Customs and Superstitions
In a comment from Lorna the other day on my post The next Step she said
….reminds me a little of that saying that to give a purse as a gift is bad luck unless some pennies (or euro/pounds) are placed in it.
I was reminded of some customs we had at home – some might call them superstitions.
Gifting something with a blade, a knife or sharp tools always required payment with a penny or small coin to ward off any danger to the recipient of the gift.
When wearing a new dress or suit it was the custom to place a ‘hansel’ or small sum of money in the pocket.
Then there were customs my father told us about from his young days in the country:-
If a farmer met a red headed woman on his way to market, he turned and brought the cattle home because the flame haired women was a sign he would not be offered a good price.
If a fisherman met a woman wearing a white apron as he was walking to his boat to go to sea, she was considered as a warning of bad luck during the voyage.
Do you have any unusual customs to share?
