Reader Submitted

If you see three black crows together that means someone in your family will die. I saw three when my sister died a while back. My best friend’s father died around the same time.I’ve been seeing single black crows for some time now. I was told when this happens, I will hear of a death of someone I know. I remember this well, I was out on break at my job and a crow landed in front of my car and hawked at me. The same day, the vice president of my company died.

Submitted by,

Scott from New Bedford, MA

Some believe that you should only walk clockwise, never walk counter-clockwise while playing piobaireachd.

Many people believe that you should never play Lord Lovat’s Lament at a wedding. This one has some historical basis to it. Simon Fraser kidnapped, raped and forced into marriage the Widow of the 10th Lord Lovat. During the attack, he had his piper play so that the music would cover up the screams and protests.

The tune “Flowers of the Forest” holds many superstitions. This tune was written by Jean Elliot of Teviotdale as a lament for the defeat at Flodden Field in 1513. Thousands of Scots were killed including several nobles, and King James IV. This tune is often performed at funerals and memorials. Some pipers believe that it is bad luck to play the tune unless someone has died. To do so would bring an impending death to someone close to the piper. Others say that the tune is not to be played in public unless it is at a funeral. Some believe that the tune should not be played indoors for any occasion. Another superstition says that when practicing “Flowers of the Forest”, you must only play on the chanter, not the bagpipes.

Reference: Rauncie_Kinnaird

New Jersey children believe that if you wear your pajamas to bed inside out and backwards it’s sure to snow during the night.

In Korea, if you see crows or ravens when you are leaving your house in order to go to school or to your company early in the morning, it means that you will be in trouble and have bad luck all day–just for a day.

Also, if you see magpies or listen to their calls when you go somewhere, especially early in the morning, you will have good luck for a day. Magpies mean really good luck in Korea.

Reference: http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/superstitions/korea.htm

• Malaysia: When in labor, neither mother or father should sit at the top of the stairs, as blocking any passage prolongs delivery.
• If you are pregnant, wear perfume if you go out at night because it keeps bad spirits away. (Gannett)
• If you’re pregnant, you don’t want to be caught following a hearse.
• Aztec: A pregnant woman who saw an eclipse would have a baby with a harelip.

China:

• An expecting mom that rubs her stomach too much may produce a spoiled child.
• A baby born with thick ears or an “inny” (concave navel) is a sign of future happiness and success.
• The first object a baby grabs signifies the child’s destiny.
• Rub a cooked chicken’s tongue on your baby’s lips to make your child a good talker.
• In China, it is said that a mother can affect the baby’s gender by eating the following 7 days before conception.

To have a boy eat the following: carrots lettuce mushroom tofu

To have a girl eat the following: fish meat pickles

To predict the sex of a baby:

• Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.
• America: If a mother’s feet are colder when she’s pregnant, it’s a boy; if her feet are warmer, it’s a girl.

………………………………………
Pregnancy Myths:

Myth #1: Scratching Will Give You Stretchmarks

Stretchmarks are hereditary and nothing that you do or do not do can prevent you from getting them. Drinking plenty of fluids and eating foods that are high in good fats and Omega 3s can help as can rubbing natural plant-derived oils and lotions into your belly. If itching is unbearable, you should tell your doctor as it may be a sign of health problems.

Lotions that contain only natural ingredients can help diminish the appearance of stretchmarks and may also help relieve itching, but scratching cannot contribute to stretchmarks, so feel free to scratch away.

Myth #2: Telling You the Baby’s Gender

It is impossible to tell your baby’s gender from the way you are carrying, how often the baby kicks, how nauseous you are, what you are craving, your skin condition, or from the baby’s heart rate. While trying out the old Wive’s Tales may be fun, it’s not advised to paint the nursery based on any of the results.

Myth #3: Wearing a Necklace Will Choke the Baby

The vast majority of pregnant women wear a necklace during pregnancy and it has nothing to do with whether the baby will be born with or without a cord wrapped around its neck.

Myth #4: The Baby Will Die If It Is Born With a Cord Around Its Neck

It is an extremely common myth that a baby is in danger if it is born with the cord wrapped around its neck. Many babies, at least one in four, are born with the cord wrapped around their necks. It is simply unavoidable, inevitable, and is quite common. Occasionally, and it is rare, a baby may have the cord wrapped multiple times around the baby’s neck. While cord accidents do happen, they are very rare occurrence.

Myth #5: If You Have Heartburn Your Baby Will Have a Lot of Hair

Heartburn is caused by the baby pressing against the stomach and pushing stomach acids into the esophagus. It has nothing to do with how much hair the baby has.

Myth #6: Drano Mixed With Urine Will Determine the Sex of Your Baby

Drano mixed with urine will not tell you the sex of your baby. It is also extremely dangerous and should never, EVER, be tried by anyone, especially pregnant women. Mixing Drano with anything can result in severe burns or explosions.

Myth #7: Pregnant Women Should Not Take Baths

It is perfectly safe for a pregnant woman to take a bath so long as the water is not too hot. A pregnant woman’s body temperature should not be raised over 101 degrees Fahrenheit for prolonged periods of time. Bathing will also not cause a woman to get a vaginal infection. If, however, your water has broken, you should not sit in standing water without consulting your healthcare practitioner.

Myth #8: You Are Eating For Two

Pregnant women do not need to “eat for two.” When pregnant, a woman only needs to eat a few more calories each day than she normally would. Dieting is not a good idea during pregnancy, but you should also not be eating junk foods or more than you feel that you need. Pregnant women do not need to meet any daily requirement for calories. Just eat when you are hungry.

Myth #9: You Should Only Sleep on Your Left Side While Pregnant

Unless a woman has health problems or has been advised by her healthcare practitioner, it is perfectly safe to sleep in any position that you feel most comfortable.

Myth #10: You Can Safely Drink a Small Amount of Alcohol While Pregnant

While many people believe that a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy will not hurt their baby, the truth is that there are no studies that show alcohol as safe in ANY levels during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome can be caused by excessive drinking or by minimal drinking. It is not yet known if even one drink may have adverse effects on a developing fetus.

]]> http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/pregnancy-predicting-the-sex-of-the-baby/feed/ 0 http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/beards/ http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/beards/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:10:13 +0000 Superstitions http://superstitionsonline.com/?p=293 Beware of the man, be he friend or brother,
Whose hair is one color and beard another.
• It’s bad luck to cut your beard.
• You’ll have a lucky life if your beard is bushy.
• Whistling makes your beard grow.
]]> http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/beards/feed/ 0 http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/baseball/ http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/baseball/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:32:55 +0000 Superstitions http://superstitionsonline.com/?p=256
• It’s bad luck for Baseball season to begin on a Friday.
• Fingers of a player’s glove must be left pointing to his team’s dugout when he goes to bat.
• It’s bad luck for a player to meet a member of the clergy on the way to the baseball ground.
• It’s bad luck to have a left handed pitcher on your team.
• It’s bad luck for the batting team if a dog walks across the playing field.

Bat:

• It’s bad luck to lend your bat to a teammate.
• A split bat is bad luck.
• A bat left lying crosswise in front of a dugout is bad luck.
• It’s good luck to leave a piece of chewing gum stuck to the top of a bat.
• It’s good luck to spit on your hands before picking up a bat.
• If a player changes bats after two strikes they will be struck out.

Women:

• Player seeing a cross-eyed woman in the stands is bad luck.
• It’s good luck for a player to see a red-haired woman.
]]> http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/baseball/feed/ 0 http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/babies-and-birth/ http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/babies-and-birth/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:07:38 +0000 Superstitions http://superstitionsonline.com/?p=186 See also Pregnancy and Predicting the Sex of the Baby

• Birth is made easier if all the locks in the house are open and you keep an axe under the bed.
• A child born feet first or breech, will be lamed in an accident.
• A baby that is born feet first will have healing abilities.
• Firstborn children are protected from witchcraft.
• Babies born at midnight can see ghosts.
• A baby born when the moon is rising will be a girl.
• Thursday has one lucky hour, just before sunrise, for birth.
• Babies born on Sunday cannot be harmed by evil spirits.
• Babies born at night will stay awake at night.
• A baby born from a red water sac is believed to have great powers and double sight.
• A baby born with big ears will be generous.
• A baby born with open hands and out-stretched fingers will be prosperous.
• A baby born with a large mouth will be a good singer.
• A baby born with teeth could be a vampire.

First a daughter, then a son,
The World is well begun.
First a son, then a daughter,
Trouble follows after.

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is sour and sad,
Thursday’s child is merry and glad,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child must work for a living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is blithe and bonny, good and gay.

Monday’s child is fair of face
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
Wednesday child is full of woe
Thursday’s child has far to go
Friday’s child is caring and giving
Saturday’s child works hard for a living
But the child that’s born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise and good and gay.

(Some put it, Sunday’s child shall never know want.)

He who is born on New Year’s morn
Will have his own way as sure as you’re born.

He who is born on an Easter morn
Shall never know want, or care, or harm.

A child born on a saint’s day must bear the saint’s name. It is
unlucky to take away the day from it.
Catholic superstition.

It is good luck to:

• Carry a baby upstairs when first taking it out into the world.
• Have a baby born with a caul.
• Spit on a newborn baby.
• Rub a baby’s head with money.
• Kiss a newborn baby.
• Have a baby sneeze.
• Have a baby first clasp something using it’s right hand.
• Brush your baby with a rabbit’s foot.
• Put a string of coral beads around your baby’s neck.
• Give a new baby a gift of bread or salt.

It is bad luck to:

• Carry a baby downstairs when first taking it into the world.
• Weigh a newborn baby.
• Let babies see themselves in a mirror before they are six months old.
• Dress a baby in black.
• Cut a baby’s nails before it is twelve months old.
• Dress a baby by putting clothes over its head instead of its feet.
• Watch a baby as it sleeps.
• Give away all a baby’s clothes when you have finished with them.
• Wean a baby in early spring.
• Carry a child on the left side.
• Step over a crawling infant.
• Let a cat in the room of a newborn baby.
• Wash a baby’s hands before it is twelve months old.

To hold a newborn baby while menstruating would cause the baby strain.

]]> http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/babies-and-birth/feed/ 0 http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/butterfly/ http://superstitionsonline.com/2009/10/butterfly/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:43:10 +0000 Superstitions http://superstitionsonline.com/?p=147
• If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.
• Three butterflies together mean good luck.