Wouldn’t it be great to wake up in the morning and have everything go right? No red lights, no spilled coffee, no turning up late for appointments, no conflict, no bad news.
Obviously, this is next to impossible, but apparently there are some things you can do to keep bad luck at bay no matter what the activity. Let’s dive into some of the craziest superstitions people swear by!
Buy a House
When scouting for a new home, modern kitchens and spacious windows often top the wish list. But for some, protecting their new home from dark forces is equally important. That’s where ‘haint blue’ comes in.
Painting porch ceilings this particular shade of blue is believed to repel evil and confuse the undead, who mistake it for water. This tradition is common in the American South, where ‘haint’ means haunt. Some homeowners extend the protection by painting shutters and window frames as well.
Drive a Car
Driving can become so routine that experienced drivers sometimes don’t even remember how they got to their destinations. However, driving also carries inherent risks. To ward off bad luck, some drivers engage in unique safety rituals.
These include holding your breath while passing a cemetery or driving through a tunnel, believing it keeps the dead undisturbed and makes wishes come true, respectively. Also, avoid buying a new car on Friday the 13th or driving on a road with the number 13, as it’s considered disastrous.
Have a Meal
For some, having a meal involves more than just sitting down and eating. Superstitions dictate certain behaviors to ward off evil. For example, if drinking tea, milk should never be added before sugar, as it supposedly leads to lifelong singledom. Coffee drinkers might scoop up and eat bubbles in their cup, believing it brings wealth.
Hosting a dinner? Avoid seating 13 people at the table, as one unlucky guest will supposedly die within the year. Also, discourage singing at the table, as it’s believed to result in marrying a crazy spouse.
Attend a Funeral
Funerals, an inevitable part of life, are magnets for superstitions. Some people place coins on the eyes of the deceased and ensure they’re buried facing east. When removing a body from a home, it’s crucial that the feet leave the building first.
If the corpse leaves ‘headfirst,’ it might beckon the living to join them in the afterlife. Superstitious individuals also choose a different route home from the cemetery to prevent ghosts from following them.
Get Dressed
Putting on socks inside out on a cold morning might be a lucky accident, as it is believed to bring good luck. However, if dressing for a wedding, bells on the wedding dress are essential to ward off demons lurking in dark corners, and a fancy belt provides protection against sorcery.
Wearing clothes or accessories with polka dots is considered lucky, especially when gambling or playing the lottery, as the round dots resemble money appearing suddenly.
Fall Pregnant
Expectant mothers often go to great lengths to protect their unborn babies, including eating healthy and attending regular doctor’s appointments. Some take extra precautions.
Wearing keys around the neck during a full moon is believed to deflect the moon’s rays and prevent it from causing a cleft palate. Some insist on having baby showers in the seventh or ninth month of pregnancy, as these numbers are considered lucky. Additionally, some pregnant women avoid haircuts, believing it will cause eye problems for the baby.
Travel the World
For travel enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the end of the pandemic, superstitions vary by destination. In Russia, sitting on luggage at the airport is considered lucky. In Bulgaria, it’s important to ensure your host doesn’t sweep immediately after you leave, as it might sweep away your breath.
Solo travelers in China should place personal items on the spare bed in a two-bed room to indicate it’s occupied and pat the pillows to signal the undead that the bed is unavailable.
Celebrate Halloween
Holidays like Halloween have their own unique superstitions. In Wales, avoid crossroads and stiles on October 31st, as ghosts might be waiting. A Welsh tradition involves each family member throwing a marked white stone into a bonfire. If a stone is missing the next day, it foretells that person’s death within the year.
For good luck, light an orange candle at midnight on Halloween and let it burn until sunrise. If you hear footsteps behind you, don’t turn around, as death himself might be watching over your shoulder.
Go to Bed
To avoid nightmares and bad luck, never turn your mattress on a Sunday and ensure your pillows face north (or, according to other superstitions, never face north). Feng shui practices suggest placing your bed far from the door and never directly in front of it.
Keep cats out of the bedroom to avoid a curse, and never hang pictures of the Titanic or other disasters, as they can bring distress. Additionally, never leave a hat on the bed, as it attracts years of bad luck.
Get Married
A wedding should be a joyous occasion, but only if you avoid dropping the rings during the ceremony, as it foretells the partner’s death. Avoid planning a May wedding, as it might lead to regret. However, carrying the bride over the threshold can prevent evil spirits from latching onto her.
Once the pandemic is over, having wedding guests spit on the couple is considered a blessing. If that’s unappealing, bury a bottle of Bourbon upside down at the venue a month before the ceremony for good luck and weather.
Superstitions offer a fascinating peek into how people try to control the uncontrollable. Whether it’s avoiding certain numbers or performing specific rituals, these beliefs provide comfort and a sense of order in a chaotic world.
Which of these superstitions did you find the craziest? Leave your comment below!
