I heard a strange superstition the other day on television. So, I thought our readers might find it interesting to learn about some superstitions from around the world. Maybe some of you believe in them.
This is the one I learned about from the television show:
Have you ever walked onto a beautiful covered porch and noticed the homeowner painted the ceiling a light blue? This custom originated in New Orleans. The belief is that light blue on the ceiling of your porch wards off evil spirits.
This next superstition comes from Ireland. A customer of mine recently reminded me about it, though I had known of it for many years:
In the time when there was still a strong belief in fairies and leprechauns, Irish women would scream out before throwing their wash water into the field, to warn the pooka. The pooka, which translates to goblin or nature spirit, is a mischievous sort, and can bring good or bad luck to the household. The scream gave time for the pooka to move away and avoid getting wet, for a wet pooka would certainly bring bad luck to the household. My take is that the Irish woman was done with her morning chores, and was signaling to her neighbors that tea was ready.
Here’s a superstition I found in my research:
Have you ever been involved in a conversation when suddenly there is a strange silence? Some believe that an awkward silence means there are angels passing over. It becomes more convincing when you also find a feather nearby.
Are you a gum chewer? Do you travel to Europe? If you are in a European country, especially Turkey or Hungary, and are a gum chewer, do not chew in the evening. The belief is that chewing gum after your evening meal is bad luck. Onlookers perceive that whoever chews gum at night is actually chewing on human flesh from a corpse.
With St. Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I will end with this timely superstition:
If you plan to give flowers to your true love, do not send a dozen roses. Don’t send a dozen of any flower. In fact, don’t send an even amount of anything. If you decide to give flowers to your significant other, an odd number of flowers, from 1 to 1001, is a symbol of happiness. Despite other superstitions, giving 13 roses is considered good luck, and better than sending 12 roses. Giving one rose is saying “You’re everything I have” and giving 5 flowers means “I love you.” Even numbers of flowers represent death, as even numbers of flowers are typically given during funerals.
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