Especially for the Scottish, Irish, Welsh: Were any family superstitions passed down to you?

Gaer

Gaer

"Angel whisperer"
Location
New Mexico U.S.A.
I gave no opinion to what superstitions were told to me, but I found them interesting. Do any of you give any worth to superstition?
Do you consider superstitions not rational? Did your parents tell you of any?

I was told as a child:
"If you give a purse or wallet as a gift, always put a penny in it for good luck and prosperity."
"Always plant a potato on St. Patrick's Day for good luck all year."
"If you get a penny in change, always put it in your shoe."
"Happenings, good or bad, always come in threes."
"If you give gift that is sharp, like a knife or scissors, you must add a penny. Otherwise you will have a fight."
 

My mother was probably the most superstitious person I've ever known..and by default, I learned them all, and spent the better part of my life heeding them.

In recent years I've been able to discard a few..

I could probably list 50..or more...

..aside from the usual ones like never opening an umbrella indoors, Friday 13th, or throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder if you spill some.. ...here are a few more

If you drop a glove do not pick it up unless you drop the other glove and pick them up together
Never laugh before between 7 or you'll cry before 11 ( we actually as kids never laughed.. at all we were too scared)
Never kill a spider..
Never walk under ladders ...bad luck
Never split a pole if two people are walking together, each one should not walk on separate side of a lamppost or telegraph pole.. horrible luck will follow
Never cut nails on Fridays or Sundays...
Never putting new shoes on the furniture
if you put your clothes on inside out, you must turn around 3 times to get rid of the devil before you can put them on again the correct way
Black cats crossing your path..lucky

..then further to that we're Celts..from a Celtic nation and they have all the ancient superstitions from that too..

It was a lot of fun in our house.... :rolleyes::oops:
 
hollydolly said:
My mother was probably the most superstitious person I've ever known..and by default, I learned them all, and spent the better part of my life heeding them.

In recent years I've been able to discard a few..

I could probably list 50..or more...

..aside from the usual ones like never opening an umbrella indoors, Friday 13th, or throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder if you spill some.. ...here are a few more

If you drop a glove do not pick it up unless you drop the other glove and pick them up together
Never laugh before between 7 or you'll cry before 11 ( we actually as kids never laughed.. at all we were too scared)
Never kill a spider..
Never walk under ladders ...bad luck
Never split a pole if two people are walking together, each one should not walk on separate side of a lamppost or telegraph pole.. horrible luck will follow
Never cut nails on Fridays or Sundays...
Never putting new shoes on the furniture
if you put your clothes on inside out, you must turn around 3 times to get rid of the devil before you can put them on again the correct way
Black cats crossing your path..lucky

..then further to that we're Celts..from a Celtic nation and they have all the ancient superstitions from that too..

It was a lot of fun in our house.... :rolleyes::oops:
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Yes, Some of those were told me too, but I had forgotten them!
 
If on your travels, you meet a grinning man with two heads, then you must walk backwards for 3 miles with your eyes shut tight, or you will develop another head. 😮
Superstious bulls**t, perhaps, but I've been known to walk hundreds of miles in reverse. ;)😊
 
Gaer, I recognise your first two superstitions. Never give anyone an empty purse, money box etc.. always put in a small coin for prosperity.
As for planting potatoes, my father always said, plant on St.Patricks day and lift on 12th. July. This was not so much a superstition for good luck, but a 'rule of thumb' for planting early potatoes... basically, plant mid March, lift mid July.
 
jujube said:
There are two that have stuck with me:

Never set a hat down on a bed.
Never walk around in the house wearing only one shoe.

I will.not do either one of them. Thanks, Grandma.....
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That was an old cowboy quote: Bad luck to throw your hat on a bed!"
(Probably from an old West brothel)
 
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Capt Lightning said:
Gaer, I recognise your first two superstitions. Never give anyone an empty purse, money box etc.. always put in a small coin for prosperity.
As for planting potatoes, my father always said, plant on St.Patricks day and lift on 12th. July. This was not so much a superstition for good luck, but a 'rule of thumb' for planting early potatoes... basically, plant mid March, lift mid July.
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I still do this! Every year. Doesn't matter if there is three feet of snow or not. I plant my potato!
Sometimes you have to listen to things outside rational thinking.
 
Unlucky to see one magpie, so you have to address it by saying good morning to ward off the bad luck....but lucky to see 2..
if you drop a knife expect a visit from a stranger

if your left hand itches you're coming into money..
if your ear is burning someone is talking about you..

extremely unlucky to have Peacock feathers in your home

Touch wood..to avert bad luck
Find a 4 leaf clover for luck..
Put money in the pocket of new clothes to bring luck
 
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My dad's side was Irish. I think the most important one was don't piss off grandpa when he's drinking, or anytime for that matter. My grand parents lived with us for several years, and I always remember my mom saying "not in the head Pa". He was a club fighter in his earlier years, and even in old age, you never saw it coming. Despite this, we could sit and listen to his stories for hours. Mike
 
We were taught it was the worst bad luck if a bird flew into a window or even perched on a windowsill. My grandfather taught us that one and it stuck.

One, I know to be true was a if a family member's possession falls the family member will die. This happened the night of my grandmother's death. My mom and I were talking in our dining room where my grandmother's favorite plant stood atop the fireplace mantel. The plant fell and broke on the floor while we were talking and we both said, "Nana's dead". We had visited her that afternoon in rehab and she was fine. Two hours later a doctor called and told mom Nana had died. :eek:
 
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Coming from an Italian family my Mom had a lot of superstitions . Here are a few I remember.

If a black cat crosses your path it’s considered a sign of good luck. Not so in Italy, where black cats are thought to be a sign of bad luck.

The malocchio, or evil eye, is a look of jealously or envy and, according to Italian folklore, it can do some real harm.

A new home is always cleansed by performing a ritual such as sprinkling salt in the corners of all the room

Never put shoes on the bed or someone will die.
 
chic said:
We were taught it was the worst bad luck if a bird flew into a window or even perched on a windowsill. My grandfather taught us that one and it stuck.

One, I know to be true was a if a family member's possession falls the family member will die. This happened the night of my grandmother's death. My mom and I were talking in our dining room where my grandmother's favorite plant stood atop the fireplace mantel. The plant fell and broke on the floor while we were talking and we both said, "Nana'a dead". We had visited her that afternoon in rehab and she was fine. Two hours later a doctor called and told mom Nana had died. :eek:
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yes we were taught the same about the bird but it was only a sparrow.. if a sparrow flew in it had to be killed because oherwise if it flew out it took all the luck of the house with it...:oops:
I never saw a sparrow fly in, altho' we've had plenty birds fall down the chimney here at this house... and we always rescue them, and let them fly free
 
Never put a sock and a shoe on one foot when the other is bare!
If you find a penny on the street, pick it up and give it to somebody else!
Find a pin and pick it up, all that day you'll have good luck!

"Mocking is Catching", means if you see a lame person or someone with
a noticeable affliction, don't try to copy them, or you will end up the same
way, bad luck!

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Never put a sock and a shoe on one foot when the other is bare!
If you find a penny on the street, pick it up and give it to somebody else!
Find a pin and pick it up, all that day you'll have good luck!

"Mocking is Catching", means if you see a lame person or someone with
a noticeable affliction, don't try to copy them, or you will end up the same
way, bad luck!

Mike.
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I still say that same thing today... if I see someone mocking an afflicted person.. or derogatorily aping someone for any reason... ..we grew up saying that almost on a daily basis... Mocking is Catching
 

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