There had been some discussions last week on facebook and twitter and again last night at an UrbanMoms event that was attended by several of our bloggers. We were talking about superstitions and telling each other some of the ones we grew up on.
It was interesting to hear everybody’s and even more interesting to see the expressions on each others faces when a superstition had never been heard of.
These are the many that I shared that I grew up with. There seems to be a lot of them and I think most come courtesy of my Irish grandparents.
The one that goes back as far as I can remember is having to lift your feet while driving over train tracks. My dad would always say “Train tracks, feet up!” and all 5 of us would lift our feet. Has anybody else heard of this one or was my dad just messing with us to see if we copy him like monkeys?? To this day I still lift my feet over train tracks. I do not, however, make my children do it.
Another one that also goes way back is to never open an umbrella inside the house. It will bring bad luck. I never understood that one. But I also never opened umbrella’s inside. This one I did end up carrying over to my kids. Mostly I think because they’re usually annoying me if they’re playing with umbrellas inside the house.
I remember when I was 7 years old I stepped on a mirror that was covered by a blanket. Immediately I counted 7 years ahead on my fingers an resigned myself to the fact I would have nothing but bad luck until I was 14. It haunted me everyday for 2 weeks then I totally forgot about it.
I was also never to cross the path of a black cat or walk under a ladder. To this day, if nobody is looking – I hop over the path of a black cat.
I would rebel against the ladder and walk under them on purpose.
I would rebel against the ladder and walk under them on purpose.
As I got older one big NO NO was to never ever put new shoes on a table. Which stinks because the first place I still put new shoes is on the table EVERY TIME and then I swipe them off really fast – remembering the rule. My mother was a big enforcer of that one.
My Nana would also enforce this when she came over to visit – she would also never cross paths with anyone on a staircase. If you were coming down and she was coming up, she’d hustle herself back to the bottom so as not to cross you.
And as I got even older and gift giving became more my responsibility it was ingrained into me to never give a purse or piggybank without putting money in it.
(I could not get married without a penny in my shoe. That was for wealth…still waiting on that…)
Also if you give a knife as a gift, your friendship could be severed. BUT apparently you can counter that by giving the knife giver a penny.
This last one I never believed in because it was proven totally false by my dad.
He was in a severe car accident before I was born. My Nana came over from Belfast to help my mom out and to be there for my dad. As my dad lay in the hospital, unconscious, my mom and Nana went home to be with my sisters. A picture fell off the wall and my Nana fell to her knees wailing “Billy’s dead! Billy’s dead! What’ll we do??” She was certain that the photo falling was a sign that my dad had died at that moment. He did not. And since my mom told me that story decades ago – I’ve never thought that any object falling from the wall meant anything other than Sean sucks at hanging things.
He was in a severe car accident before I was born. My Nana came over from Belfast to help my mom out and to be there for my dad. As my dad lay in the hospital, unconscious, my mom and Nana went home to be with my sisters. A picture fell off the wall and my Nana fell to her knees wailing “Billy’s dead! Billy’s dead! What’ll we do??” She was certain that the photo falling was a sign that my dad had died at that moment. He did not. And since my mom told me that story decades ago – I’ve never thought that any object falling from the wall meant anything other than Sean sucks at hanging things.
Did you grow up with superstitions? If so, what were they and did you carry them over to you children? Do you believe in any?
What’s most ridiculous one you’ve heard?
i totally did the train tracks thing! you also had to duck when you went under a train bridge…and yes to the cemetary as well. to me these were just silly games as i never believed that something bad would happen.
but my grandmother loses it when someone opens an umbrella in the house!
We held our breaths when driving past cemeteries too, turning from Bloor onto Parliament by Mount Pleasant Cemetery was a bitch! I don’t remember believing though. “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back”, I used to jump the cracks, only when I thought of it though – or someone else chanted it. I don’t think I believed that one either.
OMG Hilarious!
Never heard of the stairs one or the picture one. LOL
Holding breath by the cemetery yes remember that one and for sure lifting feet over the train tracks (is it a rural thing?)
If you spill salt you must throw some over your left shoulder.
If it rains on your wedding day it’s good luck. Surely only so the bride doesn’t have a complete meltdown. 😉
I don’t believe them or follow them now just did them “because” back in the day. My kids will sometimes step on cracks on purpose. “How’s your back Mom?” They are such nice children aren’t they?
Ooh, we held our breath driving by cemeteries too! I still do that one sometimes.
I also remember if you went over train tracks while riding a bus, you had to find a screw to put your finger on. No idea why, but I remember it being a big deal.
ours was holding your breath when you drove by a cemetery. I remember being on the school bus and if you hit a red light – you were SCREWED! I don’t step on cracks..and I avoid walking under ladders…but I have no idea why – I”m not superstitious at all. That whole convo last night was hilarious….