About certain superstitions...

[conuly]

Some superstitions are just silly. Others, though, despite our attempts to pin them as "silly" actually have very good reasons for existing.


1. Opening an umbrella indoors. While this might seem silly, it makes sense. If you open an umbrella indoors, you can hit people, you take up a lot of space, and you can't get out the door.

2. Leaving a rake on the ground with tines pointing up. Another superstition with a VERY GOOD REASON. That's a good way to get yourself smacked in the face with a rake handle.

3. Breaking a mirror. Mirrors are expensive. 'nuff said.

4. Carrying an axe through a house. I'm not sure who came up with that one as a superstition, but it still makes sense. Who carries axes indoors?

5. Walking under a ladder. Smart, really... go where people can drop paint cans on you, or where you can topple the ladder and hurt the people on top.

6. Putting shoes on the table. Ew. This is bad luck because it's unhealthy.

7. Putting a hat on the bed. And crushing said hat, thereby having to buy a new one. Another superstition is NOT silly!

This was random, but, eh.

Comments

[feathered.livejournal.com]

1. Opening an umbrella indoors. While this might seem silly, it makes sense. If you open an umbrella indoors, you can hit people, you take up a lot of space, and you can't get out the door.

And if it's a wet umbrella, you could get droplets all over your lovely leather living room furniture. Or something.

2. Leaving a rake on the ground with tines pointing up. Another superstition with a VERY GOOD REASON. That's a good way to get yourself smacked in the face with a rake handle.

Don't forget that some of the old fashioned rakes were lethal. There was nothing of the wimpy, think plastic spikes... I've seen rakes made out of pure heavy iron. I bet you could disembowel someone with one of those things. It is actually quite sensible not to leave one lying about.

3. Breaking a mirror. Mirrors are expensive. 'nuff said.

And also glass shards can be very dangerously sharp.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

4. Carrying an axe through a house. I'm not sure who came up with that one as a superstition, but it still makes sense. Who carries axes indoors?

A lot of people in movies carry axes around, and bad stuff always happens to them! Of course, bad stuff also happens to the people they're after, and sometimes they return for a lame sequel, but bad luck usually catches up with them. *nods*

What about black cats crossing your path?

[conuly]

Traditionally, that was actually regarded as GOOD luck. It's only recently that people decided it was BAD luck.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Only recently? I figured it happened in the middle ages, when everyone was dying of bubonic plague and killing off all the cats because they thought they started it...

[conuly]

Yes, only recently. In fact, overseas, I'm told that black cats are still often considered lucky.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

1. Opening an umbrella indoors. While this might seem silly, it makes sense. If you open an umbrella indoors, you can hit people, you take up a lot of space, and you can't get out the door.

And if it's a wet umbrella, you could get droplets all over your lovely leather living room furniture. Or something.

2. Leaving a rake on the ground with tines pointing up. Another superstition with a VERY GOOD REASON. That's a good way to get yourself smacked in the face with a rake handle.

Don't forget that some of the old fashioned rakes were lethal. There was nothing of the wimpy, think plastic spikes... I've seen rakes made out of pure heavy iron. I bet you could disembowel someone with one of those things. It is actually quite sensible not to leave one lying about.

3. Breaking a mirror. Mirrors are expensive. 'nuff said.

And also glass shards can be very dangerously sharp.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

4. Carrying an axe through a house. I'm not sure who came up with that one as a superstition, but it still makes sense. Who carries axes indoors?

A lot of people in movies carry axes around, and bad stuff always happens to them! Of course, bad stuff also happens to the people they're after, and sometimes they return for a lame sequel, but bad luck usually catches up with them. *nods*

What about black cats crossing your path?

[conuly]

Traditionally, that was actually regarded as GOOD luck. It's only recently that people decided it was BAD luck.

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Only recently? I figured it happened in the middle ages, when everyone was dying of bubonic plague and killing off all the cats because they thought they started it...

[conuly]

Yes, only recently. In fact, overseas, I'm told that black cats are still often considered lucky.