Strange Superstitions

LarryBS -- Thanks, that is the same book, but I don't want it badly enough to pay over $200 for it. I'll just make do with my memories of it.

Wow some interesting ones here. I know so many people with black cats, I don't consider it a superstition any more. The opal thing I've heard a lot and have hesitated to tell it to a dear friend who loves them, and even bought a black opal in Australia. I have a silver/opal ring my parents bought me as a teen in Mexico, I stopped wearing it, just because I had other rings I preferred. I'm going to pass it along to my cousin born in October when she turns 14, just because I think she'll like it and will be old enough, etc. I also think I read about the pearl thing in Anne of Green Gables, because she was given a pearl engagement ring and Marilla objected because of the association with tears.

We have a lot of superstitions on both sides of our families. My mom has this one thing she got from a friend though. She won't pick up her own glove if she drops it. Her friend apparently will ask strangers and/or passers by, or will even leave a glove that's been dropped on the street because she believes it is such bad luck. My Italian relatives and an unrelated co-worker have this thing about birds being bad luck. And my Jewish grandmother occasionally reverted to a cultural/Yiddish tradition of whisphering an illness not saying it out loud per susperstition you could catch it, etc. This is quite well illustrated in the Neil Simon play based movie "Brighton Beach Memoirs."

My aunt (my mom's childhood best friend) has this thing her family are descended from the tribe (of the 12 tribes) that were high priests (I think it's the Levites) and it is bad luck for them to go into cementaries because of it. Let me tell you I have no clue if it is any way remotely true, but her son has used that one for years to get out of going to funerals. There's also the whole do not walk across a grave but around it, which can be both difficult and awkward depending on the terrain. Also the practice of leaving marker stones on top of the head stone, was picked up by my Italian family, until my uncle forbid it; insisted the stones were damaging the granite.

I believe that in Victorian times, taking photos of your dead relatives, posed and all in life-like scenes was quite common. Anyone have any info on that?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=victorian+times+%22photographing+dead%22

Here is a search I did that doesn't have any single article, but a few articles that deal with the subject!

Don't know if it was missed in my other post but in the movie "The Others" with Nicole Kidman, she discovers a photo album and in it are people who seem to be asleep. They're sitting up in chairs and in beds, in full dress, men, women, entire families. There's even a shot of twins, holding hands. Her housekeeper explains that these people are not asleep but dead, and it was common to photograph deceased relatives. That's what sparked this particular discussion, seeing the movie and then remembering the photos my mother kept wrapped in tissue paper and tucked away of two great aunts in their caskets.
The wardrobe of the deceased in "The Others" was indeed Victorian.

Edithdoll, Whispering illnesses and opals. These I've heard of. The Levites not going into cemetaries is new to me and deserving of some thought. How do they bury their dead? Does no on show up at the funeral? Strange superstition, indeed.

eoe, It seems to me that photographing the dead is more of a tradition than a superstition. If it is a superstition, it's a very new one. It hasn't been that long that photographs have been in existence.

Hi Robert and Nextone --

They don't observe it, I think it's just a tale/superstitution they like to tell, especially her son when he was a kid.

However, I think generally they said it did not apply to their families but to families of others -- I only remember her and her son mentioning it at our funerals, not of their relatives. Particularly my grandfather's funeral in 1980, I remembered Levites specifically since my great grandfather's name was Levy, I asked my mom about it and she said in consrast, our family was descended from Israelites -- Of course she was so distraught who knows what she was saying. We can't even clearly explain what happened when people immigrated to the U.S. on either of my mom's sides, let alone trace history to a tribe -- so there you go.

Hi Nextone, Welcome to a2k. I've known a few Koheins in my time. None of them appeared to be averse to showing up at a cemetary. I'll ask one of my friends.

Edithdoll, A superstition traced back to the twelve tribes of Israel would have to be one of the older superstitions around. I think you're right that with all the travel and relocating, it would be impossible to determine the origins of such beliefs.

My family superstitions
Hi everyone! I am new to this, but I wanted to post because this topic is so interesting. My grandmother and mother are VERY superstitious about washing clothes on New Years day. They both say that when my grandmother was a child in England, a gypsy came around and cursed my great-grandmother for washing clothes on New Years day. 10 days later my grandmother's brother died. So now, NO ONE in my family does laundry on New Years because of the bad luck. I'm not sure if this is just a family thing or its an old superstition....Anyone care to comment?

Hi Missferly - welcome to A2K!

That's a new one to me. Though any excuse to not do laundry will do! I personally don't do laundry in the rain... (because I have to carry it outdoors between the laundry room and my building).

Misserfly,

Welcome. I have a feeling that the New Year's Day laundry thing is a curse, not a superstition. But I'll keep it in mind, should I ever be inclined to do laundry on New Year's Day.

I'm glad you think this subject is interesting. You say that your family has many superstitions. Care to share some others with us?

Ahh - this thread revives!

I have read that the Navajo tribe of Arizona and New Mexico believe a dead person's ghost will inhabit the building where it died. These then become taboo and dangerous (since ghosts are dangerous) and are left deserted. Because of this it is said that a dying person will ask to be taken outside to die out-of-doors so that the home does not need to be given up.

Thanks for the warm welcome!


Oh man, I have NO idea how that html stuff works. Oh well! Here are a few more of my family's superstitions. I'm sure you all have heard of them, but I'll post some on here anyway. Cemetaries: when you pass one, you are supposed to hold your breath and cross your fingers. Tunnels: hold your breath while you go through and you'll get a wish. Ladders: NEVER walk under a ladder. Coins: if you find one thats tails side up, leave it there. If you find one thats heads side up, pick it up and you will have good luck. I know there are more, but I can't remember them right now, when I do, I'll post them......

I keep telling myself I don't believe in superstitions, but when I found my handmirror broken, I was really hoping it hadn't been one of my children that broke it...

We eat loads of hoppin' john on New Year's Day. Something to do with prosperity in the new year.

I have scatted a few black cats from walking in front of me.

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I think photos of dead people are gruesome. My mother's side thinks it is deplorable, and my father's side practically keeps a dead people photo album. I put mementos in the coffins of family members. I couldn't tell you why. Nobody else in the family does this. I bet they think I'm gruesome.
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I always thought the walking under ladders was easily explained. Obviously, alot of people had stuff fall on them...

Sofia, is hoppin' john the same thing as black-eyed peas? On New Year's Day in South Louisiana, you are supposed to eat black-eyed peas (for good health? I think) and cooked cabbage for wealth in the new year.

Have we talked about knocking on wood? I do that one daily.

macsm--

Yep. Hoppin' John is black-eyed peas served over rice. I've heard of the cabbage thingie, but for some reason, my family just kept the Hoppin' John tradition.

Once, when I was in my teens, an elderly lady stopped me in a restaurant and told me the hem of my dress was turned up in the back. I started to fix it, and she acted upset, "No, kiss it!"

Well, since kissing it would involve me showing my behind, I smiled, but just turned the hem down. She scowled at me and my mother. Mom said it must be some superstition. Does anybody know this one?

Nope, never heard about kissing the hem of your skirt before.

How about the 5-second rule for eating candy that fell on the floor? (i.e. it was only there for less than five seconds so you can still pick it up and eat it)?

I've heard of it and seen it in practice, but don't subscribe.
(Germ phobia.)

I became furious with George Costanza (Seinfeld) when he revealed the 'Sitting Atop Garbage in the Can is Not The Same as Sitting in the Garbage Can' Rule. I boycotted the show for the rest of the season. (Thank goodness for reruns.)

I don't remember that Seinfeld episode. He ate food from the garbage can? Ick.

And FYI, I don't use that 5 second rule myself, I've just seen it, too. :wink: