come
Subcategory: Lamb
First lamb of spring (black) - good omen
First lambs of spring (twin white) - excellent fortune
Subcategory: Lapwing (Pewit)
The call of the lapwing - 'bewitched bewitched'
Seeing a lapwing - bad omen
Subcategory: Daddy Long Legs
If a plow kills a daddy long legs the cows will go dry.
"When I was a kid on a farm in Ohio, somewhere we were told when we picked up a Daddy Long Legs to ask it "Where are the cows?" and it would point (with it's feelers) in the direction of the cows. I remember thinking this usually worked!"
Subcategory: Dolphins
Dolphins are believed to transport the souls of the dead to the afterlife
Dolphins playing in fine weather or close to the shore - Wind
Subcategory: Donkey
Placing three hairs from a donkey's shoulders in a muslin bag worn around the neck - cure for whooping cough or measles
Sitting backwards on a donkey - cure for snakebites and toothache
A pregnant woman seeing a donkey - the child will grow wise and well behaved
Subcategory: Dove
Miners seeing a dove - bad omen
A dove circling above - an omen of death
Killing a dove - misfortune
Subcategory: Dragonfly
Catching a dragonfly - marriage within the year
Subcategory: Duck
Laying dark brown eggs - bad omen
Flapping its wings while swimming - rain
Subcategory: Eagle
Strength, divinity and immortality
Christian belief - symbol of resurrection
Several eagles flying together - peace
Eagles sitting motionless - an enemy approaching
Eagle egg eaten by two people - protection against witchcraft
Hearing the cry of an eagle - omen of death
Subcategory: Elephants
In Siam, white elephants were rare and not made to work for their upkeep, so a White Elephant is an item that is a non profit expense. Considering the value of space in our homes, items kept as memorabilia could be considered White Elephants.
Subcategory: Ferret
Drinking milk from a bowl from which a ferret has drunk - cure for whooping cough
Subcategory: Fish
Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
It's bad luck to get married when the fish aren't biting, according to the custom of some fisherfolk.
A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.
If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
It's bad luck to say the word "pig" while fishing at sea.
Burning fish bones - unlucky
Subcategory: Flea
Suddenly leaving a body who was infested - death of the host
Flea bite on the hand - a kiss or good news
Person leaping over the midsummer bonfire - riddance of fleas
Subcategory: Fox
Seeing a lone fox - good luck
Seeing several foxes together - bad luck
Subcategory: Frogs
Frogs, like toads, were once thought to have peculiar properties, and were frequently used in healing charms, and in others of a slightly less innocent nature.
The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck prevented epilepsy and other fits.
Frogs were used in love-magic. In one story, a girl, whose lover was untrue stuck pins all over a living frog and then buried it. The young man suffered extreme pains and eventually returned to her. She dug up the frog and removed the pins, after which t
A frog brings good luck to the house it enters.
Believed to be the souls of dead children
Shiny skinned - fine weather
Dull skinned - rain
Frogspawn at the edge of a pond - storms
Touching a frog - infertility
Killing a frog - bad luck
Subcategory: Gnat
When allowed into a sick room - removal of ailments
Flying close to the ground - rain
Flying high - good weather
Subcategory: Goat
Associated with Pan (or the devil in some religions)
Meeting a goat when on an important journey - good luck
Meeting a black goat on a bridle path - treasure hidden nearby
Subcategory: Goose
Goose eaten on Michelmas day - good luck
Brown tinted meat - mild winter
White meat - harsh winter
Geese leaving a farm - omen of a fire
A goose laying two eggs - bad omen
Subcategory: Guinea Fowl
Generally good luck
Brings sunshine
Subcategory: Hares
Good Luck.
A guise of a witch
Crossing your path - omen of disaster
Dreaming of hares - bad omen or death
Seeing a brown hare - good luck
Carrying a hare's foot - good luck
Killing a hare - bad luck
Rubbing hare's blood into the skin - cure for freckles
Subcategory: Hedgehog
Another witches guise
Killing a hedgehog - protection against bad luck
Entering the house - very bad omen
Subcategory: Hens
A hen which crows is considered to be unlucky, as is a hen with tail-feathers like those of a rooster.
Hens which roost in the morning are said to be foretelling a death, usually that of the farmer or someone in his household.
A hen which enters the house is an omen that a visitor will arrive, and this is also the case if a rooster crows near the door or comes inside.
Subcategory: Heron
Seeing a heron near the house - bad luck
Killing a heron - extremely bad luck
Subcategory: Jackdaw
A jackdaw settling on the house - an omen of death
In some cultures, a jackdaw on the roof - a new arrival
Seeing one jackdaw - bad omen
Subcategory: Horseshoes
A circular ring made from an iron horseshoe nail gives the same protection against evil as the horseshoe itself.
The horseshoe or crescent moon shape was seen as a sign of good fortune and fertility.
Witches fear horses, so they are also turned away by a door with a horseshoe mounted on it. The horseshoe must be hung with the points up to keep the luck from spilling out.
Subcategory: Jaybirds
Jaybirds go down to the devil's house on Fridays to tell all the bad things that have happened during the week. Jaybirds who remain on Friday are checking up on what people are doing.
Subcategory: Kingfisher
Greek legend
Christian Legend
Seeing a kingfisher - good luck
Wearing kingfisher feathers - promotes the beauty of a woman by magic
Subcategory: Ladybird (Ladybug)
Landing on you - very good luck
Landing on your hand - Good weather
Number of spots - number of happy months ahead
Direction after it leaves your person - the direction from which your future love will come
Subcategory: Lamb
First lamb of spring (black) - good omen
First lambs of spring (twin white) - excellent fortune
Subcategory: Lapwing (Pewit)
The call of the lapwing - 'bewitched bewitched'
Seeing a lapwing - bad omen
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:41 pm
More info
Subcategory: Lark
Eating three larks' eggs - improvement of voice
Disturbing a lark's peace or nest - curse
Pointing at a lark - a whitlow will appear on the finger
Subcategory: Magpie
Seeing a single magpie - bad luck
A single magpie circling the house - portent of death
Greeting a magpie is said to remove the bad omens it brings
A single magpie on a roof - the building will never fall down
Chattering in a tree near a house - arrival of a stranger
Chinese belief - a magpie is good luck and shouls never be killed
Subcategory: Martin
Nesting in a house - good luck to the household
Harming a Martin or its eggs - dire misfortune
Subcategory: Mole
Sudden arrival of molehills in a garden - someone will leave, or death
More molehills than usual - bad weather
Subcategory: Mosquito
Same omens as the gnat (When allowed into a sick room - removal of ailments, Flying close to the ground - rain, Flying high - good weather)
Subcategory: Moth
A big black moth in the house means a deceased one is just visiting reincarnated through that moth.
In the house - arrival of an important letter
Subcategory: Mouse
If somebody throws away a dead mouse, the wind will soon start to blow from that direction.
Subcategory: Muskrat
Building it's home clear of the water - heavy rains
Constructing the home with thin walls - mild winter
Subcategory: Nightingale
Heard singing before the cuckoo - Success in love
Subcategory: Nightjar (Whippoorwill)
Heard after dark - premonition of death
First call in spring - A wish made will come true
Subcategory: Owl
The ancient Greeks revered owls and believed them sacred to Athena. Affiliated with the goddess of wisdom and learning, the owl was considered wise and kind.
hearing the hoot of an owl is now associated with bad luck. To counter evil owl power put irons in your fire. Or throw salt, hot peppers or vinegar into the fire, the owl will get a sore tongue, hoot no more, and no one close to you will be in trouble.
When you hear an owl, to prevent bad luck, take off your clothes, turn them inside out and put them back on.
Any man who eats roasted owl will be obedient and a slave to his wife.
Looking into an owl's nest - sadness for life
Heard hooting by a pregnant woman - baby is a girl
If an owl lands on the roof of your house, it is an omen of death. Constant hooting near your house also foretells death.
If an owl hoots at the moment of childbirth, the child will have an unhappy life.
The Irish believe that if an owl flies into a house it must be killed immediately. If it escapes, it will take the luck of the house with it.
If an owl nests in an abandoned house, then the dwelling must be haunted. An owl is the only creature that can abide a ghost.
By eating salted owl, a person can be cured of gout.
If an owl hoots during a burial service, the deceased is bound to rise from the grave and haunt the living.
An owl living in the attic of a house will cause a pregnant woman to miscarry.
Subcategory: Oyster
Oysters should only be eaten in months with an R in them
Aphrodisiac properties (dating back to Roman times)
Carrying an oyster shell - good luck
Subcategory: Peacocks
A peacock feather has an evil eye at the end. Argus, the Greek legend, says a hundred eyed monster was turned into a peacock with all it's eyes in it's tail.
Revered by Hindus as sacred
Greek mythology - tail consists of the eyes of the giant 'Argus'
Peacock feathers indoors - bad luck
Hearing a peacock cry - storms approaching
Subcategory: Pigs
To get rid of warts involves rubbing a peeled apple and giving it to a pig.
Crossing your path - unlucky
Running with straw in its mouth - storms approaching
Driving pigs indoors On Beltane morning - good omen
Subcategory: Porpoise
Harbinger of good luck
Seen swimming north - fine weather
Seen swimming south - bad weather
Subcategory: Rabbits
Passing in front of you - good luck
Passing behind you - bad luck
Running down a street - a house will catch fire
Keeping a rabbit's foot - good luck
Because of the rabbit's ability to reproduce, the rabbit's foot became a symbol of fertility.
Rabbits were linked with darkness, witches and the devil because they live underground.
By owning a rabbit's foot as a talisman, you would have vital connections with many powerful forces.
A left rabbit hind foot, carried in the left pocket after having been removed from a rabbit that was killed during a full moon by a cross-eyed person is truly lucky. The foot is considered a powerful charm against evil because the rabbit's strong hind le
Actors may keep a rabbit's foot in their makeup cases for good luck, and will have misfortune if they lose it.
In Wales an old belief is that a new-born child rubbed all over with a rabbit's foot will be lucky for life.
Subcategory: Lark
Eating three larks' eggs - improvement of voice
Disturbing a lark's peace or nest - curse
Pointing at a lark - a whitlow will appear on the finger
Subcategory: Magpie
Seeing a single magpie - bad luck
A single magpie circling the house - portent of death
Greeting a magpie is said to remove the bad omens it brings
A single magpie on a roof - the building will never fall down
Chattering in a tree near a house - arrival of a stranger
Chinese belief - a magpie is good luck and shouls never be killed
Subcategory: Martin
Nesting in a house - good luck to the household
Harming a Martin or its eggs - dire misfortune
Subcategory: Mole
Sudden arrival of molehills in a garden - someone will leave, or death
More molehills than usual - bad weather
Subcategory: Mosquito
Same omens as the gnat (When allowed into a sick room - removal of ailments, Flying close to the ground - rain, Flying high - good weather)
Subcategory: Moth
A big black moth in the house means a deceased one is just visiting reincarnated through that moth.
In the house - arrival of an important letter
Subcategory: Mouse
If somebody throws away a dead mouse, the wind will soon start to blow from that direction.
Subcategory: Muskrat
Building it's home clear of the water - heavy rains
Constructing the home with thin walls - mild winter
Subcategory: Nightingale
Heard singing before the cuckoo - Success in love
Subcategory: Nightjar (Whippoorwill)
Heard after dark - premonition of death
First call in spring - A wish made will come true
Subcategory: Owl
The ancient Greeks revered owls and believed them sacred to Athena. Affiliated with the goddess of wisdom and learning, the owl was considered wise and kind.
hearing the hoot of an owl is now associated with bad luck. To counter evil owl power put irons in your fire. Or throw salt, hot peppers or vinegar into the fire, the owl will get a sore tongue, hoot no more, and no one close to you will be in trouble.
When you hear an owl, to prevent bad luck, take off your clothes, turn them inside out and put them back on.
Any man who eats roasted owl will be obedient and a slave to his wife.
Looking into an owl's nest - sadness for life
Heard hooting by a pregnant woman - baby is a girl
If an owl lands on the roof of your house, it is an omen of death. Constant hooting near your house also foretells death.
If an owl hoots at the moment of childbirth, the child will have an unhappy life.
The Irish believe that if an owl flies into a house it must be killed immediately. If it escapes, it will take the luck of the house with it.
If an owl nests in an abandoned house, then the dwelling must be haunted. An owl is the only creature that can abide a ghost.
By eating salted owl, a person can be cured of gout.
If an owl hoots during a burial service, the deceased is bound to rise from the grave and haunt the living.
An owl living in the attic of a house will cause a pregnant woman to miscarry.
Subcategory: Oyster
Oysters should only be eaten in months with an R in them
Aphrodisiac properties (dating back to Roman times)
Carrying an oyster shell - good luck
Subcategory: Peacocks
A peacock feather has an evil eye at the end. Argus, the Greek legend, says a hundred eyed monster was turned into a peacock with all it's eyes in it's tail.
Revered by Hindus as sacred
Greek mythology - tail consists of the eyes of the giant 'Argus'
Peacock feathers indoors - bad luck
Hearing a peacock cry - storms approaching
Subcategory: Pigs
To get rid of warts involves rubbing a peeled apple and giving it to a pig.
Crossing your path - unlucky
Running with straw in its mouth - storms approaching
Driving pigs indoors On Beltane morning - good omen
Subcategory: Porpoise
Harbinger of good luck
Seen swimming north - fine weather
Seen swimming south - bad weather
Subcategory: Rabbits
Passing in front of you - good luck
Passing behind you - bad luck
Running down a street - a house will catch fire
Keeping a rabbit's foot - good luck
Because of the rabbit's ability to reproduce, the rabbit's foot became a symbol of fertility.
Rabbits were linked with darkness, witches and the devil because they live underground.
By owning a rabbit's foot as a talisman, you would have vital connections with many powerful forces.
A left rabbit hind foot, carried in the left pocket after having been removed from a rabbit that was killed during a full moon by a cross-eyed person is truly lucky. The foot is considered a powerful charm against evil because the rabbit's strong hind le
Actors may keep a rabbit's foot in their makeup cases for good luck, and will have misfortune if they lose it.
In Wales an old belief is that a new-born child rubbed all over with a rabbit's foot will be lucky for life.
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:41 pm
CONTINUING WITH INFO
Subcategory: Rat
Most relate to the rat's association with death
It is believed that rats can predict death
Rats leaving a ship - the ship will sink
Rats seen boarding a ship - lucky
A rat leaving a house - A death is imminent
A sudden arrival of rats in a house - the occupants will move soon, or (in Scotland) an occupant will come into money
An increase in numbers - an omen of war
Subcategory: Ravens
To kill a raven is to harm the spirit of King Arthur who visits the world in the form of a raven.
Seen near a sick person - no recovery
Welsh belief - A raven on a chimney is good luck to those within
Ravens leaving The Tower of London - The United Kingdom will fall
Flying towards the sun - fine weather
Subcategory: Robins
A wish made on the first robin of spring will be granted.
A robin entering the house was a sign of a death in the family.
Killing a robin - extremely bad luck
Causing a robin injury - a similar injury to the perpetrator
Entering a house or church - omen of death
Subcategory: Roosters
Roosters have long been connected with the sun, as they crow to herald its arrival at dawn, and are considered watchful protectors of humankind.
When a cock crows at midnight a spirit is passing
In England it is a death omen if a rooster crows three times between sunset and midnight. Crowing at other times is often a warning against misfortune.
If a cock crows while perched on a gate, or at nightfall, the next day will be rainy.
A white rooster is considered very lucky, and should not be killed as it protects the farm on which it lives
Black roosters are a bad omen, often associated with sacrifice.
Subcategory: Seagulls
Three seagulls flying together, directly overhead, are a warning of death soon to come.
Killing a seagull - bad luck
Seen far inland - bad weather
Subcategory: Sheep
A shepherd counting his flock - bad luck
Sitting still on the grass - fine weather
Walking about and bleating - bad weather
Subcategory: Snake
Hanging a snake skin from the rafters - protection from fire
Crossing your path - unlucky
Carrying a snake skin - protection against illness
Carrying a snake's tooth - protection against fever and luck in gambling
Wearing an emerald - protection against snake bites
Subcategory: Sparrows
Sparrows carry the souls of the dead, it's unlucky to kill one.
Believed to embody the souls of the dead
Killing a sparrow - the tree it lived in will die
Hearing a sparrow call – rain
Subcategory: Spiders
It is unlucky to kill spiders because a spider spun a web over baby Jesus to hide him from Herod.
A spider with syrup cures fever.
Seeing a spider run down a web in the afternoon means you'll take a trip.
You'll meet a new friend if you run into a web.
A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.
Killing a spider - very bad luck
Seen running over clothes - a new set of clothes
Finding a spider in the morning - Sorrow
Finding a spider at midday - Anxiety
Finding a spider in the evening - Loss
Killing a spider - Bad Luck
A spider spinning in the morning - Good Luck
A spider climbing its thread - Good News
A spider dropping on its thread - Good Luck
Finding a spider on your body - Good Fortune
Seeing a spider cross a wall - Good Luck
A spider's web on a doorway - A Visitor
A spider on your clothes – Money
Arcane is said to be the missing 13th sign of the zodiac based on 13 lunar months. Arcane is associated with psychic abilities, weaving and women.
Subcategory: Sow Bugs
A Texas superstition says that a bag filled with 13 sow bugs tied around a child's neck will cure the child from the thrash, or sores in the mouth.
Subcategory: Storks
Storks deliver babies.
Storks were sacred to Venus in Roman mythology.
If a stork builds a nest on your roof, you have received a blessing and a promise of never ending love from Venus. Aristotle made killing a stork a crime, and Romans passed a stork law, saying that children must care for their elderly parents.
Killing a stork - bad luck
Building a nest on the roof - good omen
Seeing two storks - omen of pregnancy
Subcategory: Swallow
Herald of the summer
Killing a swallow - bad luck
Nesting on the roof - protection especially against lightning and fire
Storms will accompany the arrival and departure of swallows
Subcategory: Rat
Most relate to the rat's association with death
It is believed that rats can predict death
Rats leaving a ship - the ship will sink
Rats seen boarding a ship - lucky
A rat leaving a house - A death is imminent
A sudden arrival of rats in a house - the occupants will move soon, or (in Scotland) an occupant will come into money
An increase in numbers - an omen of war
Subcategory: Ravens
To kill a raven is to harm the spirit of King Arthur who visits the world in the form of a raven.
Seen near a sick person - no recovery
Welsh belief - A raven on a chimney is good luck to those within
Ravens leaving The Tower of London - The United Kingdom will fall
Flying towards the sun - fine weather
Subcategory: Robins
A wish made on the first robin of spring will be granted.
A robin entering the house was a sign of a death in the family.
Killing a robin - extremely bad luck
Causing a robin injury - a similar injury to the perpetrator
Entering a house or church - omen of death
Subcategory: Roosters
Roosters have long been connected with the sun, as they crow to herald its arrival at dawn, and are considered watchful protectors of humankind.
When a cock crows at midnight a spirit is passing
In England it is a death omen if a rooster crows three times between sunset and midnight. Crowing at other times is often a warning against misfortune.
If a cock crows while perched on a gate, or at nightfall, the next day will be rainy.
A white rooster is considered very lucky, and should not be killed as it protects the farm on which it lives
Black roosters are a bad omen, often associated with sacrifice.
Subcategory: Seagulls
Three seagulls flying together, directly overhead, are a warning of death soon to come.
Killing a seagull - bad luck
Seen far inland - bad weather
Subcategory: Sheep
A shepherd counting his flock - bad luck
Sitting still on the grass - fine weather
Walking about and bleating - bad weather
Subcategory: Snake
Hanging a snake skin from the rafters - protection from fire
Crossing your path - unlucky
Carrying a snake skin - protection against illness
Carrying a snake's tooth - protection against fever and luck in gambling
Wearing an emerald - protection against snake bites
Subcategory: Sparrows
Sparrows carry the souls of the dead, it's unlucky to kill one.
Believed to embody the souls of the dead
Killing a sparrow - the tree it lived in will die
Hearing a sparrow call – rain
Subcategory: Spiders
It is unlucky to kill spiders because a spider spun a web over baby Jesus to hide him from Herod.
A spider with syrup cures fever.
Seeing a spider run down a web in the afternoon means you'll take a trip.
You'll meet a new friend if you run into a web.
A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.
Killing a spider - very bad luck
Seen running over clothes - a new set of clothes
Finding a spider in the morning - Sorrow
Finding a spider at midday - Anxiety
Finding a spider in the evening - Loss
Killing a spider - Bad Luck
A spider spinning in the morning - Good Luck
A spider climbing its thread - Good News
A spider dropping on its thread - Good Luck
Finding a spider on your body - Good Fortune
Seeing a spider cross a wall - Good Luck
A spider's web on a doorway - A Visitor
A spider on your clothes – Money
Arcane is said to be the missing 13th sign of the zodiac based on 13 lunar months. Arcane is associated with psychic abilities, weaving and women.
Subcategory: Sow Bugs
A Texas superstition says that a bag filled with 13 sow bugs tied around a child's neck will cure the child from the thrash, or sores in the mouth.
Subcategory: Storks
Storks deliver babies.
Storks were sacred to Venus in Roman mythology.
If a stork builds a nest on your roof, you have received a blessing and a promise of never ending love from Venus. Aristotle made killing a stork a crime, and Romans passed a stork law, saying that children must care for their elderly parents.
Killing a stork - bad luck
Building a nest on the roof - good omen
Seeing two storks - omen of pregnancy
Subcategory: Swallow
Herald of the summer
Killing a swallow - bad luck
Nesting on the roof - protection especially against lightning and fire
Storms will accompany the arrival and departure of swallows
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:42 pm
Last of the information on ANIMAL Superstitions
Subcategory: Swans
A swan's feather, sewed into the husband's pillow, will ensure fidelity.
Subcategory: Toad
If you eat a live toad first thing in the morning nothing worse will happen to you all day.
Crossing the path of a bride on the way to the church - prosperous and happy union
Seeing a toad - end of drought or good fortune
Thought to be the familiars of witches
Killing a toad - rainstorms
Carrying a dried toad - protection against plague
Handling toads - causes warts
Subcategory: Tortoise
Killing a tortoise - bad luck
Wearing a tortoiseshell bracelet - protection against evil
Subcategory: Wasp
Killing the first wasp of the season - good luck
Subcategory: Vulture
Seeing a vulture - omen of death
Subcategory: Weasel
Seeing a weasel - bad luck
Keeping money in a weasel skin purse - financial security
Subcategory: Wolf
During the middle ages, wolves were ascribed magical powers and wolf parts became an important part of many early pharmacies. Powered wolf liver was used to ease birth pains. A wolf's right paw, tied around ones throat, was believed to ease the swelling
It was widely believed that a horse that stepped in a wolf print would be crippled
The gaze of a wolf was once thought to cause blindness
The breath of the wolf could cook meat.
It was believed that Wolves sharpened their teeth before hunting
Dead wolves were buried at a village entrance to keep out other wolves (some farmers continue to shoot predators and hang them on fence posts to repel other predators.)
Travelers were warned about perils of walking through lonely stretches of woods, and stone shelters were built to protect them from attacks. Our modern word "loophole" is derived from the European term "loup hole," or wolf hole, a spy hole in shelters
Seeing a wolf - dumbness
Subcategory: Wren
Harming a wren - broken bone
Subcategory: Swans
A swan's feather, sewed into the husband's pillow, will ensure fidelity.
Subcategory: Toad
If you eat a live toad first thing in the morning nothing worse will happen to you all day.
Crossing the path of a bride on the way to the church - prosperous and happy union
Seeing a toad - end of drought or good fortune
Thought to be the familiars of witches
Killing a toad - rainstorms
Carrying a dried toad - protection against plague
Handling toads - causes warts
Subcategory: Tortoise
Killing a tortoise - bad luck
Wearing a tortoiseshell bracelet - protection against evil
Subcategory: Wasp
Killing the first wasp of the season - good luck
Subcategory: Vulture
Seeing a vulture - omen of death
Subcategory: Weasel
Seeing a weasel - bad luck
Keeping money in a weasel skin purse - financial security
Subcategory: Wolf
During the middle ages, wolves were ascribed magical powers and wolf parts became an important part of many early pharmacies. Powered wolf liver was used to ease birth pains. A wolf's right paw, tied around ones throat, was believed to ease the swelling
It was widely believed that a horse that stepped in a wolf print would be crippled
The gaze of a wolf was once thought to cause blindness
The breath of the wolf could cook meat.
It was believed that Wolves sharpened their teeth before hunting
Dead wolves were buried at a village entrance to keep out other wolves (some farmers continue to shoot predators and hang them on fence posts to repel other predators.)
Travelers were warned about perils of walking through lonely stretches of woods, and stone shelters were built to protect them from attacks. Our modern word "loophole" is derived from the European term "loup hole," or wolf hole, a spy hole in shelters
Seeing a wolf - dumbness
Subcategory: Wren
Harming a wren - broken bone
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:42 pm
If you have had a run of bad cards it is said to change your luck if you lay your handkerchief flat upon your chair and sit on it.
It is said to alter the run of the cards if you turn your chair round three times or walk round it three times.
It is good luck is to blow through the cards when they are being shuffled.
The luckiest seat is the one which faces the door; the most unlucky is that which has its back to the fire-place.
When cutting for deal, if you turn up the deuce of any suit, it is good luck.
If two packs of cards are used and you are asked with which you wish to deal, always choose the one farthest away from you.
The most unlucky card to hold in one's hand is the four of clubs.
When changing seats at the table you should always move in a clockwise direction; that is, from right to left.
Never pick up your cards with the left hand, or one card at a time.
It is very unlucky to sit cross-legged when playing cards.
If your partner should lose a game or a trick, never say Bad luck or your luck will not change.
Having a dog in the room while playing cards is said to cause disputes.
Friday is a bad day for card playing, while any thirteenth day of the month is considered unlucky.
Source of information found
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/card.html
It is said to alter the run of the cards if you turn your chair round three times or walk round it three times.
It is good luck is to blow through the cards when they are being shuffled.
The luckiest seat is the one which faces the door; the most unlucky is that which has its back to the fire-place.
When cutting for deal, if you turn up the deuce of any suit, it is good luck.
If two packs of cards are used and you are asked with which you wish to deal, always choose the one farthest away from you.
The most unlucky card to hold in one's hand is the four of clubs.
When changing seats at the table you should always move in a clockwise direction; that is, from right to left.
Never pick up your cards with the left hand, or one card at a time.
It is very unlucky to sit cross-legged when playing cards.
If your partner should lose a game or a trick, never say Bad luck or your luck will not change.
Having a dog in the room while playing cards is said to cause disputes.
Friday is a bad day for card playing, while any thirteenth day of the month is considered unlucky.
Source of information found
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/card.html
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:42 pm
Empty pockets or empty cupboards on New Years Eve portend a year of poverty
If the first person to cross the threshold of a house after midnight on New Years is a dark-haird man and he carries a shovel full of coal, then a year of good luck will follow.
Its bad luck to let a fire go out on New Year's Eve.
You could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years!
lows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. If the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there's no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all.
Loud Noise: Make as much noise as possible at midnight to scare away evil spirits.
Letting the Old Year Out: At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, says popular wisdom, so doors are flung open to assist him in finding his way out.
To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year's Day is declared to ensure luck in love and prosperity and freedom from ill health during the coming twelve months.
Children born on New Year's Day bring great fortune and prosperity to all the household.
On New Year's Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married before the year is finished.
Clocks should be wound up immediately the New Year begins in order to endow the house with good fortune, while all daily cleaning and dusting should be completed early in the day of December 31 in order to avoid the danger of sweeping good luck from the house.
Breakage: Avoid breaking things on that first day lest wreckage be part of your year. Also, avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months
Money: Do not pay back loans or lend money or other precious items on New Year's Day. To do so is to guarantee you'll be paying out all year.
New Clothes: Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.
Work: Make sure to do -- and be successful at -- something related to your work on the first day of the year, even if you don't go near your place of employment that day. Limit your activity to a token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very unlucky.
Black-Eyes Peas: A tradition common to the Southern part of the United States says that the eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining
A person who lives alone might place a lucky item or two in a basket that has a string tied to it, and then place the basket just outside the front door before midnight. After midnight, the lone celebrant hauls in his catch, being careful to bring the item across the doorjamb by pulling the string rather than by reaching out to retrieve it and thus breaking the plane of the threshold.
Nothing Goes Out: Nothing -- absolutely nothing, not even garbage -- is to leave the house on the first day of the year. If you have presents to deliver on New Year's Day, leave them in the car overnight. Don't so much as shake out a rug or take the empties to the recycle bin. Some people soften this rule by saying it's okay to remove things from the home on New Year's Day, provided that something else has been brought in first.
Just as the clock strikes twelve the head of the house should open the door in order to allow the Old Year to pass out and the New Year to come in.
Kissing at midnight: To ensure that those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.
Stocking Up: The New Year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the place to guarantee a prosperous year.
Paying Off Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed off prior to January 1st. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the New Year arrives.
First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you're about to have. Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silver coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt. Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household.
First Footing: The first footer should knock and be let in rather than just using a key. After greeting those in the house and dropping off whatever small tokens of luck he has brought with him, he should make his way through the house and leave by a different door than the one through which he entered. No one should leave the premises before the first footer arrives -- the first traffic across the threshold must be headed in rather than striking out.
First footers must not be cross-eyed or have flat feet or eyebrows that meet in the middle
Squint-eyed, flat-footed, or red-haired men bring bad luck If they are first-footers, and so does a woman. But a man with a high instep, or one who comes on a horse, is considered particularly lucky.
source of the information location
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/new_years.html
If the first person to cross the threshold of a house after midnight on New Years is a dark-haird man and he carries a shovel full of coal, then a year of good luck will follow.
Its bad luck to let a fire go out on New Year's Eve.
You could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years!
lows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. If the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there's no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all.
Loud Noise: Make as much noise as possible at midnight to scare away evil spirits.
Letting the Old Year Out: At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, says popular wisdom, so doors are flung open to assist him in finding his way out.
To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year's Day is declared to ensure luck in love and prosperity and freedom from ill health during the coming twelve months.
Children born on New Year's Day bring great fortune and prosperity to all the household.
On New Year's Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married before the year is finished.
Clocks should be wound up immediately the New Year begins in order to endow the house with good fortune, while all daily cleaning and dusting should be completed early in the day of December 31 in order to avoid the danger of sweeping good luck from the house.
Breakage: Avoid breaking things on that first day lest wreckage be part of your year. Also, avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months
Money: Do not pay back loans or lend money or other precious items on New Year's Day. To do so is to guarantee you'll be paying out all year.
New Clothes: Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.
Work: Make sure to do -- and be successful at -- something related to your work on the first day of the year, even if you don't go near your place of employment that day. Limit your activity to a token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very unlucky.
Black-Eyes Peas: A tradition common to the Southern part of the United States says that the eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining
A person who lives alone might place a lucky item or two in a basket that has a string tied to it, and then place the basket just outside the front door before midnight. After midnight, the lone celebrant hauls in his catch, being careful to bring the item across the doorjamb by pulling the string rather than by reaching out to retrieve it and thus breaking the plane of the threshold.
Nothing Goes Out: Nothing -- absolutely nothing, not even garbage -- is to leave the house on the first day of the year. If you have presents to deliver on New Year's Day, leave them in the car overnight. Don't so much as shake out a rug or take the empties to the recycle bin. Some people soften this rule by saying it's okay to remove things from the home on New Year's Day, provided that something else has been brought in first.
Just as the clock strikes twelve the head of the house should open the door in order to allow the Old Year to pass out and the New Year to come in.
Kissing at midnight: To ensure that those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.
Stocking Up: The New Year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the place to guarantee a prosperous year.
Paying Off Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed off prior to January 1st. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the New Year arrives.
First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you're about to have. Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silver coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt. Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household.
First Footing: The first footer should knock and be let in rather than just using a key. After greeting those in the house and dropping off whatever small tokens of luck he has brought with him, he should make his way through the house and leave by a different door than the one through which he entered. No one should leave the premises before the first footer arrives -- the first traffic across the threshold must be headed in rather than striking out.
First footers must not be cross-eyed or have flat feet or eyebrows that meet in the middle
Squint-eyed, flat-footed, or red-haired men bring bad luck If they are first-footers, and so does a woman. But a man with a high instep, or one who comes on a horse, is considered particularly lucky.
source of the information location
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/new_years.html
Admin- Admin
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Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:43 pm
Babies born at three, six, nine, or twelve o'clock are said to be exceptionally lucky. When they are grown up it is declared that they will be gifted with considerably more insight and ingenuity than the average person.
If a child is born with teeth there is a superstition that it will become extremely selfish.
For a child to be born with an open hand, however, is a sign of great generosity.
Superstition also declares that if a moon is shining at the time of birth, the child will be a male; no moon at all indicates a girl.
When a baby leaves its mother's room for the first time, it should be carried upstairs before it is carried downstairs, in order to ensure its success in the world.
For the child to cry at the christening is considered a fortunate sign, for people in the olden days thought that evil spirits were then leaving the baby's body
A baby that is born in a caul will have good things of life will come to him easily. Also, a person who was born in a caul will never meet his death by drowning.
A baby's tooth, set in a ring or brooch, was sometimes worn in order to bring good luck
It is unlucky to wash a baby's head for the first twelve months.
Washing a child's hand's before his first birthday will take away his riches and would live and die poor.
Children's first lost teeth are burned in order to prevent snaggle teeth from coming in.
When a boy is born under the waning moon, the next birth will be a girl, and vice versa.
When a child is born under a waxing moon, the next birth will be of the same sex.
A child born at the interval between the old and new moons is fated to die young.
Babies with blue veins across their noses will not live to see twenty-one.
Coral necklaces are worn to ensure easy teething.
All locks in a house are unlocked at birthing to ensure an easy delivery.
Cornishmen of the west are born with tails; they drop off when the Tamar River is crossed
If the finger or toe nails of an infant are cut previous to the age of 12 months, it will prove a thief in mature age.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/baby.html
If a child is born with teeth there is a superstition that it will become extremely selfish.
For a child to be born with an open hand, however, is a sign of great generosity.
Superstition also declares that if a moon is shining at the time of birth, the child will be a male; no moon at all indicates a girl.
When a baby leaves its mother's room for the first time, it should be carried upstairs before it is carried downstairs, in order to ensure its success in the world.
For the child to cry at the christening is considered a fortunate sign, for people in the olden days thought that evil spirits were then leaving the baby's body
A baby that is born in a caul will have good things of life will come to him easily. Also, a person who was born in a caul will never meet his death by drowning.
A baby's tooth, set in a ring or brooch, was sometimes worn in order to bring good luck
It is unlucky to wash a baby's head for the first twelve months.
Washing a child's hand's before his first birthday will take away his riches and would live and die poor.
Children's first lost teeth are burned in order to prevent snaggle teeth from coming in.
When a boy is born under the waning moon, the next birth will be a girl, and vice versa.
When a child is born under a waxing moon, the next birth will be of the same sex.
A child born at the interval between the old and new moons is fated to die young.
Babies with blue veins across their noses will not live to see twenty-one.
Coral necklaces are worn to ensure easy teething.
All locks in a house are unlocked at birthing to ensure an easy delivery.
Cornishmen of the west are born with tails; they drop off when the Tamar River is crossed
If the finger or toe nails of an infant are cut previous to the age of 12 months, it will prove a thief in mature age.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/baby.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:43 pm
A Yule Log must not be bought and must be kept burning all night.
Christmas candles should be left burning until Christmas morning and should rest undisturbed from time of lighting until they are snuffed.
Look to the shadows cast by those gathered round the fire on Christmas night -- if any of these shades appears to lack a head that person will die within the year.
Difficulty lighting the fire on Christmas Day is particularly unwelcome, as this presages a bad year ahead.
Christmas cakes were usually eaten on Christmas Eve in the 19th century, though it was deemed most unlucky to cut into one (or any Christmas food) before that day dawned. A portion also had to be preserved until Christmas Day itself.
As many mince pies as you sample at different houses during the festive season, so you will have happy months in the year to come. Mince pies must not be cut, however, lest you cut your luck. None must be eaten before Christmas Eve nor after Twelfth Night.
If Christmas pudding is on the menu, then all present must take part in stirring it if the household is to prosper. Traditionally, one has to stir the mixture at least three times, seeing the bottom of the pot each time. Even tiny babies take their turn, with parents guiding a little one's hand on the spoon. Unmarried girls who forget to give the pudding its requisite stirs might as well forget about finding a husband in the upcoming year.
It's customary to make a wish while stirring Christmas pudding. Such wishes are kept secret until they come true - to speak them to anyone else jinxes them.
When making Christmas pudding, drop into a silver coin, a thimble, and a ring. He who is served the coin finds luck, he who retrieves the thimble brings himself prosperity, and he who comes up with the ring hastens a wedding in his family.
To find out who your future spouse will be, make a dumb cake at midnight on Christmas Eve. It is prepared in complete silence by one or more, with water, eggs, and salt is placed on the hearthstone with the upper surface of the cake pricked with the initials of one of those present. Provided the silence is unbroken, the future partner of the person indicated on the cake will appear and similarly prick his or her initials onto the cake. In some regions it is instead stipulated that a petitioner must walk backwards to their beds after eating the cooked cake, there to dream of her future spouse.
The doors of a home used to be flung open at midnight on Christmas Eve to let out any trapped evil spirits.
A Christmas candle left burning in the window all night guarantees the household's good luck in the coming year. If the candles goes out, it is bad luck.
The first member of the household to open the door on Christmas morning might well shout, Welcome, Old Father Christmas! to the empty street. In other homes, one might be expected to sweep the threshold with a broom to clear it of trouble.
Particularly good fortune will attach to the household if the first visitor on Christmas happens to be a dark-haired man. The arrival of a red-haired man is a bad omen, and it's utter catastrophe if the first foot is a woman.
First foots (the first Christmas visitor to your house) who bring evergreens (especially holly) or coal are prized for their thoughtfulness. When the first foot is a man, he should be welcomed with a drink and perhaps a bit to eat. A boy, however, should be given a coin or two. First foots often kiss all the women in the house.
It is very unlucky to send Christmas carolers away empty-handed, no matter how badly they sing. One could be a king in disguise. Offer food, a drink, or a bit of money.
Singing Christmas carols at any time other than during the festive season is unlucky.
Contrary to popular belief, wassailing has nothing to do with singing Christmas carols at people's houses and then getting drunk with them. Wassailing is the custom of honoring one's livestock and crops during the Christmas season in hope that this salute will increase yield in the coming year. Toasts are drunk to corn, cows, and fruit trees. Celebratory fires are lit in fields and cider drunk in barns and orchards while men shoot guns into the air to scare off evil spirits. A plum pudding might well be stuck on a cow's horn and the beast frightened into running until it tosses the pudding -- if the pudding falls forward, a good harvest is predicted, but if it falls backwards, the harvest will be poor.
In parts of Scotland at Christmas time, ale is poured into the waves to entice the deep to yield up her fishes in the coming year.
Stockings are hung by the chimney at Christmas, in remembrance of the largesse of St. Nicholas. Out of compassion he was said to have tossed three coins down the chimney of the home of three poor sisters. Each coin fell neatly into stockings left drying by the hearth. We therefore leave our stocking out in hopes that a similar bit of good fortune will befall us.
Dogs that howl on Christmas Eve will go mad before the end of the year.
It is unlucky to do any unnecessary work on Christmas Day. This day is deemed too holy for ordinary work.
Those born on Christmas day will never encounter a ghost, nor will they have anything to fear from spirits. They are also protected against death by drowning or hanging.
Mistletoe is considered lucky to hang in the house at Christmas. Mistletoe is not allowed to be used as a church decoration because it is associated with paganism.
It is good luck to kiss under the mistletoe. It is bad luck to deliberately to avoid doing this.
Take three leaves of holly and on them prick the initials of three of your admirers. On Christmas Eve place the leaves under your pillow, and it is said that the one whom you will marry will appear to you in a dream.
Sew nine holly-leaves on to your nighttime clothing, borrow a wedding ring and place it on the third finger of your left hand, and then go to bed. During the night, your future husband will appear to you in a vision.
Make a chain of holly, mistletoe and juniper, and tie an acorn between each link. You need to have 2 other girls to assist you. At midnight on Christmas Eve the 3 of you must go into a room where a fire is lit, lock the door, hang the key over the mantelpiece and open the window wide. Then wrap the chain, which you have made around a log and sprinkle it with oil, a few pinches of salt and some earth. The log and chain must be placed on the fire and all lights turned out. Each girl sits around the fire with a prayer-book upon her knees, opened at the marriage service. As soon as the chain has been burnt, it is said that each girl will see the vision of her future husband crossing the room. If such a vision does not appear to a girl, she will never marry; or if she sees a phantom, such as a skeleton, which causes fear, it is also taken to be a sign that she will remain a spinster.
Tie a sprig of holly to each leg of your bedstead, and before you go to bed eat a roasted apple. Your future partner in marriage will come and speak to you in your dreams.
The yule log should be lit by a piece of the log used on the previous Christmas. Once that is done, no evil spirit can then enter into the house. The remains of the Yule log were also considered lucky, and would be a protection against lightning or fire.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/christmas.html
Christmas candles should be left burning until Christmas morning and should rest undisturbed from time of lighting until they are snuffed.
Look to the shadows cast by those gathered round the fire on Christmas night -- if any of these shades appears to lack a head that person will die within the year.
Difficulty lighting the fire on Christmas Day is particularly unwelcome, as this presages a bad year ahead.
Christmas cakes were usually eaten on Christmas Eve in the 19th century, though it was deemed most unlucky to cut into one (or any Christmas food) before that day dawned. A portion also had to be preserved until Christmas Day itself.
As many mince pies as you sample at different houses during the festive season, so you will have happy months in the year to come. Mince pies must not be cut, however, lest you cut your luck. None must be eaten before Christmas Eve nor after Twelfth Night.
If Christmas pudding is on the menu, then all present must take part in stirring it if the household is to prosper. Traditionally, one has to stir the mixture at least three times, seeing the bottom of the pot each time. Even tiny babies take their turn, with parents guiding a little one's hand on the spoon. Unmarried girls who forget to give the pudding its requisite stirs might as well forget about finding a husband in the upcoming year.
It's customary to make a wish while stirring Christmas pudding. Such wishes are kept secret until they come true - to speak them to anyone else jinxes them.
When making Christmas pudding, drop into a silver coin, a thimble, and a ring. He who is served the coin finds luck, he who retrieves the thimble brings himself prosperity, and he who comes up with the ring hastens a wedding in his family.
To find out who your future spouse will be, make a dumb cake at midnight on Christmas Eve. It is prepared in complete silence by one or more, with water, eggs, and salt is placed on the hearthstone with the upper surface of the cake pricked with the initials of one of those present. Provided the silence is unbroken, the future partner of the person indicated on the cake will appear and similarly prick his or her initials onto the cake. In some regions it is instead stipulated that a petitioner must walk backwards to their beds after eating the cooked cake, there to dream of her future spouse.
The doors of a home used to be flung open at midnight on Christmas Eve to let out any trapped evil spirits.
A Christmas candle left burning in the window all night guarantees the household's good luck in the coming year. If the candles goes out, it is bad luck.
The first member of the household to open the door on Christmas morning might well shout, Welcome, Old Father Christmas! to the empty street. In other homes, one might be expected to sweep the threshold with a broom to clear it of trouble.
Particularly good fortune will attach to the household if the first visitor on Christmas happens to be a dark-haired man. The arrival of a red-haired man is a bad omen, and it's utter catastrophe if the first foot is a woman.
First foots (the first Christmas visitor to your house) who bring evergreens (especially holly) or coal are prized for their thoughtfulness. When the first foot is a man, he should be welcomed with a drink and perhaps a bit to eat. A boy, however, should be given a coin or two. First foots often kiss all the women in the house.
It is very unlucky to send Christmas carolers away empty-handed, no matter how badly they sing. One could be a king in disguise. Offer food, a drink, or a bit of money.
Singing Christmas carols at any time other than during the festive season is unlucky.
Contrary to popular belief, wassailing has nothing to do with singing Christmas carols at people's houses and then getting drunk with them. Wassailing is the custom of honoring one's livestock and crops during the Christmas season in hope that this salute will increase yield in the coming year. Toasts are drunk to corn, cows, and fruit trees. Celebratory fires are lit in fields and cider drunk in barns and orchards while men shoot guns into the air to scare off evil spirits. A plum pudding might well be stuck on a cow's horn and the beast frightened into running until it tosses the pudding -- if the pudding falls forward, a good harvest is predicted, but if it falls backwards, the harvest will be poor.
In parts of Scotland at Christmas time, ale is poured into the waves to entice the deep to yield up her fishes in the coming year.
Stockings are hung by the chimney at Christmas, in remembrance of the largesse of St. Nicholas. Out of compassion he was said to have tossed three coins down the chimney of the home of three poor sisters. Each coin fell neatly into stockings left drying by the hearth. We therefore leave our stocking out in hopes that a similar bit of good fortune will befall us.
Dogs that howl on Christmas Eve will go mad before the end of the year.
It is unlucky to do any unnecessary work on Christmas Day. This day is deemed too holy for ordinary work.
Those born on Christmas day will never encounter a ghost, nor will they have anything to fear from spirits. They are also protected against death by drowning or hanging.
Mistletoe is considered lucky to hang in the house at Christmas. Mistletoe is not allowed to be used as a church decoration because it is associated with paganism.
It is good luck to kiss under the mistletoe. It is bad luck to deliberately to avoid doing this.
Take three leaves of holly and on them prick the initials of three of your admirers. On Christmas Eve place the leaves under your pillow, and it is said that the one whom you will marry will appear to you in a dream.
Sew nine holly-leaves on to your nighttime clothing, borrow a wedding ring and place it on the third finger of your left hand, and then go to bed. During the night, your future husband will appear to you in a vision.
Make a chain of holly, mistletoe and juniper, and tie an acorn between each link. You need to have 2 other girls to assist you. At midnight on Christmas Eve the 3 of you must go into a room where a fire is lit, lock the door, hang the key over the mantelpiece and open the window wide. Then wrap the chain, which you have made around a log and sprinkle it with oil, a few pinches of salt and some earth. The log and chain must be placed on the fire and all lights turned out. Each girl sits around the fire with a prayer-book upon her knees, opened at the marriage service. As soon as the chain has been burnt, it is said that each girl will see the vision of her future husband crossing the room. If such a vision does not appear to a girl, she will never marry; or if she sees a phantom, such as a skeleton, which causes fear, it is also taken to be a sign that she will remain a spinster.
Tie a sprig of holly to each leg of your bedstead, and before you go to bed eat a roasted apple. Your future partner in marriage will come and speak to you in your dreams.
The yule log should be lit by a piece of the log used on the previous Christmas. Once that is done, no evil spirit can then enter into the house. The remains of the Yule log were also considered lucky, and would be a protection against lightning or fire.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/christmas.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Re: Superstitions of the World
Admin 12/13/2008, 7:44 pm
According to an oldwives' tale only the wicked can grow it.
It is very unlucky to give parsley.
Parsley plants must not be given.
Parsley should not be transplanted; it means a death in the family or bad luck.
If a stranger plants parsley in a garden, great trouble will befall the owner.
Where parsley grows in the garden, the missus is the master.
Where the mistress is the master, the parsley grows the faster.
Parsley flourishes best either when sown by the housewife rather than by her husband, or in gardens of homes where she is master.
If a young woman sows parsley-seed she will have a child.
Parsley is believed to prevent a pregnancy, and is sometimes eaten as a salad by young married women who do not desire to have a family.
If you want to bring on your period put a sprig of parsley inside your vagina for 12 hours - your period should start 24 hours later.
In the 1600's and 1700's in England, children were told that little girls came from the parsley bed.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/parsley.html
It is very unlucky to give parsley.
Parsley plants must not be given.
Parsley should not be transplanted; it means a death in the family or bad luck.
If a stranger plants parsley in a garden, great trouble will befall the owner.
Where parsley grows in the garden, the missus is the master.
Where the mistress is the master, the parsley grows the faster.
Parsley flourishes best either when sown by the housewife rather than by her husband, or in gardens of homes where she is master.
If a young woman sows parsley-seed she will have a child.
Parsley is believed to prevent a pregnancy, and is sometimes eaten as a salad by young married women who do not desire to have a family.
If you want to bring on your period put a sprig of parsley inside your vagina for 12 hours - your period should start 24 hours later.
In the 1600's and 1700's in England, children were told that little girls came from the parsley bed.
Source of information
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/parsley.html
Admin- Admin
- Number of posts : 7100
Registration date : 2008-10-23 -
Similar topics» Superstitions of the World
» Superstitions concerning PARSLEY
» CHRISTMAS Superstitions
» Superstitions about BABIES
» NEW YEAR'S Superstitions
» Superstitions concerning PARSLEY
» CHRISTMAS Superstitions
» Superstitions about BABIES
» NEW YEAR'S Superstitions
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