18 Superstitions You Need to Know if You Want Good Luck

If someone happens to be sitting/laying on the floor and blocking your ability to pass through, naturally you step over them and continue on your way. That is of course if the people you are dealing with aren’t superstitious, because if they are you better step right back over the person you just stepped over real quick and make them move out of your way before you get back to wherever it was you were going. The story behind this superstition says that the person you step over as you pass through will stop growing and remain their current height forever. Some people are so superstitious that they don’t even care if the person being stepped over is at their peak height and incapable of growing any taller, they will still make you cross back over them and walk around to pass them.

As my father always says, “every thing has its place,” your keys included. But if you’re like me, always looking for your keys because you can never remember where the hell you placed them when you got home, as long as you didn’t place them on the table you’re fine. Eastern Europeans have a superstition about placing keys on the table and they take it pretty seriously. According to the superstition, anyone who puts keys on the table will become broke in the near future.

If you are single and want to get married, better not be seated at the corner of a table because according to this superstition you will be single for at least another seven years.

Similar to number two, this superstition says you will be broke if you place your purse on the floor. There are a million other places your purse can go, as long as it doesn’t go on the floor.

Never eat anything from a knife because according to this superstition doing so will create lots of enemies.

If you are at a barbecue and someone asks you to pass them a knife, better think twice before doing so. According to this superstition by passing a knife from your hand to another, you create hostility and will no longer be friends with that person. You are to put the knife down before the person can pick it up in order to avoid the effects of simply passing the knife into their hands.

Spilling salt is a major no no when it comes to the superstitious. It is a bad omen and is said to bring bad luck to the house, unless of course the person who spilled it throws some salt over their left shoulder while spitting in the same direction three times.

Leaving a pair of scissors open is a bad omen. According to the superstition if scissors are left in such a way, the death of a loved one is looming.

According to this superstition, whistling in the house is said to attract bad luck or invite evil spirits. Whistle while you work as long as you don’t work from home!

Unless you want to invite a beating you better not wear your clothes inside out. If by mistake you happen to do so, quickly fix the mistake and have someone symbolically hit you to minimize the potential for a real beatdown.

11. Do not make sewing alterations while wearing the item to be altered.

This superstition has to do with death and preparing the dead for their burial. Because you are still alive, alterations should never be done on clothing you are wearing because, according to the superstition, doing so will result in death.

12. Do not open an umbrella in the house.

Unless you want that little cloud from the Zoloft commercial to follow you around and rain on your parade, better keep that umbrella closed until you're outside. Opening an umbrella indoors is said to invite bad luck to “rain” on you and your house.

13. Do not sit on cold cement.

This applies mainly to women, and sounds just as crazy as all the other wacky superstitions mentioned above. According to the superstition, any female that sits on cold cement will freeze her ovaries, and as a result, will be incapable of bearing children.

14. Never exchange anything through a doorpost.

Either you are in or you are out, there is no in between. For example, when the mailman rings your doorbell to give you your package and you open the door to see him standing there , you must step out onto his side of the door post before accepting the package. Either you step out or he must step in, either way your mailman for sure thinks you’re nuts!

15. Never raise a toast with an empty glass.

Raising a toast with an empty glass is forbidden, for it will bring bad luck to both the toaster and toastee. To make up for it the toaster must drink whatever is left of the bottle.

16. Do not share a towel.

Two people must never dry their hands while sharing the same towel. Doing so is said to result in a fight between them. They may use the same towel but not at the same time.

If a black cat crossed your path you must never continue unless you allow someone to pass ahead of you first. Otherwise you have to turn around and go from a different direction, one where the cat obviously has not yet crossed.

According to this superstition, if you step on someones foot, they must always step back on yours. That is, of course, if you would like to avoid a future quarrel, which is said to occur if you do not step back.