Hey, I was watching a television show last night and the subject of superstitions came up. I got to wondering, Sandy (my Sandy, wife) hates it when I do that, how many superstitions there are. Not only stuff like, "step on a crack, break your mother's back" or about black cats crossing your path or spitting on your worm when fishing, (more fun for the fisherman than the worm) but, also there are athletes that think they'll have bad luck if they don't wear the same pair of unwashed socks for the whole season or if they don't put their protective cup on backwards or that they don't play well in months with a vowel in them.

I'm not really superstitious but once we were heading out for a camping vacation and just singing up a storm when a woman came around a blind curve too fast, moved over to our side of the highway and hit us head on. Didn't go camping on that vacation and we don't sing in the car anymore either. Wonder why I didn't decide to stop driving or camping instead of singing? Maybe my driving was better than my singing!

Anybody got any odd superstitions? Or superstitions?

Wildman, (not posting on even hours)

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2003

Answers

Granny (Pop's mother) was very superstitious - and some of it apparently rubbed off on the rest of us. She wouldn't let us come in one door of the house and go out another one (or vice versa). Nor could you take an old broom to a new house - if you moved; you left the old broom at the old house and got a new one for the new house. Dropping a dishcloth on the floor sent her into a frenzy of tidying up, because that meant company was coming. Another one was that deaths come in threes. Seeing an owl, particularly one flying across your path, was a sign that someone would die. (Back when Pop first had his stroke, we were driving home to get some clean clothes and an owl flew across the road right in front of us - I wanted to turn right around and go back to the hospital but Hubs made fun of me and drove on home. When we got back to the hospital, we found out that Pop's cousin had passed away.) Granny wouldn't have a peacock feather in the house - something to do with the evil eye; but my Godmother Lillie thought peacocks were good luck, she had an Art Deco peacock brooch that she wore to play pinochle (gamble) at the Moose, and she would always rub his tailfeathers for good luck before she bid or played a card. Those are all the ones I can think of for now!

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2003

When I'm driving and I drive under a railroad overpass I put my hand up and touch the roof of the car. I'm holding up the roof so the train doesn't crush me. I do the same thing when I cross the Ohio state line driving on I-70 because the freeway goes under an arch. :)

I didn't bring the broom from the old house to the new one, but I did bring the vacuum. I hope that doesn't count.

My grandma used to say that if your palm itched that meant you were getting money, and if your nose itched you were going to kiss a fool. Opening an umbrella indoors, putting your hat or shoes on the bed, or wearing red shoes on Sunday were all supposed to bring bad luck.

Saying "rabbit rabbit rabbit" as soon as you wake up on the first day of the month and you'll have good luck for the month. (Keith and I both do this one each month!)

When you see the first sliver of moon after the new moon, turn a coin over in your pocket three times and make a wish.

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2003

Polly, I seem to remember something about three flying buzzards or crows meaning death too. Can't remember right now what the old superstition was. Bad luck comes in threes too.

Sherri, hadn't heard most of those. There was also something that itched when you were going to have company. Oh, you missed a good chance to get a new vacuum!

Had a girlfriend once, well I had more than that but only had her once (not that way, you know what I mean), that would say "bread and butter" every time we were holding hands and something separated us causing us to unclasp hands. Don't know what that was about. Think she had more than that and that's probably why we didn't stay together for long.

Wildman, (not superstitions but not taking any chances)

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2003