Do you have any superstitions/weird superstitions you've heard of

corner of hells · 03-08-2018 09:40PM

It's bad luck to light three cigarettes off a single match , apparently this superstition originated from the Boer war .

The Boer snipers were legendary and would watch the British lines at night , they would see a soldier spark up the match and light up the first cigarette , take aim as he lights the second cigarette and kill the first soldier as he lights his own cigarette.

Therefore I try avoid Boer snipers.

Shenshen · 03-08-2018 09:46PM

Another one I can offer is a really, really old one. And I mean REALLY old.
My grandmother (in Germany) would not change the bed linen or wash any clothes in the nights between christmas eve and the 6th of January. I once chatted to her about it, out of curiosity more than anything, and was told that on those nights, the wild hunt is about, and having washing hanging out to dry would draw them to your house and they'd kill someone.

Afterwards, when I did a bit of research into the wild hunt (which I had not ever heard off until that point), I was rather stunned of how far back this myth reaches. My gandmother was always a well of weird bits and snippets of folklore that, when researched, would go back centuries. Or, in this case, millenia. Always really fascinated me.

Cleopatra_ · 03-08-2018 10:13PM

Westernyelp wrote: »

Is it bad sex with the person you are clinking glasses with? Or in general.

As far as I know it's bad sex for you and the person you're clinking glasses with but not together.

Purple Mountain · 03-08-2018 10:23PM

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

As far as I know it's bad sex for you and the person you're clinking glasses with but not together.

Spanish people have that superstition too.

Subacio · 03-08-2018 10:39PM

Down our way the blackthorn tree is shrouded in mystery and superstition. To this day it's considered to be very bad luck if a blackthorn tree falls on your car.

Graces7 · 03-08-2018 11:24PM

Try_harder wrote: »

Superstition = Religion = Make believe

:rolleyes:

Graces7 · 03-08-2018 11:27PM

Shenshen wrote: »

I have a friend from Venezuela who refuses to take a pair of scissors if they're handed to her. You have to put them down somewhere for her to pick them up, she won't take them from your hand.
Apparently, it would cut the friendship in two if you hand someone scissors and they take them from your hands.

that one has practical origins.. passing scissors means someone has to hold the blades..

Graces7 · 03-08-2018 11:32PM

Lucy8080 wrote: »

When I was a kid we had this holy water holder in the hall. It was about an inch and a half (at most) deep. I think most homes had one. If a neighbour/relation came home from Lourdes or Knock or some such, they passed their collection of holy water around.

The little font on the wall ,just before you opened the door, would be filled with the water.

As a kid I dipped my finger in and blessed myself everyday, but it was dry for most of the year.

I guess I was blessing myself with dust most of the time.

Reminds me I have not seen mine since I moved...I have a bottle I filled at St Dearbhla's well last week, That one is not really a superstition. wonder where it is..

One_Of_Shanks · 04-08-2018 12:06AM

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

Another one they are mad about it when you say cheers and clink glasses you must look into the eyes of the other person or you'll have seven years of bad sex.

Sounds ok to me, since I got engaged to herself I've virtually gone seven years with no sex.

In my early 20's I contributed a good few quid to an anti-hunting charity.
So they posted me out a fox teddy bear. And on the fox's ear there was a badge saying "for fox sake stop hunting".
Got home a tad late for a Liverpool game that evening and my flatmate threw the parcel at me and said "we're losing and we're awful". I opened the parcel while watching the game and we equalised.
So I kissed the fox celebrating and placed him on top of the TV.

Then any time it was a big Liverpool game I'd kiss the fox before kickoff.
I nearly made love to him in 2005 after the champions league final. (fox,not the flatmate).

So the fox stayed on top of the TV til I moved house, about 5 years later. But a great era for Liverpool during his time.
Probably got kissed more times than the Blarney Stone.
If only Karius had a lucky fox....

Other than that, any money in my wallet has to be in order from highest denomination to lowest. And the toilet roll has to hang with the paper dropping down away from your hand. But that's more OCD and craziness than superstition I guess.

Lucy8080 · 04-08-2018 12:28AM

Graces7 wrote: »

Reminds me I have not seen mine since I moved...I have a bottle I filled at St Dearbhla's well last week, That one is not really a superstition. wonder where it is..

Yup, I think it was habit, but I wouldn't go out the front door as a kid without dipping my finger in ( wet or dry).

So ,maybe I had a little superstition about "not" doing it. Never did me any harm either way, and probably was a gentle reminder to try and be nice as I started out on another days adventure.

prinzeugen · 04-08-2018 12:40AM

Putting up a new calendar before 00:01 on the 1st January, walking under a ladder and an odd one from Edinburgh.

On the Royal Mile there is the Heart of Midlothian, in stone on the pavement. You are supposed to spit on it as you pass for luck.

I didn't one morning as there were tourists around and an hour later I was arrested for not having a valid train ticket. Myself and 3 others spent 3 hours in the cells for that. (Its a long story and we all got a few £££ for the over kill).

Still it happened because I did not spit on that stone.

Shenshen · 06-08-2018 12:01AM

Graces7 wrote: »

that one has practical origins.. passing scissors means someone has to hold the blades..

That would only make sense if she also held that belief about knifes. But knifes are fine to hand from person to person, even in Venezuela.

Sofiztikated · 06-08-2018 12:11AM

Subacio wrote: »

Down our way the blackthorn tree is shrouded in mystery and superstition. To this day it's considered to be very bad luck if a blackthorn tree falls on your car.

To be honest, it's bad luck if any tree falls on your car.

Cos your car is crushed.

Irish Guitarist · 06-08-2018 12:13AM

My mother won't iron clothes on a Sunday because it will burn the souls in Purgatory.

Stigura · 06-08-2018 12:26AM

Owls.

I'm from a certain background. One where, according to tradition, owls are, quite literally, the portents of death.

Well, there's a lot of Tradition. Like women not crossing running water, at that time of the month. Much of it's now forgotten about. Or relegated to folklore. We use electricity these days .... :rolleyes:

But, my cousins Dad was much more immersed in the old ways than I ever realised. And so he brought his son up that way.

And I, not giving a toss about the old superstitions, got myself a pet owl.

Cousin Ronnie turned up, one day. I asked him to come to the garage, to see my latest acquisition. As we reached the door, I mentioned it was an owl. Ronnie froze and went white.

I airily walked in, saying over my shoulder that he was a lovely bird and wouldn't hurt. Ronnie was peering round the door frame. Visibly shaking. I reached behind the wooden shade and produced my owl, on my fist. *Whoosh!!! He Gone!!!* :eek:

I never saw Ronnie for Years, after that!

pleas advice · 06-08-2018 12:28AM

i'm so un-superstitious, I step on every crack in the pavement, and walk under every ladder that I see

06-08-2018 12:32AM

Subacio wrote: »

Down our way the blackthorn tree is shrouded in mystery and superstition. To this day it's considered to be very bad luck if a blackthorn tree falls on your car.

My parents have a blackthorn tree growing in their back garden, i remember it getting really overgrown and i wanted to cut it down, but my mother told me not too as she said it was bad luck to do so.

Purple Mountain · 06-08-2018 12:38AM

One_Of_Shanks wrote: »

Sounds ok to me, since I got engaged to herself I've virtually gone seven years with no sex.

In my early 20's I contributed a good few quid to an anti-hunting charity.
So they posted me out a fox teddy bear. And on the fox's ear there was a badge saying "for fox sake stop hunting".
Got home a tad late for a Liverpool game that evening and my flatmate threw the parcel at me and said "we're losing and we're awful". I opened the parcel while watching the game and we equalised.
So I kissed the fox celebrating and placed him on top of the TV.

Then any time it was a big Liverpool game I'd kiss the fox before kickoff.
I nearly made love to him in 2005 after the champions league final. (fox,not the flatmate).

So the fox stayed on top of the TV til I moved house, about 5 years later. But a great era for Liverpool during his time.
Probably got kissed more times than the Blarney Stone.
If only Karius had a lucky fox....

Other than that, any money in my wallet has to be in order from highest denomination to lowest. And the toilet roll has to hang with the paper dropping down away from your hand. But that's more OCD and craziness than superstition I guess.

That story about the fox is just so cute.
I love foxes, there is something so regal about them.
Well done for supporting to save them!
Oh and sorry about the 7 year drought.

80s Child · 06-08-2018 12:44AM

My grandmother, God rest her, had a thing about the colour green; she felt it was massively unlucky. This was exemplified by a young neighbour of her's being killed outside their house, wearing a green jumper.

This superstition has now ran through the entire extended family: none of us wear green, have green cars etc and when I spoke to my father about buying a car not so long ago, I said there was an issue with the colour. He just stopped and said that I wasn't allowed buy it, assuming I meant it was green. I explained that the car was white and I wasn't sure whether I liked the colour. He exhaled with a sigh of relief!

I've mentioned this to a few people but it doesn't seem to have traction anywhere else.

Stigura · 06-08-2018 01:18AM

80s Child wrote: »

I've mentioned this to a few people but it doesn't seem to have traction anywhere else.

John Deere Tractions are green :pac:

80s Child · 08-08-2018 12:20AM

Stigura wrote: »

John Deere Tractions are green :pac:

Not a one in the family! If it ain't red.....

Padre101 · 08-08-2018 01:01PM

I used to know someone who, every time she opened a new packet of cigarettes, would take one out (second from the right, I think) and put it back in upside down. That one had to be smoked last and it would bring good luck. Every time she offered someone a cigarette she would say: "Don't take the lucky one!"

08-08-2018 06:20PM

I once saw an elderly woman pick up a piece of coal from the road, spit on it and put in in her handbag.

indioblack · 08-08-2018 11:27PM

I was on the train to Fishguard to catch the ferry, [this was decades ago]. Had a fascinating conversation with a professional gambler. At his stop he got up and shook my hand. Then wiped the palm of his hand across his trousers - presumably to erase any bad luck he'd acquired from the handshake.

Cleopatra_ · 08-08-2018 11:43PM

indioblack wrote: »

I was on the train to Fishguard to catch the ferry, [this was decades ago]. Had a fascinating conversation with a professional gambler. At his stop he got up and shook my hand. Then wiped the palm of his hand across his trousers - presumably to erase any bad luck he'd acquired from the handshake.

Maybe your hand was just sweaty?

indioblack · 08-08-2018 11:44PM

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

Maybe your hand was just sweaty?

Spoilsport.

Collie D · 08-08-2018 11:53PM

80s Child wrote: »

My grandmother, God rest her, had a thing about the colour green; she felt it was massively unlucky. This was exemplified by a young neighbour of her's being killed outside their house, wearing a green jumper.

This superstition has now ran through the entire extended family: none of us wear green, have green cars etc and when I spoke to my father about buying a car not so long ago, I said there was an issue with the colour. He just stopped and said that I wasn't allowed buy it, assuming I meant it was green. I explained that the car was white and I wasn't sure whether I liked the colour. He exhaled with a sigh of relief!

I've mentioned this to a few people but it doesn't seem to have traction anywhere else.

As a season ticket holder for the Irish football team I think your grandmother may have been on to something.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 09-08-2018 12:01AM

I came across a few strange ones from watching Deadliest Catch Alaska over the years.

Can't leave port on a Friday.

No suitcases allowed on a fishing boat.

No bananas allowed on board.

A lot of them can't swim, most notably the Hansen brothers, as bizarrely this was considered to be bad luck at one time.

The weirdest one was getting an Inuit woman to urinate on a stack of fishing pots. This will supposedly bring good luck.

endacl · 09-08-2018 12:02AM

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

I'm not a superstitious person

Me neither.

I'm substitious, in fact. I've an overdeveloped bull5hit sensor.

80s Child · 09-08-2018 05:01AM

Collie D wrote: »

As a season ticket holder for the Irish football team I think your grandmother may have been on to something.

Try being from Mayo!!

Do you have any superstitions/weird superstitions you've heard of

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