Weird Superstitions

 Happy Halloween! Superstitions are imaginative and lasting. They also are fun. This country has more than its share, things like it is dangerous to walk under a ladder. Most of ours are the result of repeating those we inherited from Europe long ago.  In the case of the ladder, for instance, Europeans once believed that the ladder symbolized the gallows where people were hanged.  Or what about the broken mirror and evil eye superstitions we have and everyone else seems to know? Anyway, most superstitions are old and came from outside of this country. Therefore, today I'll give you some of the weird ones from other parts of the world. make sure you have your good luck charm near in case these superstitions are real and infectious.

In Portugal, it's considered bad luck to walk backwards. The common belief is that if you do, you're showing the devil which way you're going. Here walking backwards is considered a sign of stupidity, particularly if you fall in an open man hole cover because you are walking backwards. But in Sweden you have to watch out for manholes. If you step on one with the letter A, this will bring you a broken heart and bad luck. At least they step on closed manhole covers there.

In Italy, if you say the same word as someone in unison, you'll never get married . To undo this, you must immediately touch your nose. Of curse those of us who are divorced might not consider saying the same word in unison as bad luck. But wait! That's not all, In Hungary sitting at the corner of the dinner table also means you'll never get married. Some people in Italy are said to fear Friday the 17th because the Roman numeral XVII can be arranged to make the word "VIXI" which means "my life is over" in Latin. I think they would be wiser to fear marriage as the possible end to life as it should be lived.

In the Netherlands singing your favorite tune means you're singing to the devil for your food. However, if the evil is serving donuts, I'm singing. But in nearby Denmark discussing a private  matters when a cat is in the room is said to be bad idea because cats are believed to be gossipy. In this country we believe discussing anything in front of a CNN reporter is guaranteed to be reported on the cable news network shows erroneously and attributed to Donald Trump.

In Britain, saying "rabbit rabbit" or "white rabbit" on the first day of every month ensures good luck for that month. It's because back in the 7th century people believed rabbits communicated with the spiritual world. Later the rabbits foot for luck replaced this idea. I think one thing is certain, the rabbit whose foot you have was unlucky for losing it that way.  Those crazy Brits are imaginative. Women in Ancient Britain often kept acorns in their pockets to ensure a youthful complexion. If you have ever seen a British beauty contest, where pockets are not on the swimsuits, it explains why the women look mire like acorns than women.

In Spain walking into a room with your left foot will bring you bad luck. For Spaniards it's always better to enter or leave with your right foot. No wonder the Spanish are out of step with the rest of the world.  Also in Spain, instead of kissing someone at midnight to celebrate the New Year, they're encouraged to eat 12 grapes one after the other for good luck. See! I told you the Spanish are weird. People in Spain  also believe that Tuesday the 13th and not Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. I am not going to visit Spain on the 13th, Tuesday or Friday.

In ancient Egypt came the idea that opening an umbrella inside before leaving the premise ensured bad luck. Today men believe that if you carry an umbrella inside at 3 am after sneaking out on your spouse, you will have both bad luck and an umbrella stuck in you butt when she awakens to discover you are sneaking home. Also, owls are said to be unlucky in Egypt, as they bring bad news for the one who happens to see or hear the bird.

In Japan, when walking through a cemetery, you must tuck your thumbs in to protect your parents from death. And this is the most normal thing the Japanese do. They also believe that cutting your nails after the sun goes down can cause premature death. And in Japan unintentionally breaking a bottle is said to lucky. I guess intentionally breaking one  means grandma's china set is out of luck again.

In Turkey,  chewing gum at night is apparently the equivalent of chewing on the flesh of the dead. Wait! Never mind that. The economy is so bad in Turkey some people have to chew on the flesh of the dead to prevent starvation. The Turks also believe that you must never jump over a child. Doing this will curse you to be short. Also, I suspect that anyone who finds it appealing to jump over a child will probably be arrested and confined for psychological evaluation.

If you  kiss a baby in Nigeria, legend says you'll condemn them to spend their entire adult lives drooling. Maybe that's why all the women ran  away when I tried to kiss them. They're secretly Nigerians. And I thought it was just my bad breath.  Also in Africa, in Rwanda, superstition says that women who eat goat meat are likely to grow beards or become stubborn. Well  can any man deny that goat meat or chicken eaten, the last part of that superstition is evidently true.

In Brazil, putting your purse or wallet on the floor means you'll become penniless.  In this country we believe that if you put your purse on the floor it will be stolen and the credit cards inside will be used to access internet porn sites and to buy Star buck's gift cards.

In Ireland and Scotland people believe seeing a single magpie bird is bad luck. But in South Koreans, the bird bringing bad luck is the crow.  But also, many South Koreans also do not sleep with fans running in closed rooms because they claim that if they do, it's a death sentence.  To combat that "fan death," Korean legend says to leave windows open.   I suggest they just buy air conditioning units and forget that  legend nonsense.

In Russia, they say that carrying an empty bucket or even seeing someone carrying an empty bucket is a bad omen. This probably stemmed from the fact that Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by a man with an empty bucket, but the left in this country blames it on Putin and Trump. Next door to Russia, in  Finland, killing a spider means it will rain the next day. Of course the left also insists it is Putin and Trump, not the spider, that is responsible for the rain.

In Malaysia is that if you sit on a pillow, it will cause your bottom and backside to be covered in boils, blisters, and other sores. I'll take their word for that because I don't want to see it myself. Strangely enough, this superstition does not specify as to whether cushions instead of pillows are included. Still, pillows are mostly meant for your head for when you sleep, so would you really want to share the pillow with your butt. I don't need to see your answer!

In France, it's believed to be good luck to step in dog poop with your left foot, but bad luck to step in it with your right. Given the source being France this makes more sense. It's more logical that the rest of what the French say and believe. In the rival of France, Germany, it is bad luck to cheers with water because it is said you are literally wishing death to everyone you are drinking with. Actually, those Germans are probably wishing death to the French, who have annoyed Germans with pretentiousness for centuries.

In Denmark, they save broken dishes all year long to throw at the houses of friends and family on New Year's Eve. It's believed that the larger the amount of porcelain, the more good luck bestowed upon friends and family. Or maybe the Danes are just cheap and plan on gluing those broken dishes together for reuse.

Oh before I forget. There is a superstition if you read the junk I write your brain may fall into decay.  But I guess you already knew that.