Leave it the Germans to come up with the most impressively logic-bound superstitions. Antidotes to the curse included staring down or spitting in the eye of the person who placed the curse or drawing blood from their forehead; making the sign of the cross; wearing a protective talisman; and burning any livestock that had died as a result of the evil eye,to backfire the curse on the one who placed it. If three soldiers were smoking cigarettes during the dark hours of the night then superstition held that one of them was going to die. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Press J to jump to the feed. The last cigarette was the only exception and if you survived long enough to smoke it, you were considered lucky. The third and final theory was that a businessman by the name of Ivar Kreugar monopolized many matchmaking factories in the United States and created this superstition as a way to have people buy more matches so that he could make more money. If you want to know which French bread is which, check out our list of popular French breads. by A single candle burning on a black background. The origins of this superstition came from Ancient Egyptians. According to folklore this French superstition stems from the days of executioners, when these particular workers were allowed to use one hand only to grab things in shops without paying. Germany is no different. Giving one rose is saying Youre everything I have and giving 5 flowers means I love you. In Japan, people are often advised to tuck their thumbs into their fists when walking through cemeteries. Why? "Three on a match." Since then, it has been considered bad luckfor three people to share a light from the same match. This theory is about Ivar Kreugar who was a deceitful businessman who bought many matchmaking factories in the 1920s and monopolized them. (Jan. 6, 2015)http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/66.html, Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. But in France, to bring you luck it must be turned the other way, so that the luck pours down over you. 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. , Luckily, I havent ever seen ANY tortoiseshell cats in Normandy, so life is looking good! If you see a tortoiseshell cat, this foretells your death in an accident. The worlds opinion has always been mixed about black cats. During the Medieval period, many churches claimed to have pieces of Jesus' cross. The fear was spread of these dark felines, and that led to mass killings of these innocent creatures. Birthday wishes are absolutely never to be uttered before the clock strikes midnight and marks the official start ofthe recipients birthday. Historian Thomas Sharper Knowlson explained that superstitions probably had their origin from early mans attempts to explain nature and human existence; to invite fortune; pry into the future; and avoid evils. (Jan. 6, 2015), Corneanu, Miruna. If a person eats one grape for each of the twelve bell chimes, they will have a lucky and prosperous year. This follows from the belief some Koreans hold that a mouse could come into your house, eat your nightly nail clippings, and then gain the supernatural ability to transform into a human who steals your life. 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. Proposed reasons for the superstition range from the practicalities of wielding sharp things near your hand at night, to concern that separating a nail in the darkness could attract spirits. Web1. Some believe using the trinity symbol casually, like lighting cigarettes in threes, is disrespecting holy law. However, if you step on it with your right foot, youve got bad luck and misfortune ahead. Lighting a second lets the sniper know how far away the target is. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Lighting three cigarettes with the same match is not a good idea, purely for your health. Knock on wood for good fortune. WebSuperstitions vary from culture to culture all over the world. updated August 31, 2017, 9:47 pm, by Lighting a Cigarette With a Candle (Germany), Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security, Tuck Your Thumbs in When Passing the Dead (Japan), Lighting a Cigarette With a Candle (Germany). If your visitor is a man, though, you'll have good luck. Remember, eye contact is an absolute must in such scenarios, because otherwise youll be cursed with bad sex for seven years not something youd want to risk. French sailors have proved to be a feisty bunch over the years. In Egypt, thereare multiple superstitions related to scissors in Egypt that believers hold dear. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your personal data will only be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. The crows origin as a bearer of bad news may originate from Ancient Greek legend. The third person who has their ciggie lit is easily shot, or so the tale goes. Still, the tradition remained largely intact. The way to remedy this is by putting sugar on the spilled salt and/or pepper, and leaving it there until its cleaned up. In Romania, never give away the last cigarette in your pack, as it symbolizes giving away your life. The word thumb in Japanese translates as parent-finger so by tucking your thumb in your hand, youre basically protecting your parents from death. The projectile killed Baldr and darkness and mourning spread across the land, birthing the superstition that a grouping of thirteen people is bad luck. There are many superstitions about cats in France. The unluckiness of Tuesday is also present in several Latin American cultures, to the point that in some South American countries the movie Friday the 13th was Martes 13, or Tuesday the 13th. 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. Trs intressant. 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. You might not pay much attention to manhole covers, but inSweden some people believe that the symbols on themcan bring either good or bad luck. keep lighting your cigarettes backward Horseshoes are lucky. Thirteen or Triskaidekaphobia the Morbid Fear of the Number 13: A Superstition. In 1894, author and Army captain John Gregory Burke described a peculiar belief among the Mexicans of the Rio Grande region. There are numerous superstitions based on these evils, many resulting in illness, loss of wealth, failure in personal endeavours and even death. Black cats were believed to be incarnations of the Devil. Finally as the third cigarette was being lit up the enemy shooter would be able to see and shoot the third soldier. But if Im going to have stinky shoes Id rather they be accompanied by good fortune. If you are superstitious, you can't leave the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul without doing this one thing. Of course, this could all just be a clever story made up by dog owners so they dont have to pick up after their pets. You have been warned. DS said she heard this over the years of smoking and people had mentioned it to her if she was using matches. Anti-smoking ad calls out tobacco companies for decades-old Why Smoking Rates in the Military Are So High | HowStuffWorks. In Portugal, many people believe that walking backwards brings bad luck. In many countries people keep mirrors covered in rooms where people are dying in fear that seeing their own reflection at the time of the persons death will doom them to die in the near future. French wives should never iron their husbands underpants while wearing a belt it will lead to him suffering kidney pain. Lighting one cigarette with a match alerts a sniper. In Russia, if a bird defecates your car, your property, or even on you directly, its considered good luck. It might be advisable to warn him first though. Cats. 2y. Thousands of year before mirrors man stared amazed into pools and ponds and interpreted their reflection as a piece of their soul that could be injured. "66 Funny Romanian Superstitions." (Jan. 6, 2015)http://www.learning-mind.com/13-most-common-superstitions-and-their-origins/, The Phrase Finder. Did you come across any tortoiseshell cats in Normandy? During a German wedding, rice instead of flowers is thrown at the bride and groom to ensure fertility and many, many kids. Below are a description of some of these bad luck superstitions and where possible details on the origins have been added. Similarly, leaving scissors open is also said to bring bad luck. If you do this in Germany, you may notice your buddies knocking on the table as a greeting when they join you. Don't walk under a ladder. Throwing salt into fire is said to avert this bad luck. Everybody, both civilian and service member alike, has their reason for smoking, but one thing is consistent between the two crowds flipping one cigarette upside down and saving it for last. The Evil Eye: A Superstition An ancient and almost universal superstition, with records of the Evil Eye They believe that the soup will cause the information to slip out of your head. "Mythpuffers: The Curse of the White Lighter." "The match king." When the war ended in 1918, many of the men who fought in the war came back to the America and shared this superstition they had when out in the battlefield to their families and friends who were also smokers and I believe that this is one of the reasons it caught on initially and still carries on today, even if people do not know why they say it. 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. If you absolutely must return home, you need to look in a mirror (and in some traditions smile) before setting off again. Youll only have yourself to blame when they run away in them! One of the origins of this phrase comes all the way form World War I. Lighting one cigarette with a match alerts a sniper. You may feel trapped and cornered. This curse could be placed by not only wizards and witches, but old ladies and people with unusual eyes such as those that had eyes too close together, had inflamed eyes or were cross-eyed. June 4, 2010 / 12:46 PM / AP. Oendrila De Adriana John According to Turkish legend, when a person chews gum at night, it turns into the flesh of the dead. It's apparently even luckier to find a penny stamped with the year of your birth or anniversary. Back then, the umbrella was used to protect people of higher status from the sun, and not the rain. Knives, when gifted, are believed to cause the receiver injury and sometimes even death. 2y. Icelandic authorities and managers have even gone so far as to alter plans for building projects in order to prevent damaging the rocks where hulduflk are believed to live. Its believed that whoever chews gum at night is that he/she would actually be chewing on human flesh of a dead body. You have been careless about what you are saying or sharing with others. The French love getting together for good food and wine. Hanging a horse shoe over your doorway can bring you luck in France, as long as you know how. 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. The first theory is that during Wold War Ithis superstition was shared among smokers on the battlefield as a way to make sure that they keep their matches and noises associated with using them hidden from the enemy to not disclose their location and get killed. It was also blamed for the death of children and livestock, which was common in early modern communities. 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. Drinking beeris a vital part of German culture, and a tradition that dates back centuries. 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. Before taking the first sip, its essential to clink glasses and say cheers (Prost). ", According to What They Say in New England, a book published in 1896, the only remedy was to go back and walk over the thing again. This superstition stems from the actuality that many sailors took up match making as an additional source of income in the old days. Burning filter is legit the worst smell and taste ever. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that over the years, this tradition has intertwined itself with a number of odd superstitions and practices. Lovelorn travelers can visitthe Casa di Giulietta, the 14th century home turned museum that is said to have inspired Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," and leave their lettersfor Juliet. Every country has at least a couple of weird wedding traditions and superstitions that have gone on so long that we dont even question them anymore. WebThis French superstition is thought to stem from the trenches of World War One. Having thirteen people around the table is supposed to bring bad luck. While Americans are generally superstitious about Friday the 13th, Greeks are traditionally wary of Tuesdays, and especially Tuesday the 13th. Smoking cigarettes has been a popular pastime among troops since the very first line formed at the armory. Inside the church, you'll find a bronze column with a thumb hole, and also probably a long line of people. As the match burned to light the second cigarette, the sniper would have time to aim his rifle. Learning Mind. 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. 8 June 2015. It also washes away all the bad memories for a complete fresh start of your life. So be sure to stand under any high-flying flocks when youre in Russia, because the more birds that are involved, the wealthier youll be. Although there are several explanations, the most popular is that the bread represents the body of Christ, and as such needs to be treated with respect. It seems thats not the only area in which flowers are replaced at a traditional German wedding. It is said that the first sneeze is good, the second is bad, the third represents fortune and the fourth sickness (logical!) You must counteract this by first accepting a coin from them as payment. Cats. In the Old Testament it is traditionally believed Eve tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden on Friday the 13th. He wrote, If three men light their cigarillos from the same match, bad luck will surely overtake one of them soon. 1. We often look at college students as punk kids, lazy frat guys or any other kind of social stereotype. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Anomalien.com (anomaly + alien) is one of the most popular websites with the latest breaking news and articles on UFOs/UAPs and all the unexplained and paranormal since 2013. "13 Most Common Superstitions and Their Origins." When I asked her if she would pass this belief along to anyone she said she probably would not because it never really made much sense to her and she does not see many people smoking with matches anymore. "10 Absurd Superstitions From Around The World" 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. To light a cigarette, hold the lighter to the cigarette's tip and take a few, quick breaths in through your mouth to help it ignite. In reality, "K" stands for kallvatten,which means"clean water"and "A" stands for avloppsvatten,which means sewage,although the superstitious are still careful where they step. updated February 3, 2015, 4:27 pm, by