Superstition

My mother taught me many superstitions as I was growing up, possibly something to do with her Irish background or maybe just silly ‘Old Wives Tales” but nevertheless I've never forgotten the things she told me.  

There’s one I remember clearly, ‘If you can untie a knot your husband will be good to you’.  As a kid, when I got my knitting into a tangle mum would always tell me that I should try and undo the knot myself otherwise my husband would not be good to me.  According to her I was destined for a miserable life because I never had the patience to undo really tangled knots but she would sit until she undid the knot and got it all sorted for me.  What can I say, my husband is good to me and likewise but these days I cringe if I can’t undo a knot and have to cut the thread.

Another tale I have trouble ignoring is “Never put new shoes on the kitchen table unless you want bad luck”.  I’ve done somersaults to stop new shoes being placed on a table.

If I ever see crossed knives, I go out of my way to straighten them as I couldn’t stand the thought of having an argument with anyone (and it’s best not to be seen doing it just in case you didn’t get to the knives in time).  I carefully handle mirrors otherwise I will suffer seven years bad luck if I break one.

When I open a new jar of jam, or sauce I make a wish for luck, just like I make a wish when I have the first fruit for the season.  I never go to bed with dirty feet, otherwise the rats will eat my toes, and should I stand on a crack, I will break my mothers’ back.

Your wish will come true if you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake and same with the wishbone from the chicken or turkey if you get the long half of the wishbone.

As a kid I slept with my arms crossed over my chest because my guardian angel would watch over me and if anyone in the house spilt salt, we had to throw a pinch over our shoulder to keep the devil away.

When someone drops something and I pick it up for them, as I hand it back I say “You’ll get a surprise tonight”.  I practice this on a regular basis.  Not sure why!

Hot ears means someone is talking about you (not in a nice way) and an itchy right palm is great because you will receive money, whereas an itchy left palm means you have to part with money.
I never walk under a ladder for fear of more bad luck and a pimple on my tongue means I’ve told a big fat lie.  To find out if your friend loves you pick the petals off a daisy one by one saying, he loves me, he loves me not, until you get to the last petal to find out your fate.  If you want to see into the future, pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.

These are my fondest memories, I know there's heaps more.  I don’t think I’ve suffered in anyway because of them, in fact I have great childhood memories.  I was an adventurer.  This may sound like strange thought patterns for a Sunday.  Am I becoming my mother?  Do you have any childhood memories or superstitions you’d like to share?