# Strange Superstitions/Practices **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475 "2005-05-18T20:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/61 "2005-05-20T12:33:39Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Also, a gift of knives must include a coin, too, but I can’t remember why. This reminds me of a custom my SCA and renaissance faire friends do. Since knives and swords are often given as gifts in this social circle, I’ve encounted many people who insist on giving a small coin to the giver, apparently it’s bad luck to be given a blade, but it’s OK if you “buy” a blade. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/62 "2005-05-20T13:43:05Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > This reminds me of a custom my SCA and renaissance faire friends do. Since knives and swords are often given as gifts in this social circle, I’ve encounted many people who insist on giving a small coin to the giver, apparently it’s bad luck to be given a blade, but it’s OK if you “buy” a blade. WAG: In lots of fantasy novels, an exile is given a sword or dagger, a small purse of coins and maybe a horse before being banished forever. Perhaps this is based on actual practice? In which case, being given a sword or dagger would be associated with bad stuff indeed. And even if it isn’t historical, I’m sure lots of SCA folks have read the same books. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/63 "2005-05-20T14:41:10Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > If I recall correctly, pork on New Years started in the South. Pork and sauerkraut on New Years appears to be a German tradition, via Pennsylvania. [Cite](http://www.fabulousfoods.com/holidays/newyears/ny.html): > [@](#): > > A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s day for good luck. All the Southerners I know eat black-eyed peas and collard greens. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/64 "2005-05-20T16:49:50Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > When you just barely make it through a yellow light, you kiss your hand and touch the dashboard (some people I know touch the roof of their car) > > Hold your breath when crossing bridges, going through tunnels. > > Touch the roof of the car with both hands when crossing bridges/tunnels (not the driver!) Ooo these all remind me. When going over a Texas gate (those areas on the road designed so cows/horses/other animals can’t get over and escape) everyone must raise their feet and out their hands on the roof to carry you over so trolls don’t get you. Okay, it was a summer camp thing. But it fits. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/65 "2005-05-21T03:08:36Z")
I do not like to leave magazines or books with people’s faces laying around with the face side up, so I usually turn them upside down. I get really annoyed if there are faces on both sides so I usually cover those. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/66 "2005-05-21T04:33:14Z")
> [@River Hippie](#): > > Putting your kayak on the roof rack backwards (stern first) is bad river mojo. This I’ve never heard of. We usually just put them however they fit together best so as to fit more boats on the rack. Actually, over the past few years, most of us have gotten pickups, so we don’t have to bother with racks at all. Where do you paddle? I also do the salt over the left shoulder thing. If I spill salt, I absolutely positively have to do it. I heard it has something to do with throwing salt in the eye of the devil. I wonder if there’s ever been a study on why perfectly rational people are compelled to do these things. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/67 "2005-05-21T11:06:06Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > You’re getting warmer. I believe it was actually[The Boer War](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/11/messages/901.html): So it was Dutchies shooting Poms, was it? But it still could have been a 98 Gewehr. I just know from a little informal test we set up one night when I was in the Army (using blanks, though) that the superstition was totally baseless assuming a well-skilled marksman (which I demonstrably am) with a good rifle. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/68 "2005-05-21T14:10:27Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Both my mom (of German, Swiss, and French stock) and dad often invoke the doctrine of “if you talk about someone, that person’s ears will start ‘burning’ as a consequence”. As do both of my (Indian) parents. Other ones we have: No shoes on the bed, its bad luck. A false compliment is worse than an insult – harks back to someone putting the “evil eye” on you with flattery, when in actuality, they’re jealous, or wish you ill. Conversely, if you accept an curse that’s put upon you, the curse will backfire and have the opposite effect to what the curser desired. If you travel on New Year’s Day, then you’ll spend the rest of the year travelling. Likewise, if you’re somewhere other than your home on New Year’s Day, you’ll end up spending a lot of time in that place. I thought that the coins in a gift purse was a strictly Indian tradition. Obviously not. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/69 "2005-05-21T17:59:12Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Never, ever, **ever** , remove the chickenbones from the RPCP. (Reactor Plant Control Panel) Chickenbones are good juju, and when they’re removed the plant scrammed, on its own, three times in 24 hours. Including one double dark (Which means that second reactor plant in the ship was scrammed as well, putting the ship dead in the water.). > > Don’t touch those chickenbones!!! I hope that’s an obscure Homer Simpson reference that even I don’t get… and not from real world experience. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/70 "2005-05-21T19:27:50Z")
I have to go hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs. I really don’t feel comfortable using solitaire programs that don’t let me set up the line-up 😉 My grandmother said it was unlucky to have peacock feathers in the house, because of the evil eye. I have a vase full of them anyway. The biggest one in my family is you don’t boast about something good that’s going to happen or it won’t happen, something will go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/71 "2005-05-21T23:05:40Z")
**Zyada** told me that whenever she has a loose eyelash, she drops it on the back of her hand, makes a wish, and blows it away. Now I do it too. I do show a little OCD (two switches controlling one light have to be set up in the right positions!), but don’t really have any well-structured superstitions. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/72 "2005-05-21T23:43:33Z")
Why do we clink glasses when drinking together? Every culture seems to do this! ---
**Author:** ![Acetylsalicylic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Acetylsalicylic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acetylsalicylic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475/73 "2005-05-21T23:55:28Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Never, ever, ever, remove the chickenbones from the RPCP. (Reactor Plant Control Panel) Chickenbones are good juju, and when they’re removed the plant scrammed, on its own, three times in 24 hours. Including one double dark (Which means that second reactor plant in the ship was scrammed as well, putting the ship dead in the water.). > Don’t touch those chickenbones!!! Something. Something. That post brought to mind a dim and distant memory, but for the life of me, I don’t know what. A Superstition: If you don’t get pulled over while speeding past a police officer, you must give the “peace sign” to the next oncoming vehicle you see (of course, the recipient is likely to misinterpret.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-superstitions-practices/304475.md?page=3)