ridiculous superstitions that people believe in.
Apr 29, 2008 at 4:37 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 78

terrymx

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This is not a religious thread. But today I was a bit amused when someone think getting hit by a broom on the foot is bad luck and they had to spat back at the broom. My parents are devout catholics, but I find it very contradicting when they tell me things like:
-Don't take photos with only 3 people in it (assuming one person will die?)
-Umbrella and broken mirror in the house is badluck.
-White elephant statues in front of house (because they were given a pair once and then was robbed.)

I don't know by people believe in these things, but if you know of any interesting ones please share.
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 4:39 AM Post #2 of 78
I have a lucky pair of underwear.




Seriously.

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-Ed
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 4:54 AM Post #3 of 78
I'm Chinese. My mom always makes sure that our house has good feng shui >.<

Things that are bad for feng shui:
Having a tree in front of your walkway (the main entrance to your house) (something about keeping away good fortune)
Sleeping with your head toward the door
Not having your bed against an outer wall
Having your desk face a window
Having a mirror in your room
Living right next to a bus stop (this way, you pick up bad feng shui from other people when they're on the bus, or something like that..)
Not having furniture in circular arrangements
Something about having the front door pointing at a certain direction

There are so many others that I don't know or have forgotten.. It's insane. Over the years, my mom has actually convinced me to believe some of these.
I've never understood why people believe in superstitions either. :/
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:00 AM Post #4 of 78
I'm ridiculous because...

- I put a cloth over the mirror if there is one in my hotel room
- I leave all closets open in my room
- There are certain books I dare not touch when my hands aren't purified
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:04 AM Post #5 of 78
Feng Shui wise, I know not to position my bed in a manner that will not enable me to see the door, sometimes called the coffin position.

Also,

Passing salt: never pass salt hand to hand, you will fight, isntead I put it on the table let go, then someone takes the salt

If salt is dropped, then throw some over right shoulder

Knock Wood

Black Cat

Umbrella

Ladder
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 5:13 AM Post #8 of 78
Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I perform a ritual purification after using any computer running Windows.


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Apr 29, 2008 at 6:00 AM Post #11 of 78
The rules of this forum prevent me from pointing out the most ridiculous ones, but two funny ones I've seen people in my family use:

If you sneeze once (ie. instead of sneezing twice or more times in quick succession), you have to stop whatever you're doing for at least 10 seconds, or something bad will happen to you. I've been in cars where people pulled over because of this.

Also, when inhabiting a place (be it a new home or a hotel room) for the first time, some sort of glass has to be broken. Whenever I go travelling with my mother, she takes one of the glasses that comes with the complimentary wine in the room, wraps it in a towel, and smashes it.
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 6:00 AM Post #12 of 78
Theres a spot in St. Andrews marked by cobbles that form a combined PH symbol.

800px-IMG_0552.JPG


This is the spot upon which Patrick Hamilton was burned at the stake for heresy.

For undergrads to step on this is to bring down ruination and failure upon your exam results and all sorts of other bad luck. The year that I started bending and darting in order to avoid treading on it (it is at a busy part of town between the library, the old union diner, the north street pedestrian crossing and the college hall quad) was the year that my grades improved markedly.

800px-IMG_0550.JPG


As he was burned, his face became imprinted on the wall above the stake, the wall is part of St.Salvadors tower which you can see here. (brick highlighted in blue)

stower.jpg
patrickfacetower.jpg


There's no actual historical citation that I know of for this fact though. So I'm guessing some students carved it in there decades ago.
 
Apr 29, 2008 at 2:40 PM Post #13 of 78
I walk backwards every Monday. Seems to make the day less grueling.
 

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