NWR: old wives tales

My family is so into the Robin Is a sign of spring thing. We call eachother all like "I SAW IT. I SAW THE FIRST ROBIN"

My mom yelled at me this Christmas because I gave her a wallet and I didn't put a penny in it. Apparently I was wishing her a lifetime of poverty. My bad mom.

EmilyT, my g'ma always said to put at least a penny into a new purse or wallet.

G'ma (who was very kind to people & animals) carried a real rabbit's foot keychain! It always freaked me out.

I remember as a kid not stepping on sidewalk cracks because it would break my mother's back!

I had never heard the purse on the floor one until I met FH, he will do a nose dive across a room to grab it out of my hands if I forget and start to put it down on the floor. His mother is the same way.

One not yet mentioned that is big in my family - if anyone else opens a pocket knife for you, the person that opened it has to be the one to close it back.

@emilt maybe it's a Buffalo old wives tale!!! And yes we also do the penny in a wallet!

@trixie

You're the first buffalo bride I met on here!

So exciting!

We also don't open umbrellas inside, walk under a ladder or let a black cat walk through our path. In Mexico, brides are not to wear pearls or it will bring tears to their marriages. If you hit your elbow you're not supposed to rub it or you'll lose money (to this day I never rub it, lol). If your ears buzz, or if you sneeze without being sick/allergic/whatever logical reason, then someone is talking about you. If you seat at the head of the table without being married, you'll never marry.

FIL says that when you see three crows, spring is here. Clearly we don't have robins in Manitoba

Ohh yeah, the purse one. We have that one too!

My grandma also tell me not to put my pocketbook on the floor, Your money will escape. We also have to eat pork and sauerkraut on new years day for good luck for the year

ELK, my mom told us the same thing! Then she would say, "obviously, I sang a solo every night."

Never give someone a purse, wallet or piggy bank without having at least a penny in it.

I am not sure where I heard this one, but that an engaged or couple shouldn't walk down the aisle together (if they're in a wedding together) until they're married, or it'll bring bad luck.

lift your feet up over train tracks

If your nose is itchy, someone is talking about you. If your left hand is itchy, rub it on your butt and it'll bring you money, lol...

Virgin mary on the window sil for good weather before an event. my grandma swore by that one.

i throw spilled salt over my shoulder if it to keep the brownies in my home happy. they hate wastefulness

also, not really superstitious but i CANNOT go to sleep if the closet is open. monsters.

I grew up rodeoing. We NEVER put any hats - but especially our cowboy hats - on the bed. If you did, you had to spit on it and throw it out the door to get the bad luck off.

I always thought it was just kind of a funny thing, but went along with it anyways. One weekend at a high school rodeo, my mom accidentally threw my hat up on the bed in the trailer and I refused to toss it outside because it was muddy. When I made my barrel run, I kicked the second barrel over with my own stupid foot. I would have won the rodeo. No more hats on the bed since then!

WoW, I heard that if your nose is itchy, it means you'll have a fight or kiss a fool. Since I don't want to fight with DH, I say, "come kiss me, you fool."

If you get a shiver for no reason, it means someone walked across your grave.

@nancyt my gram used to say that about an itchy nose too

Hmmm I've never heard the purse on the floor... That explains a lot lol, mine is if someone gives you a knife you have to give them a coin, we do this for pocket knives or kitchen knives.

My mom is full of these haha. She says don't put your purse on the floor or you will stay broke. Keep a folded up dollar bill in your wallet and it'll bring you more money. Don't wear pearls on your wedding day or you'll cry a lot throughout your marriage. Don't open umbrellas in the house or it'll bring you bad luck. If you drop a fork on the floor you'll have visitors. Oh and don't gift someone knives because that means they are your enemy. That's all I can think of right now. My mom's a little insane haha.

I like the fork one lol

I heard almost all of these: purse, wallet, sweeping, umbrella

I'll add: never pick a coin off the floor unless its on heads bc its bad luck (got that one from my elementary school bestie ginger- she was the valedictorian of her high school and went through 2 degrees debt free so she is certainly a smart & lucky person). My FH keeps a penny (on heads) in the door way (between the porch and the front door) but I have no clue why. they say if it rains on you wedding day then it means fertility. at the bridal shower, every balloon that pops (accidentally/ not on purpose) means another baby (this legit happened at my step mom shower and they didn't want any kids, and they had my brother LOL).

My mother pinched my nipples when I was baby because it was an old wives tale that if you did, I (female baby) would grow up to have large breasts. My mom has no boobs and wanted me to have boobs I guess. I think it's ridiculous, but I do have huge boobs.

As seen in Practical Magic - growing up my great grandma used to say that a broom falling was a telltale sign you will have guests visiting.

If you have a child where the second toe is longer than the big toe, they will grow up to be intelligent.

If your hand itches - money is coming your way.

eta - typo