While sitting with my grandmother as she lay recuperating in the hospital, I surfed through my emails and landed on an online daily devotional. The pastor who wrote it was talking about people and their superstitions. So, ever the curious family member, I leaned over and asked Grandma if she had ever been superstitious.
“Your great grandfather was.” She said adamantly. “’Don’t rock an empty rocking chair.’ That was one of the many things he used to say.”
I was floored. I had never heard this part of our family history and was quite amazed by this new found revelation. So, as usual, I went to work. Here are a few superstitions I was able to unearth in order to share with you my loyal readers:
Superstitions and Old Wives Tales
o Playing with frogs will give you warts
o If you step on a crack, break your mother’s back
o A Cat can steal a baby’s breath in crib
o If you cross your eyes they will stay that way!
o If you drop any silverware, then guests will be coming.
o Knife=man. Fork=woman. spoon=child
o Sitting on concrete can have dire consequences
o Putting olive oil and pepper on a piece of cotton ball and putting it in the ear for ear aches
o Eating cookies gives you worms
o For single women–when peeling an apple, peel all in one piece from top to bottom or visa versa,(it has to be the whole peel), and then throw the peel over your left shoulder. When it lands on the floor look for a shape of a letter–it will be the letter of your future husband!!
o If your palm itches, you will receive money
o Throw salt over the shoulder if you have spilled it
o If you have hair on your stomach while you’re pregnant, you’ll have a boy.
o If you ate burnt toast it would give you curly hair
o Frowning causes wrinkle
o One can catch a cold just by being outside in the cold with a wet head!!!
o Sitting to close to a TV or video screens will make you go blind.
o If you play with fire you will wet the bed
o Eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away
o Don’t rock an empty rocking chair. Or you will have bad luck.
o Don’t do laundry on New Year’s Day, or someone in the family will die.
o If you drop a knife on the kitchen floor, company will be arriving from whichever way it is pointing.
o If you put a ring on a string and put it over a pregnant woman you can tell the sex of the unborn child!
o When you breastfeed you can’t get pregnant. (not true!)
o Wash blankets in May, you’ll wash someone away!
All I can say is, wow. Who knew?
S.