Everyone has heard old wives tales at one point or another, from knocking on wood so evil spirits don't ruin good fortune spoke of to covering your mouth when you yawn so your soul doesn't escape....I was just wondering if any one has odd superstitions like these. Two that I have heard that stuck with me are related to money, which I think anyone would agree, can be an all around issue for most people. The first is that if you see a Cardinal you should shake your money at it, be it in a purse, wallet or just change in your pocket, and this action will bring money your way.... Lets just say I've freaked more than a few people out by doing this! The other one that I heard more recently was that if you leave your purse on the floor there won't be any money in it... So a few weeks ago after hearing this, I started making sure my purse was never on the floor, and you know what? Things are getting a little easier... I know some people don't want to hear this, and I know I will probably hit some road bumps along the way, but I see my husband and my debt coming to an end in the next year or so! (Knock on wood) It might be because we've been diligently chipping away at those nagging bills, or maybe that I just have paid more attention to it since the whole purse thing....but I'm not going to take the chance, my purse will never hit the ground again! Anyway, I'd like to hear anyone elses superstitions and old wives tales, and if any of them work for you.
That makes sense. I was leaving my purse on the floor every day but then we got a puppy who loves to drag things outside and destory them so of course I couldn't do THAT anymore - and I've had a little unexpected money come my way since. It's a wash in some ways though - since getting the puppy I've had to SPEND money on shoes, socks, gloves, a wood stove log carrier, a new 200.00 camera, a remote control, a copy of "Women Who Run With The Wolves" - and oh yes - a few dozen DOG CHEW TOYS! The only money tales I remember are the ones about when your right palm itches you'll be giving money, when the left one itches you'll receive money - depending on the tradition from which a fmaily comes - it could be the opposite.
I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS put my right shoe on before my left. I'm always convinced that I will have terrible luck or something terrible will happen to me if I put my left shoe on first. I also never pick up a penny unless it's head up....because it will bring good luck (and bad luck if you pick it up if it's heads down).
I always cover my mouth when I yawn so I don't lose my soul. I've always heard that if a lady bug lands on your clothes, you'll get new of whatever it is....if it lands on your shirt, you'll get a new shirt. It's happened almost everytime for me. If your nose itches, company's coming. If your ears are ringing, someones thinking about you. If they're burning, you're being talked about.
"step on a crack, you'll break your mother's back." yes I watch my feet and make sure that I don't step on any type of cracks. My mom actually has a bad back, so I don't know if it's from the cracks I stepped on as a child or what..but I don't want to take any chances. And I knock on wood whenever I say something and don't want it to get jinxed. there's probably a few more that I can't think of at the moment
My Grandmother had been taught by her Norwegian immigrant parents an old folk tale that if a woodpecker frequents your yard (for a few days or more), it portents a death in the family. It was nearly comical to watch her as a frail old woman try to shoo away woodpeckers in her trees.
I wish the lady bug thing was true- we have them crawling on all sorts of stuff in the house, including the house, when the weather is cold! Turnip greens (for wealth or prosperity), pork (I dont know what for), and blackeye peas (for good luck) on New Years Day. My MIL cuts a persimmon seed in half before winter, to predict what kind of winter we'll have- if it looks like a spoon, heavy snows are predicted, if knife shaped- icy cutting winds, and if fork shaped, mild winter. She also says you don't thank someone for giving you a plant cutting, because it will make it die.
