There are many durable superstitions here in Russia. Like: * Spilled salt - to trouble or to quarrel. Protective action - throw pinch of scattered salt into the four corners of the room or throw it over left shoulder. * Black cat crossed your path - your plans will fail. Protective action - spit over left shoulder and better choose another path. * Met a woman with an empty bucket(s) - to bad luck. Protective action - turn back, spit three times over left shoulder, cross fingers. * Broken mirror - to seven years of misfortune, to illnesses or even to death. Protective action - collect all shards and throw away as far from home as possible. * Knock on wood to protect against the evil eye. * To put horseshoe over the main entrance door to repel bad luck. ... This last one mentioned in anecdote about Niels Bohr:
Walking under a ladder (Although not a terrible one as you may avoid an accident by not doing so if someone drops something from top of ladder) Stepping on cracks in the pavement Passing on the stairs (Again quite sensible not to do) The gf has to say good morning or good afternoon to any Magpie birds she sees.... it even has a rhyme, not sure why Again with Magpies, depending on the number you see together it means something here One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy
Yeah, superstitions concerning girls and relationships are a whole own brunch. They are more modern, more urban so to speak.
Ahem..some from my natal country Bride stumbles on the way to church..no longer a virgin and troublesome marriage. Your ear "whistle" , somebody badmouthing you. Itch on the right palm - will spend money, itch on the left palm-will receive money. Sweaty palms - you will be punished for something you did. Owl hooting near a house, somebody will die from that house. In Spain on New Year's Eve you eat 12 grape berries for bringing good luck
There are exactly the same superstitions here too. All I can say regarding the black cat ones is that I had several crossing my path over the years, also my neighbor has 2 of them with which I regularly play and feed so yea... :giggle2:
I just remembered about superstitions learned in my years in university. Not the students` ones which are plenty. I studied technical cybernetics in the field of air and space vehicles. And we spent some time at real enterprises as trainees. There we learned that even astronauts, designers and workers of ground services all have their own branch of superstitions.
