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My grandmother on my father’s side was raised in a strict Edwardian family in England. Even so, or probably because of this, she was a really fun person and used to refer to her own and my grandfather’s families as “those old farts.”

Her grandchildren were forbidden from referring to her and “granny” or “gran” as she insisted that she was too young to be a grandmother. Instead we were allowed to call her either “nana” or Ellie which was short for Eleanor.

To us kids this was so cool being able to actually call a grown up by their first name that we once tried it on with our parents too. A swift ‘clip around the ear hole” and a: “Just because your nana lets you get away with it doesn’t mean I’m your pal too.” from our old man soon put a stop to that.

Ellie was also very very superstitious. When she visited us she had all sorts of things that she considered to cause bad luck. Like if you put a pair of new shoes on a table or crossed two knives on the dining table she would freak cos she said it would cause a quarrel.

Once when my father cut my hair when she was at our house, she carefully swept up every strand, wrapped them up in a parcel and finally put it at the very bottom of our garbage can. This she said was because if a bird made a nest from my hair I would go insane. Also if an owl sat on the roof of your house, she said someone was gonna die.

Obviously because she raised my dad he used to also believe in Ellie’s superstitions, but my mom used to hate it. Once during a thunderstorm when Ellie was staying with us, my mom spent the entire duration of the storm walking behind my nana taking towels off all the mirrors in the house that Ellie kept covering. I still don't know why Ellie did this.

I can remember my mother once deliberately walking under a ladder when she was in town with Ellie one morning. When they got back home I think Ellie walked around our house backwards … three times. Or was that because I didn’t hold my breath when I saw an ambulance?

What superstitions are there/were there in your family?

I suspect there are several bird nests with your hair in them.

My mom used to toss salt over her shoulder occasionally, she definitely avoided ladders (but then that's just common sense if you think about it), she might have had a qualm about black cats although that didn't prevent us from adopting a stray blackie when he showed up at our house and she was optimistic about black-eyed peas on New Years day but nothing really very serious.

I still get a twinge when the 13th shows up on a Friday but nothing that prevents me from going to work. I've got evil eye doodads scattered around though, just in case.

Evil eye------>

That was a Joy to read JJ.... Thanks for posting and bringing back a few memories :wah:

My parents had me very late In life.... HA... That'll teach my Mother to assume the Menopause had finished.

I sadly never knew my Grand parents but apparently my maternal Grandmother was deeply superstitious and these passed to my mother although I'm convinced she Invented some more during the years.

If we spilt salt, we had to throw some over our shoulder to blind the devil.

We saluted Magpie's which was a curse when you lived In the countryside and you saw hundreds of the things every day. I still do It and have often had to explain to taxi drivers that I am not Insane as I chant..... One for sorrow, two for Joy, etc etc

If you found a dead Magpie In your garden, then you would suffer a death In the family.

If you saw a Pie Bald horse coming up the road, you should bow.... something I refuse to do.

If you saw roadkill on the side of the road, you had to say 'God Bless' so It went to heaven.... I still do this and recently I said 'God Bless to 3 Hedgehogs, a rabbit, and a piece of carpet by mistake.

Never cross knives or put new shoes on a table.

Never have two mirrors facing each other In the house.

Break a mirror.... 7 years bad luck.

Never walk under a ladder.

Don't step on the cracks In pavements.

Christmas decorations had to be down by 6th January.

Never look a queer squirrell straight In the eye.

I suspect there are several bird nests with your hair in them.

Jeeze I walked right into that Snooze! Touche!

oscar;1380582 wrote: That was a Joy to read JJ.... Thanks for posting and bringing back a few memories :wah:

My parents had me very late In life.... HA... That'll teach my Mother to assume the Menopause had finished.

I sadly never knew my Grand parents but apparently my maternal Grandmother was deeply superstitious and these passed to my mother although I'm convinced she Invented some more during the years.

If we spilt salt, we had to throw some over our shoulder to blind the devil.

We saluted Magpie's which was a curse when you lived In the countryside and you saw hundreds of the things every day. I still do It and have often had to explain to taxi drivers that I am not Insane as I chant..... One for sorrow, two for Joy, etc etc

If you found a dead Magpie In your garden, then you would suffer a death In the family.

If you saw a Pie Bald horse coming up the road, you should bow.... something I refuse to do.

If you saw roadkill on the side of the road, you had to say 'God Bless' so It went to heaven.... I still do this and recently I said 'God Bless to 3 Hedgehogs, a rabbit, and a piece of carpet by mistake.

Never cross knives or put new shoes on a table.

Never have two mirrors facing each other In the house.

Break a mirror.... 7 years bad luck.

Never walk under a ladder.

Don't step on the cracks In pavements.

Christmas decorations had to be down by 6th January.

Never look a queer squirrell straight In the eye.


Thanx Oscar! Yeah we still do the salt over the shoulder ploy and the "one for sorrow ..." thingee.

But a "queer" squirrel???

Do tell!!

Great thread Jj!!

Opening an umbrella inside the house.

As many have mentioned walking under a ladder.

I plant my gardens under a full moon....as that will ensure a rich, full garden.

Your grandma's Ellie’s superstition are great!

The past carries a lot of thought with it.....

Lady J

The only one I can remember is about palm itching but I can't remember it's meaning! Supposedly if your palm itches, it means ... ???

You're about to come into money?

Company is about to drop in?

Someone is talking about you?

I'm drawing a blank! :-2

tabby;1380688 wrote: The only one I can remember is about palm itching but I can't remember it's meaning! Supposedly if your palm itches, it means ... ???

You're about to come into money?

Company is about to drop in?

Someone is talking about you?

I'm drawing a blank! :-2


Itchy right hand you gonna receive money ... itchy left you gonna pay out money!

Ears burning - someone's talking about you.

There's something about an itchy nose too, I think.

Lady J;1380663 wrote: Great thread Jj!!

Opening an umbrella inside the house.

As many have mentioned walking under a ladder.

I plant my gardens under a full moon....as that will ensure a rich, full garden.

Your grandma's Ellie’s superstition are great!

The past carries a lot of thought with it.....

Lady J


Oooh, I forgot about the umbrella. I used to do it on purpose to freak out my mother.

And a cold shiver ... someones walking over your grave!

We were always told that if you saw a lone magpie you could avoid the "one for sorrow" by saying :-

"Good morning Mr. Magpie. How is your lady wife today?"

and introducing its mate into the equation.



The only superstition I ever picked up was smashing the bottoms out of eggshells after you've cooked the egg so that "the fairies couldn't use them as boats to go to sea and sink our sailors" - as odd a concept as you'll ever come across!

Bryn Mawr;1380747 wrote: We were always told that if you saw a lone magpie you could avoid the "one for sorrow" by saying :-

"Good morning Mr. Magpie. How is your lady wife today?"

and introducing its mate into the equation.



The only superstition I ever picked up was smashing the bottoms out of eggshells after you've cooked the egg so that "the fairies couldn't use them as boats to go to sea and sink our sailors" - as odd a concept as you'll ever come across!


Oh yes !! The eggshells.... I forgot that one !!!

Just talking about this with Mr O and we remembered some more.

Touch wood for good luck.

Say 'White Rabbits White Rabbits on the 1st day of the month for good luck

jones jones;1380570 wrote: My grandmother on my father’s side was raised in a strict Edwardian family in England. Even so, or probably because of this, she was a really fun person and used to refer to her own and my grandfather’s families as “those old farts.”

Her grandchildren were forbidden from referring to her and “granny” or “gran” as she insisted that she was too young to be a grandmother. Instead we were allowed to call her either “nana” or Ellie which was short for Eleanor.

To us kids this was so cool being able to actually call a grown up by their first name that we once tried it on with our parents too. A swift ‘clip around the ear hole” and a: “Just because your nana lets you get away with it doesn’t mean I’m your pal too.” from our old man soon put a stop to that.

Ellie was also very very superstitious. When she visited us she had all sorts of things that she considered to cause bad luck. Like if you put a pair of new shoes on a table or crossed two knives on the dining table she would freak cos she said it would cause a quarrel.

Once when my father cut my hair when she was at our house, she carefully swept up every strand, wrapped them up in a parcel and finally put it at the very bottom of our garbage can. This she said was because if a bird made a nest from my hair I would go insane. Also if an owl sat on the roof of your house, she said someone was gonna die.

Obviously because she raised my dad he used to also believe in Ellie’s superstitions, but my mom used to hate it. Once during a thunderstorm when Ellie was staying with us, my mom spent the entire duration of the storm walking behind my nana taking towels off all the mirrors in the house that Ellie kept covering. I still don't know why Ellie did this.

I can remember my mother once deliberately walking under a ladder when she was in town with Ellie one morning. When they got back home I think Ellie walked around our house backwards … three times. Or was that because I didn’t hold my breath when I saw an ambulance?

What superstitions are there/were there in your family?


My mother used to say that thunderstorms were a show of God's power and that we had to be respectful and not make a lot of noise and stuff so I was always sent to bed whenever a thunderstorm was going on.