European

Post your object superstitions from European cultures here and I will turn them into posts.

11 comments:

  1. Here is a common superstition in the English Speaking world, especially in Scotland.

    In Scottish superstition, it is terrible to open an umbrella inside someone’s home because this will bring bad luck to the family who lives there. This may have come from when umbrellas were used as protection from the sun. Opening an umbrella inside may have been seen as insulting to the sun, which was considered to be like a god long ago by the Druids in Scotland thousands of years ago. This also may have come from Roman superstition, from when the Roman empire invaded England, since the Romans also held this superstition about umbrellas. Although the Romans only conquered as far north as Hadrian ’s Wall, their culture could have travelled much further north, and therefore impacted various regions in Scotland. This superstition is very much alive today, probably because we’re constantly using umbrellas! It is a common superstition still in the English speaking world.

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  3. Don't put new shoes on a table (even if they are in a box or a bag!)It is supposed to signify a death. Not sure of the origin but here are some theories....
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoes_on_a_table

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  4. If you get an itchy nose it means your going to have an argument with some one so you shake hands with the person you least want to fall out with!

    Left ear burns it means some one who loves you is talking about you, right for spite and it's the other way round at night!

    Itchy feet means your going to be treading on foreign ground!
    Itchy palms means , left to receive money right to pay out!

    Unlucky to walk under a ladder


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  5. itchy nose for me means a suprise :)
    left ear burns for love , right for spite
    see a penny pick it up and all day long you will have good luck ...

    when making a wedding dress the seamstress has to spill a drop of blood on it then using white cotton thread to clean it after it has been chewed a bit ....it is supposed to be very lucky for the bride to do this , we used to sew a wee blue ribbon on a seam inside the dress too ..

    never give a purse with out a penny in it
    always salute a magpie
    robins are supposed to be people who have died coming to visit you if they come to your garden.
    a black cat crossing your path is supposed to be lucky too.

    if I think of any more will bob them on here :) love mouse xxxxxx

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  6. In my family and many Jewish families, especially from Eastern Europe, wearing a red string around your wrist bring good luck and keeps away the evil eye. It's a Yiddish tradition.

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  7. An Italian superstition is if you drop a knife on the floor, it means that a man will come to visit, and if you drop a spoon on the floor, a woman will come to visit.

    I'll post again if I think of any others!

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  8. Some Slovene superstitions are:

    1. an owl around the house will bring death
    2. a stork nesting on the chimney means a baby will be born in the house soon
    3. when you have hiccups, someone is gossiping about you
    4. an itchy nose means you are angry
    5. if the first new year's wish is from a person of the opposite gender it will be a good year; if it is someone of the same gender, it will be a bad year
    6. if your shoes squeak, it means you did not pay for them
    7. broken dishes bring luck
    8. walking under a ladder brings bad luck; walking around a ladder brings good luck
    9. going outside with wet hair will make you sick

    These are all I can think of right now; I will post more if I think of them.

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  9. just read your mom's blog... =)
    and the first superstition coming to my mind is that we never put the bread on the table on its back...
    it come from Middle Ages. when there was a public execution it was often during the market so that maximum of persons could attend. as the executioner was busy he wasn't able to go and buy his bread. to be sure he won't sell it , the baker used to keep it for the executioner (as everybody was afraid of him...) in puting it on its back. this way nobody would buy it...
    then puting the bread its back is sign of misfortune , in the Middle Ages it was as an invite for the executioner...later it was as if inviting the Devil in person
    never go at my grandma's home and put the bread on its back =)
    she would immediately sign it with her knife with a Christ cross symbol
    xxx

    will try to come back with others soon...

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  10. Did you know that 3 people shouldn't make a bed?
    Means death to the person in the middle (by age)

    I wonder if that's only in Portugal! :)

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  11. Some common Serbian superstitions:
    - Hiccups are caused by people talking about you.
    - If you put on a t-shirt inside-out unwittingly, it means that someone is missing you.
    - Leaving a bag or purse on the floor will cause you to lose money.
    - Sitting at a corner-seat at of a table means you’ll remain single forever.
    - Having your right palm itch means you will spend money soon, while having your left palm itch means you’ll be getting money soon
    - Always look into someone’s eyes when clinking glasses, failure will result in 7 disastrous years in the bedroom.
    - Always take a sip from the glass after toasting before putting the glass back on the table.

    Good luck with your project!

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Thank you for commenting-- I can't wait to hear your superstitions about various objects from cultures all over the world!