With Halloween approaching it's the time of year when superstitions often come to light. I was wondering who has any superstitions be it your own or ones that have been in your family for years?

I use to have some but not so much anymore. There was a time when I made sure not to cross infront of a black cat or walk under a ladder and was careful to never break a mirror. I also use to think the number 13 was unlucky and would avoid that number at all costs. Today I have a black cat, and view the number 13 as just a number. I still avoid walking under ladders and try not to break a mirror but that's just so I don't get hurt. =)

When I was growing up my Grandmother and mother use to tell us kids that there were ppl out there who had what they called the 'evil eye'. If a person with the evil eye fixed their glance on you they could make you feel ill or miserable, not quite like yourself. My Mom and other relatives still believe this today. I don't know if I call it the evil eye but I do beleive there are ppl who can and do project their negativity upon others. The one difference between now and then though is how I protect myself against it. Now I envision a white protective light surrounding me and my family. I will also picture mirrors surrounding me and ask that all negativity reflects off and only positive comes in. Growing up Mom and Grandma would tell us kids to turn our undies inside out anytime we were going to be in public place (malls, parks etc) as that would help ward off the evil eye. I still chuckle over that. Their intent was right in wanting to protect oneself but the method is questionable.

I also still don't like it when a bird hits my window. If a bird hits and survives (flies away) no problems, good omen. If the bird dies and you see it happen that's a bad omen. I have had times where in fact after a bird has hit the window and died something unpleasant or sad followed. A cpl of days ago a woodpecker hit our window. I heard it but didn't see it. A day later we saw the bird sitting on the ground outside the window (have a pic of it looking at my cat in the window and my cat it) but it wasn't moving much. Hub went out and picked it up and brought it inside. It's wing was broken. We tried to give it water but it won't drink, it was understandbly frightened. Hub took it to the vet (I cldn't just watch it die or put outside for something to attack it) and just as he was walking in it took it's last breath. =( I'm hoping because it didn't die here that it's not a bad omen has others have been.

There is an old monestary and church in the country here that attracts many ppl this time of year for the lore that surrounds it. It's said if you run around the church backwards 3x you risk something very bad happening to you soon, even death. Never bought into that one but we did go there once years ago and spooked ourselves but good. There is a maze of tunnels under the monestary that you can easily get lost in (dim to no lighting). Use to be open to the public but sadly vandals made it necessary to keep it locked at all times now.

My BIL and his family believe that if it rains on the day you are to married that's a very bad sign (trouble in the marriage). If two people say the same thing at the exact same time they throw salt over their shoulder otherwise one will have misfortune. They have a few other curious ones but can't quite remember how they go, I'll have to check with my sis. =)

Cool topic. I have one major superstition, I try to never say 'g**d luck'. My sister used to be a dancer and you know that such a thing is never said before a performance. I've never been able to break the habit, I will rarely say it.

One of the fun superstitions that I've always liked is the lucky penny, but only if it's heads up. I can't remember how the heads up thing started, but that's supposed to be what makes a lucky penny lucky.

The only other superstition I can think of that I have is to never say 'wow the weather is really nice, having a easy day at work, my hair looks great', or something of that nature because such a statement will invariably cause some sort of calamity that's in direct contradiction with whatever statement you made.

Ah so you have a jinx-a-roo thing that comes with saying good luck, how about saying break a leg is that taboo before a performance as well?

I think most kids grow up with this one:

"Step on a crack and you break your Mother's back" not that everyone followed it, but I sure did. Heck still do - well ya never know.

we also had:

"Find a penny and pick it up and all day you'll have good luck. Find a penny and leave it lay and your good fortune will surely go astray." I always pick up stray pennies. If only all the pennies found over the yrs could have been 100 dollar bills, I'd be loaded. =)

[ September 26, 2005, 10:12 PM: Message edited by: Cat ]

Yes, 'break a leg' is permissible except where there is actually a danger of breaking a leg. I also wouldn't dare mention the title of a certain Shakespeare play- that is refered to only as 'that Scottish play'-in or around a theatre or the performers.

I must say, I've never heard of warding off the evil eye with your underwear! What if you weren't wearing any? Did your Mom and Grandma actually do this? It make's me giggle just to think about it.

[ September 26, 2005, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: Renee ]

Hi all!
My Mother was very superstitous........probably didn't spell that right!
One she was very big on (and I am stretching it by typing it and not actually saying those words) was NEVER EVER say "What is going to happen next!"
She always said that by saying that you would surely get more of what your asking for!
Other than that, she was extremely sure that a little Strawberry Shortcake doll she found brought her luck at bingo! LOL
Raised in a house of superstitions here.
Ummmm........I may have gotten worse than Mom, jury is still out on that =)
Pig

Kevin my sis and BIL have been happily married for nearly 20 yrs and yep like all marriages there have been ups and downs. I still remember his family being all concerned that it was raining on their wedding day but alas the superstition they had about it the rain did indeed prove to be the opposite, well so far.

Yep Renee Mom and Grandma did in fact do this and made us kids do so as well. What happens if your not wearing any good question. I'm guessing that was never an option where they were concerned though. This belief still resides in the family today although method of removing the negative affect is different and many of us no longer consider flipping the undies as your best defense.

Peg sounds like you too have had various superstitions in your family. Never say what is going to happen next reminds me of being told never to say certain things or they will come true. I always like the good luck charm ones. It's interesting how many ppl use an item as their charm and how often it seems to work. Perhaps it's the positive thought and solid belief one has that the item will bring them luck helps attract the positive to the item? =)

[ September 27, 2005, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: Cat ]

Hi everyone,
Little story to go with the "Don't ask" super. I was a young woman, just bought our first home. It got robbed and I said the whats next thing and it got robbed again in 3 months? I didn't say it again!
Did you know that if you walk around a chair counter clockwise it will improve your luck?
LOL I could go on and on.......my Dad was Cherokee Indian and Mom was from what she called "The Old Country"......Germany.
Mom even got mad when my sister and I played a form of Hopskotch....."step on a crack, break your mother's back." Yep, the salt flew in our house! LOL
Take care,
Peg

I can understand why you decided not to say what's next any longer after being robbed twice. Sometimes theives do return though in hopes you have replaced the items they took the first time. It's happened to ppl I know. Not saying there isn't something to your superstition Peg just considering another reason why it may have happened. =)

Although I'm not as superstitious as I once was I can use a little luck right now so I'm going to try walking around a chair counter clockwise. Even if it's just putting oneself into a positive mind set that aids in the luck it's still worth a go.

Thanks for sharing these Peg, if you have any more please do tell. So many superstitions out there, it's neat to see how many are shared or considered common and it's always interesting to me to hear ones that are unique to a person or family. Does anyone have ones related to Halloween? =)

Nope, no superstitions. (knock on wood). =)

I used to believe in some superstitutions as a child but as I looked for the patterns superstitutions never panned out and I became a believer in cause and effect.

I'm cracking up over the underwear thing. That is pretty unique!

My grandmother was Irish and she and my mother had a few superstitions that I've got to admit, I find hard to break. Nanny did the salt thing. I was also told that in her family, when a death occured at home, all mirrors in the house were covered and clocks stopped. They also claimed to have a family banshee and I swear I once had a horrible dream about a banshee type figure and the next day we heard that one of Mom's cousins had passed away. Not sure if I believe the banshee thing, but it was an interesting coincidence.

It was also a big no-no to tell about a bad dream before breakfast. I remember once as a teenager, going downstairs and remarking to my mother that I had just had an awful dream. She pushed some cereal in front of me and told me not to tell her another word until I ate. At the time, I thought she had gone insane. She explained that if a bad dream was told before breakfast, it would come true, or some misfortune would fall on the household. In later years, I discovered this was from Appalachian folklore.

It was also a taboo to start a project on Friday, with the belief that if you did, you would not live to see it completed.

The "evil eye" thing is interesting. I've always heard about it also. When I was about fourteen, I had been with my biological mother in a trip to downtown Houston. She had taken me to work with her and to show me the tunnels and shops downtown. We were outside one of the buildings and I was lagging a few feet behind her when a very mysterious looking older lady walked up to me, gasped, grabbed my arm and started making some odd gestures around her eyes. She never spoke a word and I froze, slack-jawed, on the spot. It all happened within a matter of seconds. My bio mother saw what was happening, grabbed me and pulled me away from the woman. I never figured out what the lady was doing, or what had upset her, or if the gestures were meant to protect her or me. She was more than likely just a random nut, but the experience has always puzzled me a little.

Hello,
This is a fun topic, I don't really have to many but one thing. If I or my husband call in I never say because someone is sick unless they really are. I would never use and excuse of someone died or someone is sick unless that is the case. I always thought that if you do that then that will happen. I also try hard not to think of something bad happening because if I do it tends to happen. I freak myself out with that one. Sometimes I have stupid thoughts and I try to retract my thought to myself because I'm afraid it will happen. I'm silly sometimes.LOL

Nakis I know you no longer have any superstitions but I'm curious what types you did have as a child? Not trying to be nosey here just interested in the different types of superstitions that others believed at one time along with those they currently still have. =)

Carrie those are interesting, I've heard of some that you told but not the no telling about a bad dream before breakfast. Remember the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (great flick) the clock was stopped and the mirror (maybe it was the clock) was covered when Ruth died in her bed. That was strange what the woman did to you, I wonder what that was all about? I had an interesting thing happend when I was a kid after my Mom and Grandmother believed I was given the evil eye which resulted in horrible nightly nightmares about spiders. After months of this and no help from doctors they took me to this old farm where an old woman (as a child she looked like a witch to me) performed a wax pouring that involved knives, a window and crosses etc. I can still remember it like it was yesterday, I was so scared (I think I was about 8 or 9 at the time). Well whatever it was that she did worked as the nightmares ceased and to do this day I have not had a nightmare involving spiders. =)

Shana I know exactly what you are talking about, I still find myself saying "don't say that" etc all the time. When I was 16 I had a job at a burger place. My Grandma was visiting for a few days and I so wanted to be apart of an outing everyone was going to but I had to work. Well the day before I faked being sick while at work, I was holding my side in pain and told the boss I think I may be haing an appendix attack, so he sent me home . Well believe it or not shortly after (while Grandma was till here) I did have an appendix attack and was rushed to the hospital, they performed emergency surgery that night. Soooo since then I'll never say things like that. lol I know some will say coincidence but I don't believe in coincidences so I'm thinking it was likely a case of my knowing what was going to happen (without realizing it). It was around that age when unusual things started happening in my life so it makes sense to me now that perhaps I somehow knew. =)

Since the woodpecker hit the window (the one that died later) we have had many birds hitting our windows, almost daily (which is unusual). Thankfully so far none have met the same fate as the woodpecker otherwise I'd be starting to wonder if there is indeed some sort of warning in it. Lol

Cat, I also do not believe in coincidences, I believe every thing happens for a reason. I think the things I know in advance is because a higher being thinks I need to be prepared. But that's just my belief.

I also have birds hit my windows quite often. none that I know of have died because of it. but then again I have a whole side of my house that's a window so I'm sure it bound to happen once in a while.

The appendix story reminded me of something. In the company that my husband works for, one of the guys who works for him is the owner's twenty-something son. Something happened one day and James responded in a playful manner, "A pox on you". That night, the poor kid came down with chicken pox. He was a little spooked by what James had said and to this day half believes James put a curse on him.

*hauling this thread out of the dusty vault*

*choke*

*hack*

*sputter*

*sniffle*

*sneeze*

*waiting to hear someone say "Bless you". *laughing softly*

Isn't that a good lead-in to this post?

I am generally not a superstitious person although there are two words that I seldom use. One of those is "never". Saying that something will "never" happen is too much like tempting fate (along the lines of: The Titanic is unsinkable. Look what happened there. The other word I rarely use is "good-bye"... I will say just about any variation but not that combo. To me, those two words used together are permanent...

And now, grab your favourite munchies 'cause here's a bit of the stories behind two very popular superstitions. Interestingly enough, both of them stem from religious beliefs. I find that ironic in some ways.

First; saying "God less you" when someone sneezes. This started way back in the days of the sixth century. At that time, people congratulated people when they sneezed because they were thought to be expelling evil from their bodies. Many years later, when a plague was throughout Europe, the Pope passed a law requiring people to bless a sneezer because violent sneezing meant that the person was going to die of the plague.

Second; it's bad luck to walk under a ladder. It wasn't until I recently attended the taping of a tv show that I learned that this one was rooted in religion (funny what you learn when you don't intend to. ) . After doing a bit of digging, I've found out that it stems from the early Christian belief that a ladder leaning ladder forms a triangle with the ground and wall. Apparently, walking through a triangle violates the holy trinity and could mean that you are considered to be in league with the devil.... and they sure weren't kind to people who might be on his side.

Okay, that's my bit for this thread... for now... =)

*Says Bless You*

Anyway, I am not really supersticious...I am not saying I don't believe things happen but I just not into all that...Like they say not to let a black cat cross your path...I guess I messed up then...because I have a black cat...I am not trying to sound mean or anything...but I don't believe in some of the things...some might be real and others might just be "urban legends!"