Superstitions On Friday The 13th
With today being Friday the 13th the thought of sharing my superstitions just fit. Some of these you may class as an “old wives tale”. But I believe they fall under superstitions.
Superstition is defined as a “widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck.”
A lot of families know about superstitions, whether they are to be believed or not. They are told to us from a young age like fables and it’s something that has personally stuck with me and always interested me. I’ve seen variations throughout different regions, of knowing about one superstition more than another. I’d love to know if you’ve heard about any of these before or are superstitious about them yourself.
Luck Comes In Threes
I’ve heard this expressed for both good and bad luck. The idea is that one of those forms of luck comes to you in three. For example I had a positive outlook from my hospital appointment, positive news within the family and positive results in my work place. I always heard this expression from my grandma and mum. My grandma would say when luck comes in threes it’s like you are being reminded of the hard work you’ve put in. It’s something that’s always stuck with me. More often than not, I will doubt myself and with the rough time I’ve been going through health wise it wasn’t until today when my boss gave me good news I was reminded about luck comes in threes.
Knock Wood
Also known as “touch wood”. It comes after you’ve said something positive. I could say “everything is going to plan” so I’d knock wood to carry it on and ward of jinxing myself or gaining any bad luck. I’ve done this ever since I was a little girl. I can’t remember who taught it me as everyone in my family does it. I feel this is a very common superstition amongst families. Whether you believe it or not, there’s that niggle that tells you to do it.
Fingers Crossed
Another common one a lot of families pass down. This is one I don’t believe in for myself but I always do it for other people. You’ll hear “keep your fingers crossed for me” and it’s just an instinct to do that for them. I feel this a universal superstition, as it’s derived from Christianity. It’s all about good luck and that too makes it more instinctive to do.
Putting A Coin In A New Purse / Wallet
This is another passed down from my grandma. Putting a coin in a new purse or wallet when you gift one to someone is a sign of giving that person luck in that their purse/wallet will never be empty. I always put a silver coin in as that was what I was told to do. Each time I research or ask why it is to be a silver coin I get many different answers.
Magpies
They are the most common bird to be linked with a superstition. There is a well known rhyme that will tell you what your luck would be dependant on how many you’ve seen.
“One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told.” Another I grew up with and have carried on myself. It’s more that I believe in the one for sorrow meaning bad luck. Some people believe that the bad luck is cancelled out if more than one person sees it. So funnily enough my friends and family hear me say “did you see that magpie on its own there, please tell me you do”.
That’s just a few superstitions I believe in, I’m actually really interested to know if you believe in them or if there are any you do that are not here. Comment below or catch me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
As always, thanks for reading…