Very superstitious : the enchanting origins of 100 superstitions Cover Image

Very superstitious : the enchanting origins of 100 superstitions / Willow Winsham.

Enchanting origins of one hundred superstitions (portion title)

Summary:

Why are Celtic fairies behind our compulsion to knock on wood? How is a Norse myth responsible for our fear of the number 13? And why might an ancient Byzantine war strategy make us wary of spilling salt? A fascinating and mystical tumble through thousands of years of curious traditions, Very Superstitious gets to the root of just why we practice these rituals. From keeping new shoes off the table to nailing a horseshoe above the door, so many of our habits are informed by beliefs handed down through generations. Weaving between folklores, religions, cultures and traditions, Very Superstitious is a beautifully illustrated exploration of 100 of the most curious beliefs from around the world. In telling the stories of how we came to adopt these superstitions and their place in our lives today, this peculiar history explores human nature itself.

Record details

ISBN: 1802795014
ISBN: 9781802795011
Physical Description: 217 pages : color illustrations ; 22 cm
Publisher: London : Welbeck, 2022.

Content descriptions

General Note:

Includes index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Itchy palms -- Lucky horseshoes -- Passing on the stairs -- Saluting magpies -- Breaking eggshells -- Chewing gum at night -- Toasting with water -- New shoes on the table -- Picking up pennies -- Spilling salt -- Wearing clothes inside out -- White rabbit -- Eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve -- Breaking a mirror -- Friday 13th -- Opening an umbrella indoors -- Spilling wine -- Knocking on wood -- Cutting cake -- Seeing your doppelganger -- Sticking chopsticks into rice -- Walking under ladders -- Cutting bread -- Sweeping dirt out of the house -- Hearing an owl at night -- Returning home for forgotten things -- Tucking in thumbs when passing a cemetery -- A bird flying into the house -- Break a leg -- Putting a hat on your bed -- Salt in a new home -- Stepping over someone -- Whistling at night -- Stepping on pavement cracks -- Sneezing three times -- Sleeping with a fan on at night -- Cutting nails at night -- Killing a spider -- Bird excrement -- Rain on a wedding day -- Turn your thumb at the Hagia Sophia -- Giving a knife as a gift -- Hearing a cock crow -- Spilling water -- Being separated when walking -- Dropping a glove -- A black cat crossing your path -- Speaking at the same time -- A stopped clock -- Calling a baby cute -- Letting a baby look in a mirror -- Taking bananas on a boat -- Writing in red ink -- Tetraphobia - Fear of the number four -- Sleeping with your head facing north -- Pointing -- Saying "happy birthday" early -- Sleeping in the moonlight -- Walking backwards -- Eating the last piece of food -- Sitting at the corner of the table -- Leaving empty bottles on the floor -- Exam luck -- Singing at the dinner table -- Treading in dog excrement -- A fly in your drink -- Thunder - Good or bad luck? -- Walking over drains -- Giving yellow flowers -- Burning Christmas evergreens -- Finding a four-leaf clover -- Seeing a hay wagon -- Wearing red during a storm -- Hearing three knocks -- Knitting outside -- Dropping cutlery -- Lucky chimney sweeps -- Unlucky President Menem -- Hiccups -- The first butterfly of the year -- Lighting a cigarette from a candle -- Unlucky redheads -- An itchy nose -- Going home after a funeral -- Burning lost teeth -- A seventh child -- Three on a match -- Covering mirrors -- Disposing of hair cuttings -- Born with teeth -- A toad crossing your path -- A lucky silver coin -- Seeing a shooting star -- Picking up a handkerchief -- Cats predicting the weather -- Unlucky green -- Sewing on a sunday -- Unlucky hares -- Peacock feathers -- The first thing you do in the New Year.