Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Wes Walcott You know how seriously the French take their bread! Church officials would say that knocking onthe wood would bring good luck, according to Yahoo. According to several Web sources, in times of yore, in those lean months of winter, sailors and fishermen would be forced to supplement their incomes through the sale of matches. Once it's lit, pull a small bit of smoke into your mouth and keep it in there for a few moments so the smoke has some time to cool. Below are a description of some of these bad luck superstitions and where possible details on the origins have been added. To summarize, there are three theories that I believe help to explain why this superstition was formed and how it spread to smokers in the United States. The twelve grapes represent 12 months of good luck. if your cigarette keeps running (burning on one side and not the other) it means someone is thinking of how much they love youheard this one from several people in the Southeast. A possible explanation for this is that the dog may be able to sense a chemical change in human tissue and therefore be able to sense that their owner is sick, as there are historical instances of dogs acting distressed hours before their masters death. Goodbye, Marlboro Lights. However, Germans like to be a bit more specific in their beliefs. Other superstitions include : killing a spider is said to bring rain the next day, leaving an open book upside down is said to make disappear the information it contains. According to Turkish legend, when a person chews gum at night, it turns into the flesh of the dead. May be you are having difficulties trusting your own judgment and decisions. People in Spain traditionally eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to bring luck for each month of the coming year. So, if you want to share in this good luck and keep evil at bay, dont be afraid to break a plate or two. (Jan. 6, 2015), The Economist. In the Middle Ages though cats were looked upon suspiciously in many parts of Europe, particularly black cats which were believed to be the devil in disguise or the familiar of witches, who could become witches themselves after seven years of servitude. If a person eats one grape for each of the twelve bell chimes, they will have a lucky and prosperous year. According to the book Welsh Traditions and Superstitions, instead of cutting nails, the mother should instead "bite them off as they grow.". The dream is a sign for your vulnerability, confusion and frailty. Learning Mind. On the other hand, crossing two fingers- a sign many of us associate with good luck - is something Germans do behind their backs when they lie. Believe it or not but chewing gum at night is considered to be bad luck in the Turkish and Hungarian cultures. While shards of porcelain may bring good luck, shards of a mirror are said to cost you seven years of bad luck! Did you come across any tortoiseshell cats in Normandy? Yet since ancient times people have examined almost every occurrence, believing them to be a warning of bad luck or an indication of good luck. Lighting a Cigarette With a Candle (Germany) Its said in Germany that if you light a cigarette with a candle it will kill a sailor. No, youve got to put a coin in it, to ensure that the recipient will never be poor. So its polka dots on New Years Day, but I guess my horseshoe can remain as a U shape, unless I take it to France. Americans have always had a real knack for being terrified of witches, and no place more so than in Vermont, where the architectural presence of witch windows still persist today. Ever since the existence of the human kind, superstition has been around. Apollos fury resulted in Coronis death as well as turning the crows feathers black, damning the animal forever as messenger of bad news. An American superstition is that hanging somebodys picture backwards on a wall will bring disaster to that person. People will often spill somewater behind a loved onewho is about to go on a trip or job interview in order to wish them luck. It is often believed in Germany that lighting a cigarette with a candle kills a sailor, although the origins of this lie so far back that most people dont really know why. Perhaps the most concerning French superstition with cats only affects folk in Normandy. Eating seaweed soup on the day or the night before your big exam is considered to be bad luck in Korea. They even have a saying for it Scherben bringen Glck (shards bring luck) because the loud, crashing sounds of breaking porcelain and ceramic supposedly ward off evil. This superstition comes from a period when salt was a very expensive and valuable commodity, so spilling some was considered a huge waste. Having thirteen people around the table is supposed to bring bad luck. as well as other partner offers and accept our, it is bad luck to trim one's nails at night, knocking onthe wood would bring good luck, if the first thing you say on the first day of the month is "rabbit rabbit," you'll have good luck for the rest of it, a purse on the floor is money out the door, It is considered very unlucky to walk backwards, people are often advised to tuck their thumbs into their fists when walking through cemeteries, the river Lethe, which is named for the goddess of forgetfulness, the symbols on themcan bring either good or bad luck, yellow flowers symbolize separation, infidelity, or death, it is considered unlucky to open and close scissors, the Juliet Club actually responds to the letters. Why the number four, specifically? According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, those who drink water that reflects moonlight will have bad luck. If you are superstitious, you can't leave the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul without doing this one thing. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Greeces Major Cultural Superstition Can Strike Anyone at Any Time, The Scary Number 666: What It Really Means. It might be advisable to warn him first though. Drinking beeris a vital part of German culture, and a tradition that dates back centuries. Another strange New Years tradition can be observed in Denmark, where people hold on to all of the broken dishes and chipped cups theyve accumulated throughout the year and then leave them on the porch of a good friend. Lighting three cigarettes with the same match is not a good idea, purely for your health. After drinking from the river, the spirits would forget about their lives on Earth before entering the underworld. June 4, 2010 / 12:46 PM / AP. Seems there's a superstition about everything. Lighting a Cigarette With a Candle (Germany) Its said in Germany that if you light a cigarette with a candle it will kill a sailor. Here is a selection of articles, news and features you may also like. Superstition is an irrational belief in the supernatural that lead to either good or bad luck. , Luckily, I havent ever seen ANY tortoiseshell cats in Normandy, so life is looking good! The common explanation is that sailors used to supplement their income by selling matches, so bypassing the match step took money away from a sailor. He wrote, If three men light their cigarillos from the same match, bad luck will surely overtake one of them soon. It is considered very unlucky to walk backwards in Portugal because doing so allegedly lets the devil know where you are and where you're going. It originates from World War I, the soldiers believed that if three of them lit their cigarettes on the same match, then one of them would end up dead or the third one on the match would end up getting shot. The final theory took some research but it explains this folk belief in a more reasonable ( to corporate America at least) way. Germany is not exempt of these. Another superstition is that those who laugh or sing before breakfast will cry before dinner. Hello, Marlboro Gold Pack. Why? Trs intressant. The way to remedy this is by putting sugar on the spilled salt and/or pepper, and leaving it there until its cleaned up. A similar but stranger superstition originating from Virginia, USA, is that knocking on a houses front door and receiving no answer is a death omen. Instead of flipping every cigarette on end, troops would invert a single one and, just as before, if you lived long enough to smoke it, you were a lucky joe. (Jan. 6, 2015)http://travelaway.me/66-funny-romanian-superstitions/, The Economist. Required fields are marked *. A New Zealand superstition held that hearing a Kreke (marsh crake) over your right shoulder was good luck, but over your left shoulder would lead to having a crook trotold New Zealand/Australian slang for bad luck, In general it's thought to bring misfortune, but one German interviewed for a TV segment gave more colorful consequences for wishing someone an early happy birthday: "My grandma always said you'd have blue children.". He wrote, If three men light their cigarillos from the same match, bad luck will surely overtake one of them soon. "13 Most Common Superstitions and Their Origins." During the Medieval period, many churches claimed to have pieces of Jesus' cross. Thus, by using a candle, you were saving money that would have otherwise gone to a sailor, and thus indirectly responsible for his starvation. In Romania, never give away the last cigarette in your pack, as it symbolizes giving away your life. The Evil Eye: A Superstition An ancient and almost universal superstition, with records of the Evil Eye These are the top 10 strangest superstitions from around the world that people still believe. just now. IN SOME PARTS OF EUROPE, LIGHTING A CIGARETTE FROM A CANDLE IS BAD NEWS FOR SAILORS. Cats. Perhaps you've also heard it's unlucky to light three cigarettes with one match. WebThe superstition goes that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed or that the man who was third on the match would be shot. if your cigarette keeps running (burning on one side and not the other) it means someone is thinking of how much they love youheard this one from several people in the Southeast. Where God Lives and the Spirituality of Near Death Episodes, ET Contact Researcher Says New Humans Are Already Among Us. This gesture means you want to cut your relationship with them. "66 Funny Romanian Superstitions." I don't think you'll get much in the way of inhaling smoke, but it's so bad I can't even describe it. Bad luck from a shattered mirror can be averted by throwing the shards into a fast running stream to carry away the misfortune or grinding the pieces into powder so that it can no longer reflect. Today, even though this isnt the case anymore, German smokers sometimesknock on wood three times when using a candle to light a cigarette. updated August 31, 2017, 9:47 pm, by An old wives tale says this will result in the death of a sailor, or he will at least lose his job. Supposedly, seeing or hearing one of these birds hoot is bad news: It could mean anything from bad luck to poor health to death. Kiran Yasmin Angels And Aliens: Is There A Heavenly Relationship. It might not seem unlucky. 2015. Whenever sailors had bird poop on their vessels, they banned anyone from removing them until the next rainstorm. Others believe that the umbrella superstition is from the 18th century where waterproof umbrella with metal spikes were popular. An American superstition is that hanging somebodys picture backwards on a wall will bring disaster to that person. Usually found in buildings boring into wooden furniture and structures, the Death Watch Beetle received its name from the belief that the tapping sound it generated in the house predicted a death in the family. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It might not seem unlucky. Scientist behind Turkey quake, warned of a mega-quake in March, Scientists after 40 years will go to Venus to look for aliens, Physics professor: There is no life after death, Hey explorer! If youre someone who does a lot of travelling, chances are youre going to eventually run into some questionable scenarios that will either doom your day or bring you great luck according to local canon. The third person who has their ciggie lit is easily shot, or so the tale goes. You must counteract this by first accepting a coin from them as payment. It originates from World War I, the soldiers believed that if three of them lit their cigarettes on the same match, then one of them would end up dead or the third one on the match would end up getting shot. 2015. If you spill salt, throw it over your shoulder to avoid bad luck. Everyone has their superstitions. To understand why this piece is passed down it is important to go back to the origins and see where it may have originated from and the theories for why the folk group smokersthink three on a match is bad luck. Historically, people typicallytried to avoid using sharp objects at night to avoid hurting themselves in low light, according to US News. Even if your breath stinks after a hearty dinner, its really not advised to chew a gum. A common superstition is that a person will die in their sleep if they have a dream where they are falling and fail to wake before they hit the ground. This superstition might have something to with the two sides of metal touching each other. I think this theory is important because it begins to explain why many smokers in America know and hold this belief because they were taught and/or experienced it way back in the early 1900s. If you want to know which French bread is which, check out our list of popular French breads. If you walk by a graveyard or a hearse passes you on the street in Japan, you need to tuck your thumbs into your pockets in order to keep your parents safe. Every country has their own unique methods of congratulating people on their birthdays, their anniversaries, on holidays or even just wishing them good luck. Its believed that the rain on a wedding day will represent the number of tears the bride will shed during her marriage. People in Spain traditionally eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to bring luck for each month of the coming year. Once it's lit, pull a small bit of smoke into your mouth and keep it in there for a few moments so the smoke has some time to cool. The rationale for the superstition goes all the way back to Tuesday, April 13, 1204 (on the Julian calendar), when Constantinople completely fell to the Crusaders. "If it is a stone you have fallen over," the text notes, "go back and touch it.". Put a coin in it, to ensure that the rain on a wedding day will represent the Number tears! 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Was a very expensive and valuable commodity, so spilling some was considered huge... 12 months of good luck is not a good idea, purely for your health is to... Inbox each weekday cigarette in your pack, as it symbolizes giving your... A gum are a description of some of these bad luck in Korea to.. Luck, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, those who water! The 18th century where waterproof umbrella with metal spikes were popular has been around ET Contact Says! Back centuries vulnerability, confusion and frailty last cigarette in your pack as. So the tale goes if your breath stinks after a hearty dinner its...
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