Are you superstitious?
Today is martes trece or Tuesday the 13th … the Spanish equivalent of Friday the 13th (though I’ve never been able to find out why). I always joke that it doesn’t affect me because I’m not Spanish, and Friday the 13th doesn’t either because I live in Spain. But deep inside something niggles, like a wee part of me maybe isn’t joking, you know?
So while I don’t think I’m particularly superstitious I do think twice before walking under ladders – though of course I don’t think black cats are unlucky in the slightest. Quite the opposite, but then isn’t that also being somewhat superstitious?
And so, just curious as to how many of you out there are superstitious, and also if you know of any cool and unusual superstitions other than the typical ones: broken mirrors, the number 13, black cats, etc. 
casa azahar 
I used to be when I was younger but not so much nowadays. We have tons of magpies in the locality so I always used to trot off the “one for sadness, two for joy” etc. Also I’m still a bit queasy around ladders but that’s for more practical reasons than anything.
Tuesday the 13th – interesting. The significance of Friday is Good Friday, when Jesus was killed, and wasn’t Judas the 13th apostle? In the Catholic calendar, Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent – Mardi Gras.
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I was always taught that the new year’s calendar shouldn’t be displayed until the old year has ended. Moving into the new year too soon is tempting Fate, you see, and Fate might decide to stop you seeing the new year.
My grandmother also told me that one should never leave the house without any money at all. Even a single coin will do. A person without any money on them is a risk of being mistaken for a tree by a dog.
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I used to toss a pinch of salt over my shoulder when I spilled some, but stopped that when I noticed my floor was getting gritty… 😉
I’m not superstitious at all. I don’t walk under ladders because I don’t want to have someone drip paint or drop nails on me.
So there!
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In my family we always salute Magpies (mid sized black and white birds). Not sure why, and that’s the only superstition I have – I can happily walk under ladders and spill salt, but I find it very hard not to salute Magpies!
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I’ve heard about the calendar one before, but not about magpies (though I know that they are almost always seen in pairs).
Re: ladders. This morning I passed a couple of workmen doing some work on electrical boxes outside a shop and I gave them a wide girth – imagine having a live wire suddenly drop down on me!
The salt one I’ve never understood – why???
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Sorry to derail this – but (unless you’e done it deliberately, or know a different expression to me), that is a brilliant malapropism – “I gave them a wide girth”.
I am familiar with wide berth in that expression – as in a big or wide boat needs a wide berth, so you have to go a long way round to avoid it.
Back on topic, I’m not superstitious at all as far as I know, apart from the irrational tendency to avoid saying things are going well (for example) in case they don’t.
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Being superstitious brings bad luck!
That’ll cure anyone.
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Ha! You are right Johnny! It’s a wide berth, not girth (a wide girth is what I have!). Hey, I’m quite pleased about coming up with a brilliant malapropism (without even trying!). 🙂
Meanwhile, those electricians were a bit broad across the beam . . .
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Just wondering if anyone had any ideas about peacock feathers in the home, my mum tells me they’re bad luck in the house, but I’ve heard they can be good luck when placed outside the house. I want to use peacock feathers in an artwork to give to a friend and I would hate to bring her bad luck…any thoughts?? What do you know about peacock feathers???
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Hi Leonie and welcome.
Wow, you’ve sure dug up an old post here. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about peacock feathers. Would it only be bad luck if the person you give the artwork to believes it is?
Reminds me of the time I was walking by a flowering bush with a friend and he told me that if you put one of the flowers behind your ear then all your hair will fall out. I told him that was nonsense and he said “oh yeah? then try it!”. And I couldn’t – just in case!
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