** Old Superstitions **

Luck Superstitions

Good Luck: Fingers Crossed - By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.


Good Luck: Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.


Good Luck: Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes. When the great plague swept Europe., sufferers began sneezing violently which was a sign of death. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact. Sneezing 'into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Up until this time, the opposite was true. Those who sneezed were congratulated, as it was believed that a violent sneeze would expel evil from their bodies.


Good Luck: A robin flying into the house


Good Luck: Sneezing 3 times before breakfast


Good Luck: Meeting 3 sheep


Good Luck: Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder


Good Luck: A 4-leaf clover


Good Luck: Spilling wine while proposing a toast


Good Luck: Putting a dress on inside out


Good Luck: 9 peas in a pea pod


Good Luck: Hearing crickets singing


Good Luck: Picking up a pin Dropping a glove


Good Luck: A horseshoe Peacock feathers


Good Luck: Cutting your hair during a storm


Good Luck: Sleeping facing south


Good Luck: White heather


Good Luck: Picking up a pencil in the street


Good Luck: Breaking clear and uncolored glass


Good Luck: Walking in the rain


Good Luck: Sleeping on un-ironed sheets


Good Luck: Avoiding cracks in the sidewalk


Good Luck: An itch on the top of your head


Good Luck: Scissors hanging an a hook


Good Luck: A ladybug on you


Good Luck: Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!


Good Luck: To find a four-leaf clover means immense good luck, so keep it safe, if you lose it


Good Luck: To pick up a piece of coal that has fallen in your path.


Good Luck : To have one's garments caught up by a bush or briar when out walking is a promise of good luck, involving monetary gain.


Good Luck: New enterprises will be fortunate if begun at the time of the new moon.


Good Luck: If by chance you meet the same person twice when you are out on business. It is even luckier if you encounter him once when you are setting out and again when you are returning.


Good Luck: Dolphins swimming nearby a ship


Good Luck: A naked woman on board a boat is said to calm the seas.


Good Luck: Golfers can have a successful day on the course if they start their round with odd numbered clubs and don't use balls with numbers higher than 4


Good Luck: To set out for golfing on a rainy day


See a penny, pick it up; all day long you will have good luck.

Bad Luck: Friday the Thirteenth - The Scandinavian's believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. It was also said that Christ was crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor.


Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder - A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself.


Bad Luck: Black Cats - In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.


Bad Luck: Spilling Salt - Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from the belief that Judas spilt salt during the last supper. Throwing spilt salt over the left shoulder is linked to its medicinal use. If it could not be administered, the next best thing was to throw it into the eye of the evil spirits that brought sickness upon us. These spirits were thought to lurk behind your shoulder, waiting for an opportunity to strike.


Bad Luck: A bat flying into the house


Bad Luck: An owl hooting 3 times


Bad Luck: 3 butterflies together


Bad Luck: Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder


Bad Luck: A 5-leaf clover


Bad Luck: Breaking a glass while proposing a toast


Bad Luck: Putting a shirt on inside out


Bad Luck: Red and white flowers together


Bad Luck: Hearing a rooster crow at night


Bad Luck: Cutting your nails on a Friday


Bad Luck: Putting a hat on a bed


Bad Luck: Getting out of bed left foot first


Bad Luck: Violets blooming out of season


Bad Luck: A picture falling


Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror


Bad Luck: Singing before breakfast


Bad Luck: Opening an umbrella indoors


Bad Luck: Giving away a wedding present


Bad Luck: Stepping on cracks in the sidewalk


Bad Luck: An itch inside your nose


Bad Luck: Crossed knives


Bad Luck: seeing an owl during daylight


Bad Luck: If a dog suddenly barks for no apparent reason in a house that has a sick person then


Bad Luck: You must wear new clothes at Easter or you will have bad luck


Bad Luck: There will be an argument if knifes are crossed at a table. Also, if a lover gives you a


Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror means 7 years of bad luck, unless you take the pieces outside & bury them in moonlight. Also, an undisturbed mirror in a house suddenly fall & smashes then it means that there will soon be a death.


Bad Luck: Unless you were born in October, the wearing of an Opal will be ill-fated


Bad Luck: If pepper is spilt, then you will have a serious argument with a friend.


Bad Luck: Sparrows are said to carry the souls of the deceased to the after-life. To kill one means that you will be cursed.


Bad Luck: It is extremely unlucky to open an umbrella inside a house.


Bad Luck: If a groom drops the ring during the ceremony then the marriage is doomed to failure.


Bad Luck: Breaking a plate, especially if it had not already been cracked.


Bad Luck: To see the new moon for the first time through glass. Upon seeing the new moon you should turn whatever silver you have in your pockets or handbag, and thus ensure prosperity for a month.


Bad Luck: To upset pepper


Bad Luck: The blossom must never be cut from the tree and brought into the house before May 1, or ill fortune will attend you.


Bad Luck: Never mend a garment while you are wearing it, or misfortune will follow.


Bad Luck: Breaking a mirror portends seven years of bad luck. It is also extremely unlucky to receive a mirror as a present


Bad Luck: To make a present of a knife or any other sharp instrument unless you receive something in exchange.


Bad Luck: Walking under a ladder, unless you cross their fingers while doing so.


Bad Luck: It brings ill fortune if a lease or any contract is signed in the months of April, July, or November.


Bad Luck: To spill ink threatens worry, annoyance, and the failure of a project that is on foot.


Bad Luck: Crossing two table-knives by accident portends bad luck.


Bad Luck: To give a pair of gloves to a friend unless you receive something in exchange.


Bad Luck: To encounter a gravedigger coming towards you. Usually this means there will be a severe illness.


Bad Luck: For those who completely rake out a fire before retiring. A few embers should always be left.


Bad Luck: To break a glass bottle portends misfortune


Bad Luck: If you fasten a button into the wrong buttonhole


Bad Luck: if a candle falls over


Bad Luck: For a golfer to borrow your partners umbrella


Bad Luck: Throwing stones into the sea cause bad luck


Bad Luck: Starting a cruise on a Friday


Bad Luck: Stepping on board a ship with your left foot


Bad Luck: To open an umbrella in the house


Bad Luck: It is unlucky to sit on a table unless one foot is touching the ground


Bad Luck: If a person stumbles when leaving his house at the beginning of a journey, or trips or stumbles more than once during the course of the journey, it is advisable to postpone it.


Bad Luck: To pass anyone on the staircase.


Bad Luck: New shoes should never be left on a table


Bad Luck: To put on the left shoe before the right, and it is worse still to put the right shoe on the left foot, or vice versa.


Bad Luck: Spilling salt. If both salt and pepper are spilt at the same time, the force of this ill omen is doubled.

Subcategory: Dogs


A dog eating grass - rain


Meeting a dog - good luck (especially Dalmatians)


A greyhound with a white spot on its forehead - good fortune


Being followed by a strange dog - bad luck (especially black dogs)


The spectral black dog (barguest) - a harbinger of death


A dog howling for no reason - unseen spirits


A dog howling three times - A death has occurred


At one time a dog that had bitten someone was immediately destroyed to protect the person from rabies (even if the dog was healthy)


Subcategory: Horses


Horse brasses were used to protect horses from witches


White horses - ill fortune


Inhaling a horses breath - cure for whooping cough


Eating a hair from a horse's forelock - cure for worms


Horses standing with their backs to a hedge - rain


Changing a horse's name - very bad luck


Subcategory: Albatross


An albatross flying around a ship in mid ocean - bad weather


Thought to be the spirit of dead mariners and so bringing bad luck to those who killed them


Subcategory: Adder


To see an adder - general bad luck


To kill an adder - general good luck


A live adder on the doorstep - a death in the household


Subcategory: Ant


Believed to be the final earthly incarnation of fairies


Believed to be the souls of children who had died unbaptised


Believed to be the transmuted souls of the Druids who refused to accept Christianity


Subcategory: Badger


Carrying a badgers tooth - Good luck (especially for gamblers)


Subcategory: Bats


In a church during a wedding ceremony - bad omen


In the house - either a death or a sign that the humans will soon be leaving


Flying close to a person - that person will be betrayed


Flying vertically upwards then dropping back to earth - 'The Witches Hour Has Come'


Flying early in the evening - good weather


Chinese belief - Bats are a symbol of long life and happiness


Subcategory: Bear


Believed to gain sustenance from sucking on their own paws.


Ghost bears are believed to reside at Worcester Cathedral and The Tower of London in England


Naming a bear - provokes attack


Subcategory: Bees


If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.


A bee landing on someone's hand is believed to foretell money to come, while if the bee settles on someone's head it means that person will rise to greatness.


Bees were once considered to deliberately sting those who swore in front of them, and also to attack an adulterer or unchaste person.


It was once held to be a sure sign that a girl was a virgin if she could walk through a swarm of bees without being stung.


An old country tradition states that bees should not be purchased for money, as bought bees will never prosper.


Bee-stings were once thought to prevent rheumatism, and in some places a bee-sting was also thought to cure it.

Subcategory: Beetle


Ancient Egyptian belief - Scarab revered as a symbol of the Sun God Ra


Walking over a person's shoe - an omen of death


Crawling out of a discarded shoe - ill omen


Devil's coach horse beetle raising it's tail - a curse


African belief - throwing beetles into a lake produces rain


A dead beetle tied around the neck - cure for whooping cough


Subcategory: Birds


A bird that flies into a house, foretells an important message.


The white bird foretells death.


A bird call from the north means tragedy; from the south is good for crops; from the west is good luck; from the east, good love.


If a bird poops on your car, it is good luck.


If bird droppings land on your head it is good luck.


Subcategory: Blackbird


Ancient British Belief - A messenger of the dead


Two blackbirds sitting together - good omen


Subcategory: Boar


A manifestation of the Devil


Norse belief - A traditional food of the Gods


Subcategory: Bull


Bull's testes - aphrodisiac


To hide in a bull's pen - immunity from lightning


Subcategory: Butterfly


If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year


Represents the souls of unbaptised children


Inside the house - good luck


First butterfly of the season (white) - good omen


First butterfly of the season (brown) - misfortune


To see three butterflies together - bad omen


To see a butterfly at night - approaching death


Scottish belief - red butterflies are manifestations of witches


Subcategory: Calf


If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.


To stroke a calf on the back - bad luck to both the person and the animal


Twin calves - bad luck


Giving mistletoe as a gift to the first calf of the year - good luck to the herd


Subcategory: Cat


A kitten born in May - a witches cat


A black cat crossing your path - good luck (A white cat in USA, Spain and Belgium)


A black cat seen from behind - a bad omen


Stray tortoise shell cat - bad omen


Cats bought with money will never be good mousers


Cat sneezing once - rain


Cat sneezing three times - the family will catch a cold


USA belief - A cat washing on the doorstep - the clergy will visit


Killing a cat - sacrificing your soul to the Devil


Kicking a cat - Rheumatism


A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition


It is bad luck to see a white cat at night


Dreaming of white cat means good luck


When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true.


If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain. - English superstition


A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. - English superstition


English schoolchildren believe seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.


A black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. - Irish superstition


A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition


It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. - French superstition


A cat on top of a tombstone meant certainly that the soul of the departed buried was possessed by the devil. Two cats seen fighting near a dying person, or on the grave shortly after a funeral, are really the Devil and an Angel fighting for possession of


To see a white cat on the road is lucky.


To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck. - Irish superstition


If cats desert a house, illness will always reign there. - English superstition


In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell foretells death by accident.


In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on. The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town.


When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave.


In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat.


When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh superstition


In 16th century Italy, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick man, he would die. But there's also a belief that a cat will not remain in the house where someone is about to die. Therefore, if the family cat refuses to stay indoors,


Subcategory: Cattle


Cattle were highly regarded by the Celts, and nn some areas it is thought that cattle should be informed of any deaths in their owners' household, or the cows, sensing that something was wrong, would sicken and probably die.


In mediaeval times it was thought that cattle would kneel at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve; and some people thought they were even able to speak that night, although it was considered dangerous for any human to hear their speech as misfortune w


Subcategory: Cockerel


White cockerel - good luck


Black cockerel - evil spirits


A cockerel standing in a doorway - a visitor


It is believed that the cockerels will all crow on final day to awaken the dead


Subcategory: Cows


If a plow kills a daddy long legs the cows will go dry


If you see nine cows in a shed with a gray bull next to the door, and all of them lie on the same side, you are in luck, because you will be granted one wish.


A cow lowing after midnight - approaching death


To milk a cow being sent to market - bad luck


Sprinkling the cowshed floor with primroses - a guard against witches


Cows lying down in a field - rain

Subcategory: Cricket


A cricket is a lucky house spirit that takes it's luck away when it leaves.


A cricket can tell of oncoming rain, death, and x-lovers.


Subcategory: Crow


One's bad, Two's luck, Three's health, Four's wealth, Five's sickness, Six is death.


A messenger of the gods


A familiar of the traditional witch


Harbingers of death and disaster


Subcategory: Cuckoo


First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the right - good luck


First sound of a cuckoo in spring coming from the left - bad luck


Hearing the first cuckoo on the 28th of April - Excellent luck


Hearing the first cuckoo on the 6th of April or after midsummer - bad luck


Your condition on hearing the first cuckoo will remain all year

Subcategory: Dolphins


Dolphins are believed to transport the souls of the dead to the afterlife


Dolphins playing in fine weather or close to the shore - Wind


Subcategory: Donkey


Placing three hairs from a donkey's shoulders in a muslin bag worn around the neck - cure for whooping cough or measles


Sitting backwards on a donkey - cure for snakebites and toothache


A pregnant woman seeing a donkey - the child will grow wise and well behaved


Subcategory: Dove


Miners seeing a dove - bad omen


A dove circling above - an omen of death


Killing a dove - misfortune

Subcategory: Dragonfly


Catching a dragonfly - marriage within the year


Subcategory: Duck


Laying dark brown eggs - bad omen


Flapping its wings while swimming - rain


Subcategory: Eagle


Strength, divinity and immortality


Christian belief - symbol of resurrection


Several eagles flying together - peace


Eagles sitting motionless - an enemy approaching


Eagle egg eaten by two people - protection against witchcraft


Hearing the cry of an eagle - omen of death


Subcategory: Elephants


In Siam, white elephants were rare and not made to work for their upkeep, so a White Elephant is an item that is a non profit expense. Considering the value of space in our homes, items kept as memorabilia could be considered White Elephants.

Subcategory: Ferret


Drinking milk from a bowl from which a ferret has drunk - cure for whooping cough


Subcategory: Fish


Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.


It's bad luck to get married when the fish aren't biting, according to the custom of some fisherfolk.


A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.


Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.


If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.


It's bad luck to say the word "pig" while fishing at sea.


Burning fish bones - unlucky


Subcategory: Flea


Suddenly leaving a body who was infested - death of the host


Flea bite on the hand - a kiss or good news


Person leaping over the midsummer bonfire - riddance of fleas


Subcategory: Fox


Seeing a lone fox - good luck


Seeing several foxes together - bad luck

Subcategory: Frogs


Frogs, like toads, were once thought to have peculiar properties, and were frequently used in healing charms, and in others of a slightly less innocent nature.


The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck prevented epilepsy and other fits.


Frogs were used in love-magic. In one story, a girl, whose lover was untrue stuck pins all over a living frog and then buried it. The young man suffered extreme pains and eventually returned to her. She dug up the frog and removed the pins, after which t


A frog brings good luck to the house it enters.


Believed to be the souls of dead children


Shiny skinned - fine weather


Dull skinned - rain


Frogspawn at the edge of a pond - storms


Touching a frog - infertility


Killing a frog - bad luck


Subcategory: Gnat


When allowed into a sick room - removal of ailments


Flying close to the ground - rain


Flying high - good weather


Subcategory: Goat


Associated with Pan (or the devil in some religions)


Meeting a goat when on an important journey - good luck


Meeting a black goat on a bridle path - treasure hidden nearby

Subcategory: Goose


Goose eaten on Michelmas day - good luck


Brown tinted meat - mild winter


White meat - harsh winter


Geese leaving a farm - omen of a fire


A goose laying two eggs - bad omen


Subcategory: Guinea Fowl


Generally good luck


Brings sunshine


Subcategory: Hares


Good Luck.


A guise of a witch


Crossing your path - omen of disaster


Dreaming of hares - bad omen or death


Seeing a brown hare - good luck


Carrying a hare's foot - good luck


Killing a hare - bad luck


Rubbing hare's blood into the skin - cure for freckles