One Superstition A Week
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Don’t Open An Umbrella Indoors
I first realized the dreadful repercussions of opening an umbrella indoors on a rainy day in high school. My classmates and I were about to take an oral exam in German, an activity traumatizing enough by itself, when an absentminded student opened his umbrella inside the school building. All shrieked in horror. While I didn’t fail the exam, I didn’t take it with a grade I was proud of.
Aside from my personal experience with this superstition, the meaning of opening umbrellas indoors seems to have quite the history. “The myth goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians,” writes Ariel Kana. The people in Egypt used to wear umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. If they opened the umbrellas indoors, where the sun didn’t shine, they were offending Ra, their sun god.
So whether you are using an umbrella to block the rain or the sun, just make sure you open it after you have stepped out on the street.
Photo credit: FriskoDude
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The Many Stories Your Hands Can Tell
I’ve always believed that one’s hands, more so than one’s eyes, are a window to the soul. You will probably agree that the appearance of one’s hands can tell stories about who this person is and how she lives her life. But aside from palm reading as fortune-telling, have you considered that the sensation in one’s hands can tell stories about the future?
“When your left hand itches,” my grandmother always says, “you will receive money. If your right palm itches, you’ll have to pay money.” Although to you this superstition might sound a lot like you have picked the Chance card in a game of Monopoly, it’s something that my family would think about seriously. Maybe this explains why I have always considered left-handed people lucky!
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Bad Luck: Sweeping over Someone’s Feet with a Broom
Someone sweeping over your feet just got dangerous—not only is it unpleasant, but it also brings you bad luck.
To me, the act of sweeping itself symbolizes getting rid of the negative and is therefore not something you should bring to another person. However, the origins of this superstition can actually be traced back to the broom lore.
Historically, brooms have been associated with magic and power. In China, apparently, the broom is linked to the goddess Sao Ch’ing Niang or Sao Ch’ing Niang-Niang. In some cultures, the broom can be used for protection and warding off bad spirits. In other cultures, it embodies black magic and witchcraft.
Clearly, human civilizations overflow with occult stories around the broom and its different uses. However, I grew up knowing only one—that someone sweeping over your feet will bring you bad luck. Now that I do more reading around this superstition, I see that the bad luck translates to never getting married.
Photo credit: spengy
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Mismatched Socks Bring Good Luck
Is it too early in the morning for you to match your socks? That is quite alright because mismatched socks bring good luck.I’m not sure where this superstition originated from since non-Bulgarians seem to also recognize it. But then again, everyone knows that different colors and patterns symbolize merriment and unpretentiousness. It’s even more fun when this cacophony of colors is happening around your feet!
I’ve known about this superstition since I was a kid. One morning, when I was still in high school, I was about to walk out of our apartment wearing two different socks. My mom stopped me and gave me a disapproving look. “Where do you think you are headed with mismatched socks on your feet?” she asked. I didn’t want to admit I couldn’t find a pair that matched. “It’s for good luck,” I responded. “Oh, ok,” she said and released me without any further interrogation.
Ever since then, I’ve been convinced—mismatched socks bring good luck (or, at the very least, will save you from arguments with your mom).
Photo Credit: chaim zvi
