I
grew up in South Florida and spent many a happy vacation going to the beach
and/or visiting with family and friends along the Florida Keys and Key
West. Imagine my surprise when I found
out that after a day combing the shore for spectacular seashells that I wasn't
allowed to bring them inside the house.
Why? Because it's bad luck to have real shells in
your house. Bet you didn't know that
(unless you were brought up by a very superstitious grandmother and mother.)
Most
of you know the superstitions or omens which are fairly common. Don't walk under a ladder. A black cat crossing in front of you is bad
luck. Finding a 4-leaf clover is good
luck. Always hang a horseshoe pointing
up, so the good luck doesn't run out.
But
those are only the beginning. Here are a
few you may or may not have heard of:
· It's bad luck
to put your shoes on top of the bed.
· Never let
someone sweep under your feet, or you'll never get married.
· Putting your
purse on the floor is bad luck.
· A bird in the
house means a death in the family.
· If the palm of your
right hand itches, it means you'll unexpectedly receive money. But, if the palm of your left hand itches, it
means you're going to spend money you weren't planning to spend.
· If the bottom
of your foot itches, you're going to take a trip.
· Don't open an
umbrella in the house, its bad luck.
· Never kill a
spider inside the house, again bad luck.
Seems
like a lot of superstitions point toward bad luck, although some predict good
fortune. So, how do you feel about
superstitions? Do you believe in omens
or have a ritual that you do, hoping for good things. Share it with us in the comments.
Kathy
Ivan is an award-winning author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance,
currently working on her next romantic suspense when she's not checking to make
sure she hasn't left her purse on the floor or put her shoes on the bed. You can check out all her releases on her
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kathyivanauthor.
5 comments:
Kathy, If you had a character in a book who was an old crone, I could see sprinkling these superstitions throughout the mss. and having her recite them--in her croaky, evil voice, of course!
I hadn't heard of many of those. :) Makes me wonder how they came about!
I grew up hearing tons of these all the time. I lived in Key West for many years, plus that's where my grandmother was from. There are so many down there because of all the blending of cultures down in the Florida Keys.
It's funny how even if you don't believe in them, you still find yourself doing some of the things. For instance, even after all these years, I don't put my purse on the floor, because it's bad luck. I'll catch myself the second I put it down, and pick it up immediately, not even stopping to think about why.
Sometimes they are so ingrained in her psyche without you even realizing it.
What about knocking on wood to keep something you've just said from coming true? Or tossing salt over your shoulder? (I can't remember why you're supposed to do that one. Must get messy...)
Oh my God, my purse LIVES on the floor. No wonder my sales are so lousy!!
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