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Friday the 13th

Superstitions — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:55:38 +0000

The idea that this day would bring bad luck has its roots in both Norse and Christian beliefs. The Scandinavian’s believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. Christ was said to have been crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor.

Known scientifically as “Tridecaphobia,” fear of the number 13 is probably the most common of all superstitions. Buildings avoid numbering the 13th floor. Airplanes avoid the 13th aisle. And almost every North American knows that Friday the 13th is considered a bad luck day.

The origins of Friday superstitions are many. One of the best known is that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.

The modern basis for the Friday the 13th superstition stems from Friday October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant against “the Knights Templar”. The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. There Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified.

Fish and Fishing

Superstitions — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:13:17 +0000

Good luck omens:

Putting a coin on a float.
Throw back the first fish you catch then you’ll be lucky the whole day fishing.
A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.

Bad luck omens:

Changing rods during fishing.
A woman stepping over your fishing rod.
Changing a previously lucky float.
Casting bait without spitting on it.
Asking a fisherman how many bites he has had.
Baiting a hook using your left hand.
Placing a net in the water before a catch has been made.
Sitting on an upturned bucket.
A right-handed fisherman casting over his left shoulder.
It’s bad luck to get married when the fish aren’t biting, according to the custom of some fisherfolk.
It’s bad luck to say the word “pig” while fishing at sea.

If you dream of fish, someone you know is pregnant.

If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.

When Sharks are following a ship, especially three sharks, it’s a death omen.

Carp: Carrying a carp fish charm brings good luck, especially to lovers.

Cod: Carrying the dried eye of a cod will bring good luck.

Eel:

Wearing an eelskin garter cures cramps.
Rubbing a wart with eels’ blood makes it go away.
A live eel in a drink cures a person from drunkenness.
Witches and sorcerers wearing eelskin jackets protects them from bullets.
A cooked eel will become raw if left uneaten.
A whole eel can be used to cure deafness.
Eel fat will render fairies visible to humans
Eating an eel heart gives you the power of prophecy
Eating a whole eel will strike you dumb.

Haddock:

It’s bad luck to burn a haddock.

Herring:

Shedding blood near where herring frequent causes the herring to desert the area.
Laying a salted herring at your feet will relieve a sore throat.
Suspending a herring from the ceiling on Good Friday will keep your house free from flies during the summer.

Divination with Herrings:
To see an image of your future spouse: Eat a whole salted herring in three mouthfulls, retire to bed without a drink and don’t say a word. That night you will dream of your future partner.
To know if a future husband will be attractive and trustworthy:
Throw the white membrane of a herring at a wall. If the skin sticks to the wall and is not a crooked shape, your future husband will be attractive and trustworthy. If the herring skin sticks crookedly or fails to stick, your future spouse will be undesirable.

Tench:

Eating tench makes you strong and wise and can cure illness.
Other freshwater fish rub themselves against tench when they are sick.

Trout:

Putting a trout’s head into a patient’s mouth cures whooping cough.
Drinking beer in which a trout has been drowned cures whooping cough.
Drinking milk in which a live trout has been made to swim cures whooping cough.

Bugs: Flies

Superstitions — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:33:38 +0000

Hang a plastic bag filled with water at each door and window to keep flies from coming into the house.

Four-leafed clover

Superstitions — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:44:34 +0000

If you own a four-leafed clover you will have good luck in racing, and witchcraft will have no power over you. However the rules are that you must always have it with you, you cannot pass it on to another owner and under no circumstances should you show it to anyone.

Dandelion

Superstitions — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:03:12 +0000

To tell the time, blow three times at the seed head of a dandelion. The number of seeds left is the hour.

To find out how long you will live, blow the seeds off the head of a dandelion. You will live as many years as there are seeds left on the head.

Make a wish and blow the seeds off the head of a dandelion. If they all fly away with the breath from just one blow, your wish will come true.

Dandelion root tea will promote psychic powers. This same tea, steaming and placed beside the bed, will call spirits.

To send a message to a loved one, blow a dandelion seed head in his or her direction and visualize your message.

Four

Superstitions — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:48:54 +0000

In Japan and Taiwan, there is a superstition that four is an unlucky number because the number four has the identical pronunciation as the word ‘death’, so most people tend to avoid it and most hotels don’t use the number four.

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

Flower Petals

Superstitions — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:08:09 +0000

Young girls play a game where they pull the petals off of flowers using an alternate saying of “he loves me” and “he loves me not” with each petal pulled.
Many believe that the game originated specifically with daisies, which were believed to have grown where the Virgin Mary’s tears fell after the death of her son, Jesus. The original game of “he loves me” or “he loves me not,” therefore, was meant to determine if the woman in question had found favor with Christ.

Flowers

Superstitions — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:16:11 +0000

Ukrainian: Never buy an even number of flowers for someone unless it’s for their funeral.

Fingers and Hands

Superstitions — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:39:47 +0000

Fingers Crossed: By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.

Hands:

If the palm of your right hand is itchy, then it foretells that money is coming to you, but don’t scratch it as that stops the money from coming!
If it’s your left palm that is itchy, then scratch away, as that means that you’ll soon be paying out money.
If hands are crossed at the table while passing a dish, a wedding will follow. The top hand belongs to the person who will be married. Pennsylvania.

Shaking hands:

Ukrainian: It’s bad luck to shake hands over a doorway.
If four persons cross hands in shaking hands on taking leave, one will marry before the year is out. Prince Edward Island, Eastern Massachusetts, and New York.

Feet

Superstitions — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30:20 +0000

If you accidentally scrape your right foot on the ground while walking you will meet a friend.
If you accidentally scrape your left foot on the ground while walking you will be disappointed.
It’s bad luck to enter a new place with your left foot.
It’s bad luck to dress the left foot before the right.
Itchy feet for no reason means you will start a journey to a place you’ve never been before.
It’s bad luck to meet a barefooted woman in the morning.

Toes:

If you have an extra toe, you will be lucky in life.

If your second toe is longer than your first, you’ll have a bad temper.

A woman with a second toe longer than her big toe will dominate her marriage.

It’s good luck to have a webbed toe.