Strange Superstitions and The Superstitious Among Us

[JimWagner]

Not particularly superstitious myself but once had a co-worker who was and also scared of snakes. Since he was a practical joker I got even one day by placing a rubber snake in his desk, hanging around the door to his office until he saw it and then opening an umbrella and setting it on the floor blocking the doorway trapping him in his office.

Merriment ensued, as they say. :icon_smil

 

[Yeps]

DO NOT SPEAK THE NAME OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY.

Actually this only applies inside a theatre,

yeah, but all the world's a stage, so I am not taking any risks.

 

[Zombie_61]

Y'know, there's a word for people who believe in all this nonsense...














Superstitious. Why, which word were you thinking of?

 

[DameWhoDrinks]

On a day to day basis, i'm not too superstitious.. I toss the spilled salt, dont look in cracked mirrors.
But when I'm going in to an audition, I always wear a red leather pouch with an earring thats brought me good luck, my grandfathers old ring, and a cross. It's tucked into the decolletage'..it may or may not work, but it makes me feel better!

 

[kiwilrdg]

DO NOT SPEAK THE NAME OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY.

Actually this only applies inside a theatre,
yeah, but all the world's a stage, so I am not taking any risks.

But the world is a stage...



I do always give a penny to anyone who gives me a knife as a gift (except from an immediate family member) because if a knife is a gift you are obligated to use it to defend the person who gave it to you. By giving them money for it you have bought it. Really more of an antiquated tradition than a superstition. I do not think it would incur any harm if not followed.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I don't like 13 too well. I DO like plastic snakes, I had a $3.50 one from Six Flags back in the 1970's that I got $30 of fun with. I can't be truly lucky because I really don't like black-eyed peas. To me they taste like dirt.

Later

 

[nice hat dude!]

Not superstitious at all I think it's kind of comical really, I've read every post on this thread and it's come to my attention that most of one's superstitions come from old wive's tales Grand parents things you've heard when you were younger ect,if you were to believe in that sort of thing we wouldn't be eating tomatoes cause once they were thought to be poisonous and certain things of this nature.But I won't hold it against anyone for having such beliefs,to each their own.I'll just include on that nobody has mentioned,the one about hanging a horseshoe upside down so the luck won't runout.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Some are good though. Walking under a ladder IS bad luck if the dude on the ladder drops his screwdriver through your head.

Later

 

[BigFitz]

I grew up in a small town. When I was a young teenager, my best friend lived across the river from me and the quickest way to his house was through a cemetary that was bisected by the river but connected by an old steel truss foot bridge. I always avoided stepping or riding over any graves to avoid being haunted by a ghost because I disrespected their final resting place.[huh]

 

[argyle]

Apart from stickler for routine, the only superstitions I have regard gold detecting for gold nuggets.
I never buy second hand metal detectors, I think they're bad luck and have never hit a nugget with one. I only buy and use new detectors.
And I never let another person touch my detectors.
However I'm a very good sharer with everything else.


photo uploader

 

[argyle]

A VLF gold Detector from the early 90's...


pic hosting

 

[argyle]

One of my newest detectors...


image

 

[Aerojoe]

Not superstitious at all I think it's kind of comical really

I agree Sometimes I think that adding superstitions to one's behavior has something to do with autism

Besides, there is a big misconception of what "luck" really is.

Walking under a ladder IS bad luck if the dude on the ladder drops his screwdriver through your head.

I totally agree. There is no way I go under a stair whenever somebody is on top working with tools. Otherwise, I couldn't care less about it.

Same with train tracks. Some people have have the very bad habit of walking on train tracks. The only place in world where a train can pass. Then, when somebody is run over by a train, it happens to be bad luck? [huh]

 

[kiwilrdg]

The idea of not buying a used metal detector is the opposite of my way of doing things. I always assume that if someone has not found the gold with a tool then I will use it to find the gold that they missed. I am the same way when it comes to hunting sites. My best finds have always been in mine tailings.

 

[John in Covina]

For me, I have a few different things that I will do that are superstitious, but the thing is i am always looking for patterns, synchronicity as indications of the future. However this says that the future can send messages back to the past, which seems not possible.

 

[argyle]

The idea of not buying a used metal detector is the opposite of my way of doing things. I always assume that if someone has not found the gold with a tool then I will use it to find the gold that they missed. I am the same way when it comes to hunting sites. My best finds have always been in mine tailings.

Hi Kiwi.

What make of detector do you use?
One of my all time favorites is a Whites GM3 and I still use it soft clay mullock heaps and reef working heaps (tailings) but have to use Minelab VLF's and PI's for the rest as It's mostly very hot ground.

 

[Burton]

Last year I had a VERY bad experience after I placed my hat on the bed (had been told by my mother years ago NOT to do that). I know its a stupid superstition but will endeavor not to do that again!

 

[Flicka]

Most of my superstitions are probably very Swedish in origin and include:

Never sing before you break your fast in the morning, or you'll cry before nightfall (it's silly, but I wouldn't).

Never bring heather into the house, or a death will occur.

Never say "thank you" if someone wishes you good luck, because it will cancel the good luck.

If you get a slice of cake and it topples over on the side, you won't get married. It's so common that people usually comment whenever there's cake "look, I got married" or "darn it, I didn't get married!"

On Midsummer's Eve you need to pick 7 (9 in some places) kinds of flowers and put them under your pillow, and you'll dream of your future husband (but only if the flowers are picked at night in complete silence).

On Christmas, you're supposed to put out some rice porridge for the little people or they will be upset and everything will go wrong in the new year. We did that when I was little but then we stopped. Might be why things have gone the way the have!

Throw money across the threshold before entering a new home, because it will ensure prosperity.

Never put you keys on the table. If you do, you must knock three times before picking them up (I always do this). I actually heard an expert in anthropology explain this - apparently in the 19th century women signalled that they were prostitutes by placing a key on the table and a man who wanted her services picked it up. As you couldn't tell innocent girls the truth, you warned them against it being bad luck in order to keep them from unpleasant surprises later in life.

I also refuse to look into mirrors in dark rooms because everybody knows you can see spirits in them and I'd rather not. And don't even get me started on what happens if you place a candle in front of a mirror in a dark room...

ETA: and at some point at Christmas you eat Christmas (rice) porridge, and you hide an almond in it and whoever gets it will either get good luck or get married in the new year (but since I'm allergic to almonds, it wouldn't be GOOD luck for me). It's not like we believe it, but it's an old tradition.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

For many years I used to dread the months of May and June because, for some strange reason, whenever there was a death in the family or some sort of family emergency or crisis it generally occurred in those two months. For example, my Dad's first heart attack (a massive one) happened around that time of the year, as well as the deaths of grandparents: Granddad died in June 1976 and Grandma in May 1999.

Though, as it turned out, my Mom passed away on St. Patrick's Day 2010 and my Dad in January 2011.

 

[Aerojoe]

For many years I used to dread the months of May and June because, for some strange reason, whenever there was a death in the family or some sort of family emergency or crisis it generally occurred in those two months. For example, my Dad's first heart attack (a massive one) happened around that time of the year, as well as the deaths of grandparents: Granddad died in June 1976 and Grandma in May 1999.

This is the kind of thing that probably has a perfectly rational explanation. For instance, let's say that in Orange County the weather changes abruptly between May and June. Elderly people are more likely to suffer a heatstroke. Therefore, ditch the superstition thing and keep them well hydrated. You know, some elder people totally lost their thirst sense.

Flicka, regards to that psychoanalyst of yours