Thread: Superstitions

I was interested about superstitions, how 'international' they are and where do they come from. Here's some list. Feel free to add/comment.

Sign: a black cat crossing your way
Sign: you've gone somewhere and returned (forgotten something)
Meaning: (bad) Generally, bad luck on your way

Sign: a broken mirror
Sign: a bird flew in the window
Meaning: (very bad) Anticipate a deadman

Sign: whistling indoors
Sign: running water in your bathroom in your absense
Meaning: (bad) Expect the loss of money

Sign: spilled salt
Meaning: expect some quarrel

Sign: you've stepped into a pile of sh|t or a bird dropped it on you
Meaning: (good) Expect some money

Sign: dropped a knife
Meaning: (neutral) some man will come (some believe that if a fork or a spoon was dropped then a woman will come)

Sign: saw a spider
Meaning: (neutral) Expect some message

I hope this list will be continued.

As far as I know, it's considered a very bad sign in England to open an umbrella on the doorstep and placing new shoes on the table. Is it true and is there anything else?

How about 13-th numbers, handshaking across doorstep?

Чихнуть - на правду
Встретить женщину с пустым ведром - не к добру.
Увидеть похороны - к добру.
Нельзя есть с ножа - станешь злым

Самая страшная примета: чёрная кошка пустым ведром бъёт зеркало.

Actually I'm interested in whether the listed superstitions are widespread outside Russia or are they known in Russia only.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Самая страшная примета: чёрная кошка пустым ведром бъёт зеркало.

Actually I'm interested in whether the listed superstitions are widespread outside Russia or are they known in Russia only.

A good one!

вот тут
http://masterrussian.net/mforum/viewtop ... n&start=30

было немного на ту же тему

When you leave somewhere after forgetting something, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and blow a kiss at yourself, and then say how much you love yourself aloud.~ According to my crazy Ukrainian Latin Teacher...
But I don't want to be a Narcissist!

No, you should look at the mirror, fix your hair, say hello to your reflection and smile (According to my grandma, anima quiescat in Christo)

Oh... that explains my bad luck.... hers as well .... maximas gratias tibi ago.

My Russian husband makes me crazy with the superstitions. He went completely ape when I put 6 roses in a vase on the table. I told him I've been doing this for years in America with no problems and no bad luck!

It is because you never believed it. Now you have a pretty good chance to come to believe it if he reminds you of that all the time.

Sorry, no chance I'll ever believe. In America we usually don't take superstitions seriously. We know them from our grandmothers (who are sometimes from other countries) but most young people consider them foolish and old fashioned (grandma and her superstitions ).

Sign: a broken mirror
Sign: a bird flew in the window
Meaning: (very bad) Anticipate a deadman

The broken mirror, I've always heard, bring 7 years of bad luck.

Hearing an owl hoot means something important is about to happen

Dreaming of a death means someone close to you will get married

Also, I always look for hawks when I'm about to go on a trip because they're a sign of good luck.

It's sort of fun trying to figure out where and how they originated, if one has a lot of time on their hands that is.

Dreaming of a death means someone close to you will get married

Whose death in this case? I dreamt of different deaths, but do I have so many close people who might marry?

I just wished to add that there are numerous professional superstitions. Actors, sportsmen, musicians, hunters - everyone has their superstitions.

quite a few of the ones you listed also work in Poland, perhaps with a slightly different meaning.
If a black cat crosses your way, it means you're gonna have a really bad luck
If you break a mirror, it means you'll have 7 unlucky years
The spilled slat also means someone is going to quarell
If anyone drops a knife (or any other cutlery for that matter) it means that someone hungry will come
I think I've heard some superstition about whistlng indoors, but can't remember exactly what it meant.

oh, and btw, you're all wrong, when you forget sth and get back for it, you're supposed to sit for at least 2 minutes on a chair

Originally Posted by kamka

quite a few of the ones you listed also work in Poland, perhaps with a slightly different meaning.

That reminds me, I had my bag sitting on the floor once and a Polish woman picked it up and told me something like "a purse on the floor is always empty" (meaning without money). Now I keep it off the floor and my wallet is still empty [/quote]

Originally Posted by Amber

Originally Posted by kamka

quite a few of the ones you listed also work in Poland, perhaps with a slightly different meaning.

That reminds me, I had my bag sitting on the floor once and a Polish woman picked it up and told me something like "a purse on the floor is always empty" (meaning without money). Now I keep it off the floor and my wallet is still empty

[/quote]

yeah. My mom always told me that money runs away from a purse sitting on the floor one of my favourite superstitions. And I guess one of the few that I actually follow out of habit, even though don't really believe it

Originally Posted by JB

My Russian husband makes me crazy with the superstitions. He went completely ape when I put 6 roses in a vase on the table. I told him I've been doing this for years in America with no problems and no bad luck!

------------------------------------------------
It's not exactly a superstition. It doesn't forebode any bad luck or something, as far as I know.
The thing is that in Russia the even number of flowers is permitted ONLY on funerals (I think the only exeption is one dozen), so probably your husband just didn't get a good vibe from it. Probably you won't be happy either if he decorates your dinner table with little coffins.

JB: My Russian husband makes me crazy with the superstitions. He went completely ape when I put 6 roses in a vase on the table. I told him I've been doing this for years in America with no problems and no bad luck!

Тут ничего не поделаешь: в русско-американском доме придётся иметь двойное количество суеверий, тринадцатое число в понедельник и Friday the 13 включительно.