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Tue 17 Feb, 2004 02:20 pm
I was just wondering if anyone has any interesting stories about superstitions or old wives tales that they have seen in practice today, or at least not too long ago.
I remember when I was a kid, if I ever got a headache, and it was accompanied by a ringing in the ears, this was considered "the evil eye" by my grandmother. She would then do some weird ritual where she'd fill a bowl with olive oil and water, and then say some prayer, and if the oil parted in a certain way it would in fact mean that someone had put the evil eye on me, and the spell would be broken by that ritual. It's an old Italian thing.
Anyone else have any stories to share?
I remember years ago. Someone in the family died. Their body was brought home, my Mother covered all the windows and mirrors in the house. I happened to uncover one of the mirrors, and to my amazment everyone started to cry and shout at me. This puzzled me until my Mother told me through tears, that looking in the mirror meant as one body was going out, another would be coming in. I'll tell you it scared the hell out of me for months after that
If I don't make a monetary offering to that idol next to the parking space, I am liable to face repercussions at the hand of one of the cities low-ranked priests. You know, the ones with the dark uniforms and funny hats...
LOL!! thats the funniest thing i have heard for quite a while patiodog
so you'll forgive the use of "cities" instead of "city's"?
(sorry for the thread hijack)
Knocking on wood is still widely practiced (around here at least) and it seems more and more people are knocking on their own heads for wood since wood is so much harder to find close at hand recently as well.
Wood? I thought your heads where made of chowda over there...
Hockey players are so superstitious. They don't shave, wash uniforms...on second thought, i think this probably applies to most jocks.
chowdah, yeah thats us
unless of course you fall into the zippah head catagory that is
That's nothing to do with superstition, ceili. The hockey's just an excuse...
There's a water clock/fountain thing at a local shopping centre. There are plenty of coins in the water and the kids wanted to know why. I explained that it's a very ancient tradition, throwing items of value into water (especially running water) and it ensures good luck.
Straight away I was digging in my pocket for change so the two could chuck something in. Therefore everything good that happened for the rest of the day was attributed to this ritual offering. For myself I'm not sure how much good luck a five-cent piece is worth, but do understand that the coins are collected and donated to the local area health service.
Many people tell me they read their horoscope just for kicks; not gullible enough to believe any of it. But, just watch them as they read. They all try to fit the day's horoscope into their own situation.
My family didn't have any superstitions but I'm checking in because I love hearing about them.
More please.
My mom told me that if my left hand itches I will find money. Fifteen minutes after she told me that I found a dollar bill lying near a creek. At the time I came near to believing the superstition because of that.
truth
Yes, Edgar. I don't think people would get any "kick" at all from horoscopes if they did not believe at some level of awareness.
What about the MODERN superstitution that cold causes colds. It's viruses that do it.
Yep. Or the one that says exposing cancer to air during an operation is what causes the disease to grow at an excelerated pace.
I had a girl friend who dumped me because I was the wrong astrological sign and she decided that the prospects for a long term relationship were poor. That in part explains why she is nearly fifty and never had a long term relationship. never mind marriage.
At the risk of hijacking the thread, I want to mention a man I worked for in Manhattan in 1968. He firmly believed his astrology. But, he had a skewed vision of humankind, particularly the non black kind. He would ask people their signs and then watch them furtively, ascribing to each only the negative side of the signs. Many is the time he would mutter to me, "That one's no goood." And then he would tell me why, all couched in astrological terminology.
When you read "born under this sign, you are...." you notice that everyone born under the conventional signs is a delightful person.
Do you suppose the non-delightful people were born under strange skies and delivered by flying saucer?
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