Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Cutting Nails & Hair

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

CUTTING NAILS & HAIRS

• The paring of nails has given rise to some strange beliefs. So also has the cutting of hair. 

• Sailors believe that to cut the nails or hair during calm will provoke contrary winds. They, therefore, only cut them in a storm. 

• The ancients declared that nails and hair should not be pared or cut when in the presence of the gods, but in the secrecy of one's home. 

• Among the Arabians it is considered lucky to cut the nails and hair on Friday. 

• In some countries it is considered unlucky to cut a child's nails till it is a year old. 

• In Scotland it is believed that if a child's nails are cut before it is a year old, it will grow up to be a thief. In other lands, it is thought the child will stammer. 

• The Jews bum their nail parings with a piece of wood, as a species of offering to insure good luck.

Source: Omens, Signs & Superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Stumbling and Falling

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

STUMBLING & FALLING:

• Falling has always been associated with the idea of evil, and its effects can only be averted by a quick-witted remark or a muttered invocation.

• To fall while going upstairs is a sure sign that the victim will not marry within a year.

• The falling of a picture from the will is universally regarded as a bad omen and frequently foretells the death of the original of the picture in the case of a portrait.

• It is related that a well-known English archbishop on entering his study one day, found his portrait lying on the floor, the cord that held it on the hook, having snapped. The sight so unnerved the prelate that he became ill, and died shortly after.

• A fall from a horse, besides being very inconvenient and often painful, is supposed to bring evil consequences. If two person’s part on horseback and one of them falls off his mount, the two will never meet again.

• The fall of a window blind is accounted unlucky, but the evil can be averted by at once replacing it in its sockets.

• The fall of a knife or fork to the floor is usually considered a good omen and foretells a visit from a friend; a female in the case of a knife, or a male in the case of a fork.

• To fall downstairs is a very bad sign and signifies loss of health or money.

• To stumble in the morning on coming downstairs is a sign of ill luck during the day.

• A horse stumbling on the highway brings bad luck to his owner.

• If you stumble over a stick or stone, turn back and kick it out of the way to avert trouble.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Tingling and Itching

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

TINGLING & ITCHING

• It is a common superstition that when one's ears tingle someone is talking about him.

• The tingling of the right ear is taken to mean that good is spoken, while, that of the left ear is a token of the fact that evil is spoken.

• The itching of the palm is considered an indication that the person will get some unexpected money. If continued for any length of time, a fortune will come to him.

• The itching of the thumb or nose denotes a visitor, sometimes an unwelcome intruder.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Yawning

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

YAWNING

• Among many peoples, yawning is considered a sign of possession or obsession by an evil spirit.

• When an Indian yawns, he snaps his thumb and finger and repeats the name of one of his deities. To neglect this brings misfortune. 

• When a Arabians yawns he puts the back of his left hand to his mouth and says, "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan." 

• There is an old belief that when one yawns the devil may leap into the open mouth; hence the necessity of holding a hand over the mouth. 

• To yawn in the midst of saying one's prayers, is a bad omen. It is better to say the prayer from the beginning again. 

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with body parts - Moles, Teeth & Warts

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VII

MOLES, TEETH & WARTS

• Moles may denote good or bad fortune cording to where they are found.

• On the throat they are lucky; on the lower jaw, especially of a woman, they denote the opposite. On the back of the neck they are said to predict a hanging.

• Red or black moles are considered unlucky, but brown ones are lucky. If raised like a wart they foretell luck. 

• A mole on the forehead brings good fortune, so also one on the chin. As a rule moles denote coming wealth.

• The hairs growing out of moles are considered harbingers of fortune and in some countries are carefully guarded and cultivated. In Latin countries one can see men go about with long hairs growing out of moles on their faces. They are careful never to shave them.

• When a child loses a tooth it will hasten the growth of the new tooth, if the old is thrown into the fire.

• When a tooth is pulled it should be thrown into the fire. In Switzerland it is carefully wrapped in paper with a pinch of salt and burned.

• To cure a, toothache, the name of St. ApoUonia is invoked in Latin countries. She suffered martyrdom by having her teeth pulled out, and has since been the patron saint of those who suffer from similar pangs.

• To dream of losing a tooth, foretells the death of a friend.

• If a baby's tooth first appears in the upper jaw, it is a sign that the child will die in infancy.

• If the teeth are very irregular it is a sign of bad luck.

• If there is a gap between the two upper middle teeth large enough to pass a coin through, it foretells wealth.

• The Greeks believed that it was unlucky to count one's warts as they would increase in number.

• To charm away a wart, buy it from the possessor for a pin, and it will disappear within a week.

• Another way to charm away a wart is to rub it with half an apple. Tie the two halves together with a thread, and bury it at the foot of a tree. Within a week the wart will have disappeared.

• Spots in the nails foretell riches. If many, the person showing them will gain a fortune. White specks often foretell happenings without wealth.

• On the thumb-nail, they indicate honors.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Spitting

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

SPITTING

• In ancient times spitting was considered as having the virtue of averting witchcraft, and even in our time many superstitions cling to the habit.

• Spit was considered as a charm against all kinds of fascination. Theocritus says:  "Thrice on my breast I spit to guard me safe from fascinating charms.

• Superstitious nurses will spit on their children to keep them from harm.

• Bruisers and boxers before attacking their adversary, spit on their hands to insure success.

• Boys, when making a pledge or asserting a thing to be "honour bright” often spit on the ground to give emphasis to their good faith.

• Coal miners in England when they form a union for any purpose, sit in a circle and spit on a stone, by way of cementing their friendship and loyalty.

• Devout people often spit at the mention of the name of his satanic majesty, in an effort to keep away evil influences.

• Mohammedans are said to spit at the mention of the name of Jesus.

• To spit on one's hands before undertaking a piece of manual work insures a successful result.

• Spitting three times into their bosoms, was considered by the Greeks as preventive of danger when in the presence of a madman or an epileptic

• When a man hit another and felt remorse for the blow, he spit into the hollow of his hand, and thus freed the other from pain. This was a superstition of the middle Ages.

• Spitting to avert evil influences is still resorted to among country folks, and in some countries is almost considered a religious act.

• In Ireland it is considered unlucky to praise a horse or other animal unless you spit on him and say, ‘God save him’ or other similar prayer.If after three days, any bad luck befalls on the animal, it is necessary to find the person who praised him so that he may whisper the Lord's Prayer into the animal's right ear.

• Hucksters, peddlers, and other trades people, have a habit of fitting for good luck when making a sale. The first money they receive in the morning is spat upon to insure good luck for the day.

• It is customary in some parts when a rainbow appears to make a cross on the ground and spit on each of the four corners.

Source: Omen, Signs and superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Sneezing

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Sneezing

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

SNEEZING

• The Greeks and Romans had a number of formulas for sneezing, such as, "Long may you live!" "May you enjoy good health" "Jupiter preserves you!" 

• Sneezing was often considered a lucky omen among the ancients. Their history is full of events of importance which were ushered in by a sneeze. 

• In India, when a person sneezes, bystanders say, "Live!" and he replies, "With you!" 

• The Zulus believe that an angry spirit enters the body and that a sneeze is an effort of nature to expel it. 

• Aristotle believed that sneezing from noon till midnight was a good omen, but from midnight till the next noon was a sign of bad luck. 

• All nations have some formula for sneezing. The Germans say, ''Zur Gesundheit !" The English say, "God bless you!" The French say, ‘A vos souhaits' 

• If some one sneezes after you have made a statement, it places the seal of truth upon it and the statement may not be doubted. 

• According to mythology Prometheus made an artificial man, and the first sign of life he gave was to sneeze. It was through the nostril that life entered into his body. 

• In the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, there was an epidemic of sneezing, and many of the afflicted died. The pope thereupon declared that a certain prayer should be uttered every time a person sneezed, to avert the calamity. 

• To sneeze three times in rapid succession is considered a good omen. 

• Physiologically considered in the light of modern science, sneezing is bad, as it spreads the germs of many diseases by spraying them into the air. One should always sneeze into a handkerchief. 

Source" Signs, Omens and Superstitions Book

Signs of Good and Bad Luck

Signs of Good and Bad Lucks !

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the World ! Part V

• The Romans had a habit of casting into a stone every day, the color of the stone denoting whether the person was in good or bad luck. At the end of the year the stones were counted and a balance cast to see whether good or bad preponderated. 

• It is unlucky to be recalled after starting away on a voyage. At least a day should be allowed to elapse before starting out again. 

• To leave home and be compelled to come back for some article which was forgotten, is unlucky, unless you sit down for a moment before going out a second time.

• Carrying a crust of bread in one's pocket is considered lucky and brings prosperity. 

• If in eating you miss your mouth and the food falls, it is unlucky and denotes illness. 

• A bent coin or one with a hole in it, are often carried for good luck. A crooked sixpence is popular for this purpose in England. 

• In many rural districts it is customary to give back to a customer of com or cattle a small part of the money he has just paid. This is called "luck money." 

• In some countries the buyer gives the seller a small coin to insure his luck. 

• To count your gains is supposed to bring bad luck. To reckon on money you are to receive and lay out plans of spending it, is considered unlucky. One should never count one's chickens before they are hatched. 

• Burning tea leaves is supposed to bring good luck, but to bum the leaves of a rose is a bad omen. 

• Finding a four-leaf clover is a sure sign of good luck. It should be worn in the lapel or pinned to one's coat. 

• There is a legend that Eve on being ejected from Paradise took a four-leaf clover with her. 

• To pluck an ash leaf was considered lucky in olden times. 

• On meeting a person out on new business, it is well to salute him with "I wish you good luck." 

• It is bad luck to shake hands with any one across the table. 

• It is a bad omen to find the bellows on the dining table. 

• It is a sign of ill luck to find money and not spend it. It should be spent in a good cause, or given in charity. 

• "Set a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck. See a pin and leave it lay, you will have bad luck all the day." 

• It is lucky to throw a small coin into a well of drinking water. 

• To sit cross-legged is considered a sign of good luck. To cross one's fingers is another way of averting evil.

Source: Signs. Omens and Superstitions book

Superstitions on Christmas

Superstitions on Christmas

Interesting myths and superstitions around the world Part IV

• A festival corresponding to Christmas was held in Rome in honor of Bacchus, but with the advent of Christianity it changed its character and was solemnized to celebrate the birth of Christ, Many of the old pagan rites and superstitions still remain. 

• Mistletoe was held in high esteem by the druids and regarded with religious superstition. They used it in their incantations. It is used for decorating during Christmas, and is usually hung from the chandeliers. 

• A girl standing under a piece of mistletoe may be kissed by any man who finds her there. If she refuses to be kissed, she invites bad luck. If she be kissed seven times in one day, she will marry one of the lucky fellows within a year. 

• In olden days mistletoe was laid on the altars in churches as an emblem of the grace of the Savior, and betokened a prosperous year. 

• In York, England, mistletoe is laid upon the altar of the cathedral and the priest proclaims freedom to all wicked souls. 

• Evergreen leaves and boughs are also a relic of paganism, and are supposed to bring cheer and luck. 

• The Christmas tree is a survival of northern mythology and was first made popular in Scandinavian countries when they adopted Christianity. It symbolizes the ever green and abiding power of salvation. 

• Christmas candles probably had their origin in the Jewish festival of lights (Chanuca), which occurs at the same time. Lights are lit for seven days to commemorate the victories of the Maccabeus. 

• Yule logs are large logs of wood that are thrown into the grate to make the Christmas eve more festive. The flame is supposed to keep out evil influences. Christmas candles serve the same end. 

• To become engaged on Christmas eve, is a sure sign of a happy married life. 

• A child born on Christmas day will be free from care and very lucky. 

• St Nicholas, or Santa Claus is the patron saint of Christmas. He is supposed to come down the chimney with his pack on his back and distribute toys and gifts to old and young. The only way to secure his favor is to be good and obedient. 

• Kris Kringle is another name for Santa Claus. It is derived from the German "Krist Kindli" or Christ Child. He is represented as entering homes and making children happy on the '*Holy Night."

Source: Signs, Omens and Superstitions book

Superstitions concerning children

Superstitions concerning children 

Interesting myths and superstitions around world part III

• It is unlucky to measure a baby with a string or tape measure, as it may stop growing.

• To step over a young child is unlucky and may stunt its growth.

• To hand a child through an open window will stop the little one's growth.

• Children that cry a lot are sure to be lucky. They will develop fine eyes and broad shoulders. This does not apply where the crying is caused by illness or pain. 

• Women in pregnancy often refuse to take an oath before an officer of the court as it is supposed to influence the unborn child.

• It is supposed to be unlucky for a child to walk backward when going on an errand.

• In Scotland, when a young baby is taken out for its first airing, the mother or nurse gives something to eat to the first person she meets. This ensures the baby's good luck. It is called "the balm’s piece.

• When a child is taken from its mother and carried out of the bedroom for the first time, it is luckier to take it upstairs than down. If thereis no upstairs, the same effect can be accomplished by mounting a short elevation, a platfonn, or the rung of a ladder.

• When a baby is carried to church to be baptized, it should be carried by a woman who is known to have had good luck.

• When a baby is carried into a neighbor's house for the first time, it should be carried there by the mother herself, in order to insure good luck.

• First of all, however, the baby should be carried to church.

• A creeping child will have better luck than one that does not creep.

• When a very young baby smiles in its sleep, it is supposed to hold converse with the angels.

Source: Omens, Myths and Superstitions book

Wedding Superstitions - Very interesting !

Interesting myths and superstitions around world - Part II

• In some countries it is customary to throw money over the heads of the bride and groom as they come out of church, — it insures fortune. 

• In Scandinavian countries a speech is usually made at the wedding feast or a song is sung, which winds up in an unexpected crash. This sets everybody laughing and is a signal for general congratulations and good wishes. 

• It was formerly customary in Germany to carry old dishes outside of the door and break them in the street. If a single piece escaped demolition, It was considered a bad sign. 

• Sprinkling the bride with wheat is a lucky sign. It takes the place of rice in some sections. Both are considered emblems of fruitfulness. 

• Among the Slavs a can of beer is poured over the horse belonging to the bridegroom. 

• Flinging the stocking was an old custom on the bridal eve. The young men took the bride's stockings and the girls those of the groom, and threw them over their heads. If they fell upon the bride or groom to whom they belonged, the thrower was sure to be married soon. 

• In Yorkshire after the couple have gone away, they pours a kettle full of hot water on the stone before the front door in order that another wedding will soon occur from the same house.

• It is considered a sign of good luck if the bride does not walk into the groom's house, but is lifted over the sill by her nearest relatives. 

• In Brittany a girl who can secure the pins used to fasten the bride's dress, is sure of an early marriage. 

• It is considered unlucky for a pair to be married in church if there is an open grave in the church yard. 

• It is unlucky to be married in green. The wearing of orange blossoms at a wedding ensures good luck. 

• In the Middle Ages it was considered a bad omen if the couple met a cat, dog, lizard, serpent or har6; but to meet a wolf, spider or toad was a good sign. 

• It is unludqr for a bride to look into a mirror after she is completely dressed. Some article must be put on after she is through admiring herself. 

• The sneezing of a cat on the eve of a wedding is a lucky omen. 

• A man going to be married, who meets a male acquaintance, rubs his elbow to ensure good luck. 

• In China, if a bethrothal is being arranged, it is postponed in case anything unlucky, such as I the breaking of a vase or bowl or the loss of anything, occurs. 

• Among the Highlanders great care is taken that no dog runs between the couple on their way to be married. 

• It was formerly considered unlucky if the bride did not weep at her wedding. It portended tears later on. 

• A storm with thunder and lightning is a bad omen during a wedding ceremony. 

• To marry a man whose name begins with the letter J same letter as one's own is sometimes considered unlucky. 

• If a younger daughter chances to get married before her older sisters, the older girls should dance at her wedding barefoot. 

• A clot of soot coming down a chimney at a wedding feast is a bad omen. 

• If the bride accidentally breaks a dish at the wedding feast it is a bad sign. 

• A bird dying in his cage on the day after a wedding is a bad sign. A bird sitting on the window sill chirping is a good omen. 

• To meet a funeral either in going or coming from a wedding is always a sign of ill fortune. If the funeral is that of a male, it means an early death for the groom; if of a woman, the bride will soon die. 

• It is unlucky for a woman to read the marriage service entirely through. She will never get a husband. 

• Bees should be informed that a wedding is in progress and their hives decorated. It brings good luck.

• If at the wedding dinner an unmarried person sits between the bride and groom it means that there will soon be another wedding. 

• 7 Marriages on the last day of the year are considered lucky

• Easter engagements are said to foretell money, those at Ascension, health, those at Trinity, a big family, those at Whitsunday, peace and comfort at home. 

• Source: Omens, Myths and Superstitions book

Interesting Myths and superstitions around world - Part 1

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around world - Part 1

What is the beginning of superstitions? The most interesting question.

Man is in the middle of mysteries. Early man believed that all natural events are the work of either good spirit or bad spirit. Their ignorance and fear could be the birth place of superstitions. There is no country, which does not recognize customs, rites, usages and beliefs which have their origin in superstition.

Here are some of most popular and interesting superstitions around the world....

1. Fiji Islander, for example, believes that thunder is a sign of God's anger, and he falls flat on his face and mutters an invocation to appease the deity. To an enlightened European this becomes a superstition, yet this same European may wear an amulet or charm to ward off sickness or bad luck, and the Fiji Islander might be moved to laughter at the idea.

2. Among the Jews it was considered lucky to begin a journey on Tuesday, because in describing the third day of Creation, it is said: "God saw that it was good." On the other hand, it was thought unlucky to commence anything on Monday, when God omitted to say it was good.

3. Similarly Christians have a superstition that Friday is a bad day to begin an important work, because Christ was crucified on that day. The fear of sitting down with thirteen at table had its origin in the Last Supper and its sad ending.

4. It is considered bad to step over a child. This may have had its beginning when a careful father feared that in stepping over a child one might accidentally step on it and cripple it. To drive the lesson home more effectively, it was stated that stepping over a child would stunt its growth, and in that form it is still held in respect by many at the present time.

5. it is unlucky to sing before breakfast may have been taught by an indolent father who hated to have his morning slumbers disturbed by his daughter's singing, and so frightened her off by an admonition appealing to her fear. Every superstition can probably be traced to a similar cause.

6. The lady who will not go to a card party,unless she wears some particular amulet or jewel,The man who will not speculate or play cards without first touching his lucky coin or pocket-piece, the fisherman who spits on his bait for good luck, are all descendants of the primitive savage who tried by some secret method to force nature to be good to him.

One reason why superstition has not yet died out among intelligent people is because it is contagious. Children brought up in an atmosphere of credulity rarely rise above it. It is the hardest thing to shake off superstitious prejudices. They are interwoven with our thoughts that a very strong mind is required
to shake them off.

Interesting myths and Superstitions around world Part II .... Coming Soon