Question of the Day, Friday, February 13

Winchester

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Good morning!
And Happy Friday!

Today is not only Friday, but it's also Friday the 13th. So my question is easy this morning:

Do you have a favorite superstition or one that you remember hearing when you were a child? Maybe something your parents or grandparents used to say.
 

jcat

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Hmmm. The one everybody in the family stuck to was that Christmas decorations had to be down by January 6th (Epiphany) or it would bring bad luck.
 

larussa

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I can't remember any superstitions that my parents mentioned.  I don't like Friday the 13th because I had some pretty bad things happen on that day in the past so it is not a day I like at all. 
 

betsygee

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I was thinking about this question, and the superstition about not letting a black cat cross your path, so I did some googling to see where that came from, and found this factoid.  I knew about not letting black cats cross your path, and about Friday the 13th being unlucky, but a black cat crossing your path ON a Friday the 13th?  Be careful....  
 

GemsGem

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We have loads here in England. :lol3: My grandmother she use to come out with some right crazy things.....

Walking under a ladder - bad luck
Wearing white pearls - bad luck
Getting married in May - bad luck
Break a mirror - that's 7 years bad luck
Spill some table salt - that bad luck unless you throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder
Putting shoes on the table (especially brand new shoes) is bad luck.
Don't open an umbrella indoors - bad luck

If you see a single magpie by itself you have to say " Good morning Mr Magpie" otherwise you get bad luck. But only if it's a single magpie it's fine if there is more than one.

Don't stand or tread on lines or cracks in the pavement this is bad luck. There is a saying ‘Don’t step on a line or you’ll fall and break your spine! Don’t step on a crack or you’ll fall and break your back!’

That's just off the top of my head there are loads more :lol3:
 

micknsnicks2mom

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i think my favorite superstition is that the full moon brings out the worst/craziness in some people. i do believe this is true for some people. many years ago i worked in hotels (doing night audit), and i swear every time there was a full moon we'd get people coming into the hotel doing especially crazy things.
 

MoochNNoodles

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i think my favorite superstition is that the full moon brings out the worst/craziness in some people. i do believe this is true for some people. many years ago i worked in hotels (doing night audit), and i swear every time there was a full moon we'd get people coming into the hotel doing especially crazy things.
My mother swore by that one.  She used to work at a school where some kids stayed on campus in dorms and I remember all the teachers making the full moon comment!

This one just came to mind yesterday!  Whenever someone would drop a piece of silverware my Grandparents would say "Company's coming!"  What type of utensil it was determined if it was a man or woman.  I was emptying the dishwasher yesterday and I dropped  a spoon and automatically said it.  I don't think I've thought of that in years!  I don't consider myself a superstitious person at all.
 

kittymomma1122

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My family never mentioned any superstitions. My husband on the other hand is very superstitious. One of the weird ones is walking in the house with only one shoe or one sock on. ???

I had 3 black cats cross my path multiple times today and I have made it home from work safe and sound. No superstitions here!!!
 

betsygee

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I had 3 black cats cross my path multiple times today and I have made it home from work safe and sound. No superstitions here!!!
And...you survived?!  
 


I have three black cats crossing my path all day, every day (well, one black and two tuxies LOL) and I'm still here to tell the tale....  
 
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kittymomma1122

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And...you survived?!  
 


I have three black cats crossing my path all day, every day (well, one black and two tuxies LOL) and I'm still here to tell the tale....  
Yup! If I count the the tuxies I have 5 cross my path everyday.
 

Norachan

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My Dad told me that black cats are lucky, my parents have had black cats for as long as I can remember. (Tabbies and Tuxedos too)

My Grandma always used to tell me that what you send out comes back to you three-fold, so make sure you treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself.
 

raysmyheart

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 These are great!  Some I haven't thought about in years. My parents also said "a lady is coming" if we dropped a spoon, etc.  I am not superstitious but I do remember my mother always telling us on New Year's Eve
that how we behaved that day would play a hand in  our whole New Year.  She knew of this from her Polish grandmother.

I enjoyed reading the ones from England, many that were new to me, thanks!  
 

jcat

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We have loads here in England. :lol3: My grandmother she use to come out with some right crazy things.....

Walking under a ladder - bad luck
Wearing white pearls - bad luck
Getting married in May - bad luck
Break a mirror - that's 7 years bad luck
Spill some table salt - that bad luck unless you throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder
Putting shoes on the table (especially brand new shoes) is bad luck.
Don't open an umbrella indoors - bad luck

If you see a single magpie by itself you have to say " Good morning Mr Magpie" otherwise you get bad luck. But only if it's a single magpie it's fine if there is more than one.

Don't stand or tread on lines or cracks in the pavement this is bad luck. There is a saying ‘Don’t step on a line or you’ll fall and break your spine! Don’t step on a crack or you’ll fall and break your back!’

That's just off the top of my head there are loads more :lol3:
All of those are familiar except for the single magpie one! I've heard that seeing a raven brings bad luck and wonder whether that idea arose from their propensity to attack people who get too close to their nests.
 

Norachan

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The rhyme I remember about magpies was;

One for sorrow,

Two for joy.

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy.

Five for silver

Six for gold.

Seven for a secret never to be told.

One of the girls I used to go horse riding with had a pony called Five for Silver, she said his name came from this old rhyme.
 
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