general Strange Superstitions

[joanro 247]

What are some superstitions you find strange?

Just as an example, as a Hispanic(Mexican to be specific), in our family if someone is staring at a child and saying how cute he/she is, they should make sure to touch the child as to avert the evil eye(or el mal de ojo in Spanish).

P.S. Sorry if I did a poor job explaining it. 

Edited November 7, 2020 by joanro

[CoconutCake 360]

This is kind of Generic & stereotypical but I can’t STAND when I accidentally knock over salt! It freaks me out, because I believe in most superstitions. Even if I’m in public (like a diner, or restaurant...) I take the salt shaker that I knocked over and throw some salt over my shoulder, even if it seems weird as heck and silly

Also, broken mirrors are a big no-no. As well as stepping on a sidewalk crack (I try to avoid that as much as possible)

 

[SharpWit 2,565]

Jinxing something by saying it won't happen and other variations. As idividuals we obviously don't have the power to alter anything and everything by saying something, but I've been following this one lately with procedures, more as the result of people suddenly feeling pressured if you comment on the task at hand, whether it be positive or negative, so it's really a case of self sabotage I think.

[Pentium100 2,089]

Do not shake hands under a door (one person inside, one outside) - either both should be outside, or both should be inside.

Do not put empty bottles on the table (during a party etc) - empty bottles go on the floor.

When you are talking about some possible bad event, knock on wood three times.

 

This is my personal - do not say that "hey, it's nice, I don't have much to do at work today" - after that sentence is said, something will break and I will have a lot to do.

These are the ones that I remember right now .

[Thuja 3,658]

Entry ways to your home must be pointing east and the back west to bring the best luck to your household and it'll help spirits move through your home without them getting stuck there(also good for anyone who passes in the home)

Never have the stairs inside your home visible from the front door, it's bad luck

This might just be because I'm first nations but smudging just works, had a bad day?  Smudge yourself.  Have a good day?  Smudge yourself and thank the creator.  Moved to a new place?  Smudge.  Moving out?  Smudge your old home and give thanks.  Woke up feeling great?  Smudge and give thanks for a great sleep.  I wouldn't call this a weird superstition but smudging makes me feel better.

Speaking of smudging, I do find needing to put the cold ashes at the front door to be a bit odd and it kinda sucks that I can't do that since my landlord thinks it's a "fire hazard" like, I'm not flicking cigarettes haphazardly out of the window or something damn...  But it is weird to me, maybe because I haven't figured out the why yet lol.

[Will Guide 21,357]

4 minutes ago, Thuja said:

Entry ways to your home must be pointing east and the back west to bring the best luck to your household and it'll help spirits move through your home without them getting stuck there(also good for anyone who passes in the home)

Well then I'm in good luck graces with the spirits. Because my garage and front door look out toward the East right while the back sliding doors are facing the west setting sun!

6 minutes ago, Thuja said:

Never have the stairs inside your home visible from the front door, it's bad luck

On the other hand, half of the houses in my village have the stairs close to the front door.

I failed to see why it's bad luck

[Jesse Terrence 2,968]

3 hours ago, joanro said:

What are some superstitions you find strange?

Just as an example, as a Hispanic(Mexican to be specific), in our family if someone is staring at a child and saying how cute he/she is, they should make sure to touch the child as to avert the evil eye(or el mal de ojo in Spanish).

P.S. Sorry if I did a poor job explaining it. 

Taking in consideration you went straight to use "hispanic", my guess is you're likely child of inmigrants rather than born in Mexico.

Also, never heard of said superstition in my life xD

Probably a thing of your family than of the collective.

Now, here's a ridicule one I've heard in about 3 different states in Mexico. If you're pregnant and don't wear anything red during an eclipse, your baby will either die before birth or be born with bad health.

[Thuja 3,658]

2 minutes ago, Will Guide said:

On the other hand, half of the houses in my village have the stairs close to the front door.

I failed to see why it's bad luck

lol, I don't get it much either but I just remember when my mom was planning to build a home, a lot of the houseplans she was looking at had visible stairs from the front door and people would be like, "no that's bad luck!"  I guess it's just a cultural thing

[Will Guide 21,357]

But the stairs are right next to the door in Animal Crossing and yet your luck depends on what kind of items you put in the house so it has nothing to do with the stairs.

[Thuja 3,658]

5 minutes ago, Will Guide said:

But the stairs are right next to the door in Animal Crossing and yet your luck depends on what kind of items you put in the house so it has nothing to do with the stairs.

I know, which is why I put it in the topic of "Strange Superstitions"

[Cagey 4,217]

4 hours ago, joanro said:

they should make sure to touch the child as to avert the evil eye(or el mal de ojo in Spanish).

Italian culture also has the evil eye (in Italian, il malocchio). In Italy, the evil eye is warded off with talismans, gestures, and stuff like that. 

I can’t think of any strange superstitions at the moment. After all, I guess all superstitions are strange. 

[Will Guide 21,357]

I heard that you should cover up your mirrors when somebody died or the mirror will take the person's soul and trap them

[Vefka 1,499]

Don't whistle indoors, sit on luggage before leaving home for a big voyage, don't gift even number of flowers to a person and more 

Personally I don't believe in them but they're so rooted in our everyday life here that I do them unconsciously

[Evil Pink One 13,503]

Qhenever you pee on trees or mounds of small earth or anytging that looks like a creature might leave in. You better say excuse me or eose tou might get cursed.

[Prospekt 11,014]

I used to work at a McDonald's. One woman ordered some food and her total came out to $6.66. She then said she was superstitious and immediately added an apple pie to her order so that it'd be more than $6.66.

My friend once told me that killing a ladybug brings bad luck.

On 11/6/2020 at 8:06 PM, Will Guide said:

I heard that you should cover up your mirrors when somebody died or the mirror will take the person's soul and trap them

I've heard that it's bad to sleep with a mirror facing your bed. Some say you are more likely to have nightmares unless you cover up the mirror before you go to sleep.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Prospekt

[Will Guide 21,357]

1 hour ago, Prospekt said:

I've heard that it's bad to sleep with a mirror facing your bed. Some say you are more likely to have nightmares unless you cover up the mirror before you go to sleep.

Impossible. In my 30 year old house, for about 20 years, two bedrooms had closets with sliding mirror doors. It's impossible and very impractical to cover the mirror doors.

I had the closet mirror doors in my room removed around 2010 not because of superstition, but because the doors were always getting stuck. So I was like "to heck with it, remove the whole thing" Now instead of a closet with an open/close door, it's an aclove for my hangers/nicer clothes, my hamper, and old bookself to store my Nintendo Labo Toy Cons and my mother's mementos.

[moh310 23]

I was taught to never pet every dog you see because they might carry a disease. A logical superstition for children's safety but still just a superstition. 

[Tao 7,291]

-I throw salt over my left shoulder if I spill it.

-Never own a white car,  bad luck hits my family if we do.

-Always have a book on when you leave the house.