Happy Friday the 13th! And other superstitions.
Paraskevidekatriaphobics!
What is this?
A morbid fear of Friday the 13th!
And on this particularly supersitious day, I thought you might enjoy hearing about wives' tales from a few other countries.
Here goes...
And on this particularly supersitious day, I thought you might enjoy hearing about wives' tales from a few other countries.
Here goes...
If you are in Italy and a cat sneezes, you are in for some good luck.
In other words, go to Italy armed with a bunch of pepper. Then look around for cats.
If you are in England, make sure you slice your bread evenly. Otherwise, people will think you've been telling lies.
Or...make life easy on yourself, and buy pre-sliced bread.
If you happen to be in Korea the night before a big test, don't wash your hair. Or you'll fail the test. Because you washed away the memories of what you studied.
This could be a good excuse for a student in any country who fails a test. "Ooops. I forgot and washed my hair last night. My bad."
If you're in Turkey and come across a spider inside your house, you'll soon have guests showing up.
However, don't expect me to come knocking at your door. I'm not a big fan of spiders.
And last but not least, here's a superstition from my own homeland. If you happen to find yourself living in Canada, and a neighbor brings you a plate of food, return the plate dirty. Or else bad luck will befall you.
Apparently, this superstition only holds true for the Prairie Provinces. I'm from Ontario, and I've never heard of it. But I do like it; one less thing to add to my to-do list.
Disclaimer: I have no idea how accurate these superstitions are. And all the pics are from Google Images. Happy Friday the 13th!
sources:
http://www.utne.com/2006-05-01/FoodSuperstitions.aspx
http:://www.eu-forums.com/tourism/superstitions-in-different-countries-t2356.html
http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/superstitions/korea.htm
http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/superstitions/turkey.htm
http://www.fedpubs.com/subject/canada/traditions.htm
sources:
http://www.utne.com/2006-05-01/FoodSuperstitions.aspx
http:://www.eu-forums.com/tourism/superstitions-in-different-countries-t2356.html
http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/superstitions/korea.htm
http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/superstitions/turkey.htm
http://www.fedpubs.com/subject/canada/traditions.htm
Posts
I've never heard about the dirty plate thing either. Hmm I think Ontario should adopt that superstition stat!
ReplyDeleteThat plate one made me cringe!
ReplyDeleteChantal, I wonder if there are superstitions particular to Ontario?
ReplyDeleteSarakastic, I know! I should've found a less gross picture. Yuck.
ReplyDeleteIf I lived in England, I’d have a reputation as a terrible liar. As it is, I have a reputation as one who seriously mangles the cutting of a loaf of bread. Particularly with a loaf of malt bread. Quite the slant.
ReplyDeleteAnd, hey, thanks for the reminder that it’s Friday the 13th. The day is a bit of a horror – I’m doing my taxes!
I've never heard the one about slicing bread unevenly being a sign of a liar - in England or anywhere else. However, if you eat your crusts, it will make your hair curl!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have to defend the Prairie Provinces. I have never heard of the dirty plate thing, so leave Alberta out of it ;) I am not sure which is worse, the spider or the dirty plate...the spider I think. If I find them in my house, they are dead (once I get my heart going again).
ReplyDeleteBeth: Good luck with your taxes. May you get back thousands (to help pay for all your house repairs!). ;)
ReplyDeleteSue, I have heard the curly hair + bread crusts superstition before, but I'd forgotten all about it. Thanks for the reminder. Much nicer than calling people liars based on how they slice bread!
ReplyDeleteReb, based on your fine word, Alberta is officially out of the return-the-plate-dirty superstition. Probably some hamlet in, say, northern Saskatchewan came up with this superstition. ;)
ReplyDeleteSuperstitions are a lot of fun. Quickly becoming an old wife myself - I've discovered some truth in some of them. But, that dirty plate one - as a Manitoban, I'm not claiming it! :)
ReplyDeletereturn the plate dirty and you'll have less work! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe one for Korea explains a lot in the news this past week. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, pepper spray!
ReplyDeleteThe last one and the one about not washing your hair before a test, eew! Interesting to learn about things from other countries.
I love this list! Thanks for sharing it. Can't help but wonder about the origin of some of these. The plate, thing, for example. Hmm. Perhaps someone who didn't feel like doing dishes?
ReplyDelete