SUPERSTITIONS

I was sitting at my computer absentmindedly scratching my palm when it hit me. One of my favorite relatives popped into my head  with the statement, "Itchy palm means money is coming your way." Whoo Hoo. 

I smiled as I remembered my grandmother who was full of folklore and superstitions.  Just to be sure I remembered right, I Googled itchy palm and got a bit of a shock. Yes, if your left palm itches you will get money but if your right one does (as mine was doing) it means money will be flowing out your pocket. Yikes. 

In some countries the reverse is true of itchy palms. What to believe?

Then I started thinking about all the things that delightful lady actually believed in. 

If a knife falls to the floor you can expect a male visitor, a fork means a lady to visit.

Years ago during slack dating times, I was known to "accidentally" drop a knife on the floor. Rarely worked but the few times it did, made me keep it in my bag of maybes. 

Itchy nose?  You will kiss a fool.   

Allergy season has me wary of that these days. Not sure there are that many fools out there.

If you drop a dish cloth on the floor, a worse housekeeper than you is coming to visit.   

I would like to make someone who is a worse housekeeper than I am my new best friend. 

If the bottom of your right foot itches, you will take a trip.

Hot dog, road trip.  Hopefully it didn't mean a "face plant" type of trip.

Ears itch, someone is talking about you.

Notice how many of these involve itching?

Red  sky in morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors delight.

This I totally believe. Seen it happen too many times. I think there is actual science involved.

Find a penny, pick it up and all day you will have good luck.

Don't think  I have ever left a penny on the ground. Can't attest to any change in luck though.

Bad luck comes in threes.

I have added to this one by insisting that good luck comes in threes also.  I have seen it happen.

I have said "knock on wood " way more times than I have actually knocked on wood. Often there just isn't any wood around to ward off the bad luck so verbalizing the act is comforting. 

Black cats don't make me nervous and I think only a fool would walk under a ladder. That just reeks of accident ready to happen.

Just as an update, my itchy right palm resulted in money leaving my pocket. Had to hire a couple of guys to do some expensive but necessary yard work.  Hum, wonder if they were the ones summoned when I dropped that knife?

I feel superstitions are like old wives tales.  There is just enough evidence backing them up to make them worth repeating if with a wee dose of skepticism. 

Do you have any superstitions that you kind of believe in or is it all rubbish to you?