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

Cleopatra_ · 28-07-2018 11:33PM #1

I'm not a superstitious person and it surprised me when I met my OH's friends and family (who are German) to realise that Germans seem to be superstitious people. I guess I thought they'd be too rational for all of that. For instance, opening birthday presents before your birthday or celebrating before the day is considered bad luck.

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. Funny when my missus is staring someone down and they don't know why

So, people of AH, do you have any superstitions or have you heard of any weird ones?

dxhound2005 · 28-07-2018 11:36PM

Cleopatra_ wrote: »

I'm not a superstitious person and it surprised me when I met my OH's friends and family (who are German) to realise that Germans seem to be superstitious people. I guess I thought they'd be too rational for all of that. For instance, opening birthday presents before your birthday or celebrating before the day is considered bad luck.

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. Funny when my missus is staring someone down and they don't know why

So, people of AH, do you have any superstitions or have you heard of any weird ones?

It's very bad luck to post on Boards between midnight and 1 am.

HeidiHeidi · 28-07-2018 11:37PM

Leaving shoes on a table. I'm not even sure why it's meant to be bad luck, but I won't do it.

Just in case, like.

Cleopatra_ · 28-07-2018 11:37PM

dxhound2005 wrote: »

It's very bad luck to post on Boards on between midnight and 1 am.

Well that's the both of us fecked then isn't it?

verycool · 28-07-2018 11:38PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Leaving shoes on a table. I'm not even sure why it's meant to be bad luck, but I won't do it.

Just in case, like.

That's not a superstition, that's just unhygienic!

Magpies for me. It's completely stupid, but will still "touch wood" (or the other thing to do is to touch your forehead) when seeing one.

Lemsiper · 28-07-2018 11:38PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Leaving shoes on a table. I'm not even sure why it's meant to be bad luck, but I won't do it.

Just in case, like.

Think it's just new shoes though, old guys are ok.

HeidiHeidi · 28-07-2018 11:40PM

Lemsiper wrote: »

Think it's just new shoes though, old guys are ok.

Really? Never heard that version!

Poor Uncle Tom · 29-07-2018 12:09AM

I was woken from my sleep by a spider running across the tattoo on my left arm last Wednesday morning, at 4.24am, freaked the life out of me. I haven't slept right since.

Part of the tattoo is a spiders web (I don't mind spiders), Myself and my best friend always liked to believe that everyone in this world is joined by an invisible web that can only be seen when you are at your lowest ebb, like the early morning due exposes all the spiders webs on the hedges, which are otherwise unseen but they are still there.....

My friend died 24 years ago, it was slow and agonising, I was with him to the end. I got my tattoo where he last had hold of me arm. He died on the morning of the 25th July at 4.24am......

Doctors room ghost · 29-07-2018 12:16AM

Lemsiper wrote: »

Think it's just new shoes though, old guys are ok.

It was a thing in Ireland one time that when a person died a new suit and shoes would be laid out on a table prior to getting the person ready for burial so the superstition is that if you put new shoes on a table it compares to death.

Straylight · 29-07-2018 12:18AM

verycool wrote: »

That's not a superstition, that's just unhygienic!

Magpies for me. It's completely stupid, but will still "touch wood" (or the other thing to do is to touch your forehead) when seeing one.

I have a friend who, whenever she sees a magpie, has to say "Hello Mr. Magpie" to it. This is a grown woman and when I asked her why she does it she wasn't able to offer a rational explanation other than it's something you just have to do. Feckin' mental behaviour if you ask me, although I think pretty much the same about all superstitions. This is one of the most ridiculous though imo.

_Whimsical_ · 29-07-2018 12:28AM

Straylight wrote: »

I have a friend who, whenever she sees a magpie, has to say "Hello Mr. Magpie" to it. This is a grown woman and when I asked her why she does it she wasn't able to offer a rational explanation other than it's something you just have to do. Feckin' mental behaviour if you ask me, although I think pretty much the same about all superstitions. This is one of the most ridiculous though imo.

There's a much simpler solution to the age old problem of seeing only one magpie.
You look away for 5 seconds, then look back at it.
Who without access to CCTV can prove it's definitely the same magpie you're seeing?
There's doubt so you can legitamately count it as a second.

You've just seen two magpies!
You've thwarted the fates, they're no match for your smarts.

Go forth about your day awaiting your due of joy from cosmic HQ!

Capt'n Midnight · 29-07-2018 12:34AM

A shark will only attack you if you're wet.

The traditional arab cure for seasickness is to sit under a three.

Yester · 29-07-2018 12:38AM

Straylight wrote: »

I have a friend who, whenever she sees a magpie, has to say "Hello Mr. Magpie" to it. This is a grown woman and when I asked her why she does it she wasn't able to offer a rational explanation other than it's something you just have to do. Feckin' mental behaviour if you ask me, although I think pretty much the same about all superstitions. This is one of the most ridiculous though imo.

I've a friend who says it as "Hello Mr. Magpie, where's your wife?"

Chaos Tourist · 29-07-2018 12:39AM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Leaving shoes on a table. I'm not even sure why it's meant to be bad luck, but I won't do it.

Just in case, like.

Symbolized being hung at the gallows.

Lucy8080 · 29-07-2018 12:51AM

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.

Hector Bellend · 29-07-2018 01:37AM

Superstition is more a sign of feeble mindedness than religion

Graces7 · 29-07-2018 05:40AM

Nope... but I would NEVER sleep 13 to a bed on a Friday, ESPECIALLY a Friday 13th...

Graces7 · 29-07-2018 05:41AM

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Superstition is more a sign of feeble mindedness than religion

Not; just cultural conditioning..

dxhound2005 · 29-07-2018 10:16AM

Graces7 wrote: »

Nope... but I would NEVER sleep 13 to a bed on a Friday, ESPECIALLY a Friday 13th...

That sounds as if you are slightly open to the idea, except on Friday the 13th.

alan1963 · 29-07-2018 10:33AM

f you spill some salt, you have to throw a pinch of it over your left shoulder, this is because the Devil is stood there and the salt goes in his eyes,my old Ma always did this.

Capt'n Midnight · 03-08-2018 07:38PM

It's unlucky to be superstitious.

03-08-2018 08:04PM

I have loads of superstitions, I’d be writing all day if I was to even attempt to lost them. As an example I never wear my teams colours to a game or when watching a game as they always lose if I do.

Another is if watching a game on tv and winning at half time I’m not allowed to pee until the game is over. I’ve extended this to trying to stop people watching the game with me to go for a pee.

Westernyelp · 03-08-2018 08:12PM

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

Try_harder · 03-08-2018 08:14PM

Superstition = Religion = Make believe

03-08-2018 08:18PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Leaving shoes on a table. I'm not even sure why it's meant to be bad luck, but I won't do it.

Just in case, like.

A hat on a bed is supposedly bad luck too. If I wanted to aggravate my Gran as a teenager, putting a hat on her bed was my signature move.

I have an aunt who salutes magpies and says "Hello, Mr. Magpie! How's your wife?". She's an all round nutter though, its not confined to that.

gifted · 03-08-2018 08:19PM

Left sock goes on first
..then left shoe....

Shenshen · 03-08-2018 08:32PM

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.

03-08-2018 08:34PM

Shenshen wrote: »

I have a friend from Venezuela who refuses taking 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.

They're all crackers in Caracas.

I've heard that one before, but I thought it was more of a safety thing.

freshpopcorn · 03-08-2018 08:34PM

I like having the TV volume on a even number.

03-08-2018 08:35PM

All right thinking people like even numbers. Nothing crazy about that.

Nope.

Water John · 03-08-2018 08:40PM

You salute the magpie, to show respect to its intelligence.

corner of hells · 03-08-2018 08:40PM

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 08:46PM

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 09:13PM

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 09:23PM

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 09:39PM

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 10:24PM

Try_harder wrote: »

Superstition = Religion = Make believe

:rolleyes:

Graces7 · 03-08-2018 10:27PM

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 10:32PM

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 · 03-08-2018 11:06PM

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 · 03-08-2018 11:28PM

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 · 03-08-2018 11:40PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:01PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:11PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:13PM

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

Stigura · 05-08-2018 11:26PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:28PM

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

05-08-2018 11:32PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:38PM

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 · 05-08-2018 11:44PM

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 12:18AM

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:

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

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