# Country Superstitions



## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

I know this has been on HT before, but it's a fun topic.

Country superstitions...?

My mom and grandma always said that
--if your nose itches, you're going to have company.
--if your ears burn or itch, someone's talking about you.
--if your palms itch, you're going to get some money.
--if you get a sudden shiver, someone just stepped on your (future) grave.
--never take an old broom into a new house when you move in, always buy a new broom.

Got any like these?


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

Knives make unlucky gifts, so you always ask the person to pay you a penny or nickle or whatever, before giving them a knife.

Prickling or tingling in your thumbs means you better watch out and start praying, something wicked is coming your way.

Sing before breakfast and you'll cry before dinner.

Never rock an empty rocking chair, it will bring bad luck.

Never put shoes or a hat on the bed, that will also bring bad luck.

Dandelions gathered from a churchyard at Easter had more power and made better wine!

Granny could charm burns, so there was all that, plus we had the standard ones about black cats, ladders, throwing salt. I will try to think of more of the odd ball ones as the day goes by.


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## Quint (Nov 12, 2004)

Never open an umbrella in the house as it means someone is going to die.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

If it rains and the sun is shining, the devil is beating his wife.


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## Horselover (Mar 22, 2006)

It brings bad luck to a person to enter their house through one door and exit through another door. I am not into superstitutions but think it is just good manners to exit the door you enter through.

If a man comes to your door on New Year's Day before 12 noon he brings good luck. If a woman comes----bad luck.


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## southrngardngal (Oct 18, 2005)

Country Lady said:


> If it rains and the sun is shining, the devil is beating his wife.


Or it will rain the same time tomorrow.

If you drop a dishcloth on the floor, someone is coming hungry.
Never say "thank you" for a plant someone is giving you if you do the plant will die.. 

sgg-Jan


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

My nose itches
I smell peaches
Somebody's coming
with a hole in their britches!


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## Chuck (Oct 27, 2003)

If you borrow a man's pocket knife, never close it before handing it back to him. I'm not sure why, but in WV, this is a biggie.


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## booklover (Jan 22, 2007)

I can give you some from Turkey. I know each country has very different superstitions.

- Before handing a knife to someone, spit on the blade to assure that the receiver isn't killed by a sharp blade.

- 40 days after someone dies, the family comes together. At 40 days, the meat of the corpse is falling off of the bone, so you are gathered together to wish the meat an easy separation from the bone.

- similarly, at birth, fingernails are not cut for 40 days. 40 days seems to have a spiritual relevance, due to the flood of Noah (which is also part of the Koran and Islam).

- In the "spirit" of death... they don't make graveyards larger in acreage, they bury people on top of each other. Making the graveyard larger will cause more deaths.

- Lying or napping under certain trees portends your death (I think walnut or fig trees).

- If your feet itch, you will be going on vacation soon.

- (Like many western traditions) - rapping your knuckles on wood is good luck.

- Beware the evil eye. To protect, place around the house and pin a talisman on baby's clothing to ward off the evil eye.

- And my absolute favorite because dh's family do this every time we leave Turkey... throw a glass of water after the travelers that they will return soon for a visit! (That one almost makes my eyes tear up.)


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## RichieC (Aug 29, 2007)

edayna said:


> I know this has been on HT before, but it's a fun topic.
> 
> Country superstitions...?
> 
> ...


What if your tallywhacker itches?


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

RichieC said:


> What if your tallywhacker itches?


you've already had a strange visitor


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

If you play with fire, you'll wet the bed.
If a bird flies and hits a window, someone in the house is going to die.


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## PineRidge (May 2, 2006)

From my father- If the man/men of the house said "happy new year" first, it was bad luck, the men had to tell the women first.

One of my Mom's favorites- If you are walking down the street with someone and you both walk on different sides of a sign (or parking meter, tree, etc.) you had to say "bread and butter" to bring the two sides back together, if you didn't then something would seperate you.

I hope explained that one right :shrug:


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## dixiegal62 (Aug 18, 2007)

Chuck said:


> If you borrow a man's pocket knife, never close it before handing it back to him. I'm not sure why, but in WV, this is a biggie.


really? around here its never close a knife someone else has opened.


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## NWoods_Hippie (Nov 16, 2006)

I was always told by my Grandma that if the palm of your right hand itches you are going to get money, but if it is your left palm that is itching DON'T scratch it or you will lose money!

A few more that I can think of off the top of my head:

When sweeping the floor don't sweep the broom over your own feet or you will get sick.
Nose itch = kiss a fool.
Don't eat anything that had feathers on New Years day or your "new" luck will fly away.

Margie


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

"Blackeye peas and ham hocks on new years day brings good luck"!
Only good luck I ever seen from them is I like blackeye peas and ham hocks and to have them that one day is lucky if you likeum, if you don't likeum they are just somemore bad luck. :shrug:


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## ajharris (Jan 26, 2006)

RichieC said:


> What if your tallywhacker itches?



Then you know you have squatted in poison ivy.


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## paul (Sep 14, 2002)

Being superstitious causes bad luck.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

PineRidge said:


> From my father- If the man/men of the house said "happy new year" first, it was bad luck, the men had to tell the women first.
> 
> 
> 
> I hope explained that one right :shrug:


 :shrug: Don't understand this one.


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## DianeWV (Feb 1, 2007)

What a fun thread! Tallywhackers and all!!  


Never tell someone about a bad dream you had the night before, without eating breakfast first, or the dream will come true.

Grandpa used to say about the weather-if a beaver lodge has more sticks on the northside versus the southside, you are in for a long, bad winter.

Grandma never accepted money for saved seeds she gave away, she would say they won't sprout.

Happy New Year!!!


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## doohap (Feb 23, 2003)

Find a penny, pick it up 
and all day long you'll have good luck.

Find a penny, let it lay
bad luck you'll have all through the day.



Peace and Luck,
doohap


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## MyHomesteadName (Dec 2, 2006)

PyroDon said:


> you've already had a strange visitor


LMAO


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Bad Luck to burn Sassafras.

If an Owl roost on a house someone will die within.

big rockpile


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## Gercarson (Nov 2, 2003)

Wow - I MUST be "country" because so many of these I grew up with. I did always hear that if you used someone's knife and you opened it, you had to close it before handing it back - or, if it was open when you got it, it had to be open when you gave it back.
We could never watch a vistor till they were "out of sight" because they wouldn't come back. If a rooster crows in an open window (flys onto the sill) someone will die (actually happened to my knowledge once). Never accept a plant cutting it wouldn't live (had to "steal it"). Sweeping a floor after dark was bad luck. If a lady saw a flock of crows she would "shake her dress" at them - sure to get a new dress.
I guess lives were just a bit too tad more interesting before TV.


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