The superstition of believing that toasting with a glass of waterbrings bad luck or even death is commonly held in Germany, although the tradition has roots going back to ancient Greece. NYUlocal, Jan. 30, 2013. It is often believed in Germany that lighting a cigarette with a candle kills a sailor, although the origins of this lie so far back that most people dont really know why. (Jan. 6, 2015)http://www.learning-mind.com/13-most-common-superstitions-and-their-origins/, The Phrase Finder. The French love getting together for good food and wine. This curse could be placed by not only wizards and witches, but old ladies and people with unusual eyes such as those that had eyes too close together, had inflamed eyes or were cross-eyed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (Jan. 6, 2015), The Economist. In Portugal, many people believe that walking backwards brings bad luck. You have been warned. They had a fear of cats as they were not at the top of the food chain; therefore the distrust of cats was originated. Some even believe that theyre sent to deliver curses. ", According to What They Say in New England, a book published in 1896, the only remedy was to go back and walk over the thing again. 1. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 2y. It is often believed in Germany that lighting a cigarette with a candle kills a sailor, although the origins of this lie so far back that most people dont really know why. "10 Absurd Superstitions From Around The World" To view it, confirm your age. In the off chance that youre staying away from alcohol and sticking to water, never ever clink glasses. Place the filter end of the cigarette into your mouth. The Ancient Romans linked owls to evil forces due to their nocturnal nature. On New Years Eve in Spain, instead of kissing someone, you can get yourself some guaranteed good luck by eating 12 grapes within the first 12 seconds of the clock striking midnight. The common phrase for lighting three cigarettes with one match is "three on a match." The second theory is that doing something casual such as lightinga match in threes disrespects Holy Law because of the Holy Trinity and causes evil to come upon you. Here is a selection of articles, news and features you may also like. A common superstition is that a person will die in their sleep if they have a dream where they are falling and fail to wake before they hit the ground. Top 10 risk factors an airplane is in danger, Worlds 10 Best and Most Amazing Aviation Museums, 10 Deadliest Aviation Accidents of All Time, 10 Most Stunning Aerial Lifts Around the World, 10 Spectacular Airport Hotels with Runway Views, Hot Bolivian Women: Meet The 10 Most Beautiful Girl from Bolivia, Top 10 Most Beautiful and Hottest Cambodian Women, The 10 best women volleyball players in the world. Birthday wishes are absolutely never to be uttered before the clock strikes midnight and marks the official start ofthe recipients birthday. According to the Moscow Times, while the soldiers were in Paris, they were able to save money on alcohol by hiding their empty bottles on the ground rather than leaving them on the table, as they were being charged by the empty bottles they left behind. This superstition was in author Harry Olivers book, Black Cats and Four Leaf Clovers. If you do this in Germany, you may notice your buddies knocking on the table as a greeting when they join you. So, in those days, by lighting your cigarette with a candle and forgoing the use of a match, you were depriving a sailor of hard earned money, thereby preventing them from affording any food and causing their death. The reasoning is simple; In Japanese, the word for "thumb" directly translates to "parent finger." According to Greek mythology, spirits of the dead would often drink from the river Lethe, which is named for the goddess of forgetfulness. The third and final theory was that a businessman by the name of Ivar Kreugar monopolized many matchmaking factories in the United States and created this superstition as a way to have people buy more matches so that he could make more money. However, Germans like to be a bit more specific in their beliefs. The fear was spread of these dark felines, and that led to mass killings of these innocent creatures. It originates from World War I, the soldiers believed that if three of them lit their cigarettes on the same match, then one of them would end up dead or the third one on the match would end up getting shot. This superstition is also popularin other South American countries, as well as the Philippines. "If it is a stone you have fallen over," the text notes, "go back and touch it.". This superstition stems from the actuality that many sailors took up match making as an additional source of income in the old days. Walking through the triangle is considered an insult to the Trinity which attracts the Devils attention. At the end of a wedding, when the bride would usually typically throw her bouquet in lots of parts of the world, Germans follow a different tradition. To summarize, there are three theories that I believe help to explain why this superstition was formed and how it spread to smokers in the United States. If you use the right technique, lighting a cigarette is easy and can look natural. If wallets arent your thing, you might look for something else, but beware of getting shoes, especially for your lover. Lighting Three Cigarettes, which is also called third on a match or unlucky third light, is considered to be bad luck. Learning Mind. WebLighting a cigarette backwards dream represents surrender. Could our entire reality be part of a simulation created by some other beings? You can hold your cigarette using your index finger and thumb. Anti-smoking ad calls out tobacco companies for decades-old Why Smoking Rates in the Military Are So High | HowStuffWorks. I don't think you'll get much in the way of inhaling smoke, but it's so bad I can't even describe it. Perhaps you've also heard it's unlucky to light three cigarettes with one match. June 4, 2010 / 12:46 PM / AP. Kiran Yasmin A final, and a bit more sinister, theory involves one Ivar Kreuger, also known as The Match King. if your cigarette keeps running (burning on one side and not the other) it means someone is thinking of how much they love youheard this one from several people in the Southeast. This can be avoided by all the guests rising from their seats at the same time. They believe that the soup will cause the information to slip out of your head. WebLighting a cigarette off a candle will cause the death of a sailor. Another popular explanation is that it may have taken people seven years to save enough money to buy a new mirror. Lovelorn travelers can visitthe Casa di Giulietta, the 14th century home turned museum that is said to have inspired Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," and leave their lettersfor Juliet. Are you a superstitious person? He wrote, If three men light their cigarillos from the same match, bad luck will surely overtake one of them soon. That way, if a troop had to drop the cigarette for any reason, the enemy couldnt quickly determine the country of origin any identifying mark was quickly turned to ash. They also believed that an owl hooting signified death, and it was this omen that preceded the deaths of Julius Caeser, Augustus Caeser and the Roman general, Agrippa. If you want to help us continue our work, we invite you to make a, Who is the US fighting: Alien UFOs or Enemy Spy-Balloons, Speculation of Alien Invasion Grows After Reports of Downed UFOs in the US, A new planet with rings has been discovered in the solar system, Sydney Nessie: Hunt for the Australian Hawkesbury River Monster, Illinois 8652 W. 95th Street, Hickory Hills, IL 60457-1700. There are conflicting beliefs in regards to cats on whether they represent good or bad luck. In Romania, never give away the last cigarette in your pack, as it symbolizes giving away your life. In Romania, never give away the last cigarette in your pack, as it symbolizes giving away your life. Germany is not exempt of these. Antidotes to the curse included staring down or spitting in the eye of the person who placed the curse or drawing blood from their forehead; making the sign of the cross; wearing a protective talisman; and burning any livestock that had died as a result of the evil eye,to backfire the curse on the one who placed it. This superstition stems from the actuality that many sailors took up match making as an additional source of income in the old days. 9 November 2015. In either case, having a lucky cigarette in your pack has since become a universal superstition. Lots of different cultures have myths about elves and fairies, but in Iceland they make reference to a specific supernatural version of elves known as thehulduflk, or hidden people. Prehistorically, the fear of cats began when our human ancestors had a problem with cats, which were a lot bigger in size. It is considered very unlucky to walk backwards in Portugal because doing so allegedly lets the devil know where you are and where you're going. WebThe superstition goes that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed or that the man who was third on the match would be shot. When you're visiting Czechiathe world's number one per capita beer-consuming countrydo not pour a beer into a glass that has beer of a different kind in it; bad luck will surely follow. The 12 grapes represent the 12 months of the year, and the Spanish tradition is meant to bring good luck in the new year. Thankfully, Germans have certain seemingly strange gift-giving superstitions and rules that might narrow down the options a tiny bit. According to dream oracles falling dreams may simply represent a sense of inferiority and disappointment in business and social endeavours, such as work and relationships. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Another piece of sailor-related bad luck from parts of Europe says that if you light a cigarette from a candle, a sailor will die. Opening such an umbrella would cause harm to people inside a house or in a small space due to its size and metal spikes. Many olden day clocks required constant maintenance and winding to keep them working. People will often spill somewater behind a loved onewho is about to go on a trip or job interview in order to wish them luck. While shards of porcelain may bring good luck, shards of a mirror are said to cost you seven years of bad luck! updated July 24, 2017, 12:16 pm, by Required fields are marked *. 2. level 1. defiantlynottedbundy. This old wives tale says that combining them will cause certain death (or sometimes just an upset stomach). This superstition might have something to with the two sides of metal touching each other. There are several grooming-related superstitions in India, including the belief that it is bad luck to trim one's nails at night. Supposedly, seeing or hearing one of these birds hoot is bad news: It could mean anything from bad luck to poor health to death. Maybe you believed in one yourself, or perhaps you thought it was strange. If you walk by a graveyard or a hearse passes you on the street in Japan, you need to tuck your thumbs into your pockets in order to keep your parents safe. just now. If a person eats one grape for each of the twelve bell chimes, they will have a lucky and prosperous year. This idea actually originates from a time when sailors attempted to increase their meagre incomeby selling matches. Lighting a second lets the sniper know how far away the target is. This duration was chosen by the Romans who believed that the body renewed itself every seven years. You may feel trapped and cornered. The Evil Eye: A Superstition An ancient and almost universal superstition, with records of the Evil Eye You have been warned. Sadly, that is not the case as this superstition is quite specific. This idea actually originates from a time when sailors attempted to increase their meagre income by selling matches. French sailors have proved to be a feisty bunch over the years. "Schwarze Katze von links nach rechts, was Schlechts. (Black cat from left to right brings bad luck). This follows from the belief some Koreans hold that a mouse could come into your house, eat your nightly nail clippings, and then gain the supernatural ability to transform into a human who steals your life. Hello, Marlboro Gold Pack. A possible explanation for this is that the dog may be able to sense a chemical change in human tissue and therefore be able to sense that their owner is sick, as there are historical instances of dogs acting distressed hours before their masters death. This gesture means you want to cut your relationship with them. According to the book Welsh Traditions and Superstitions, instead of cutting nails, the mother should instead "bite them off as they grow.". Bathing in that water seems to be OK, though; according to the ministry, "People, who bath[e] under the moonlight and in shadow, will shine as bright as the moon. Secondly, when it comes to smoking, never light a cigarette from a candle. So, if youve ever wondered why your veteran friend saves a single, specific cig for last, here are the best explanations weve found. With all this bad luck around, how do we get some good fortune into our lives. Trs intressant. According to folklore this French superstition stems from the days of executioners, when these particular workers were allowed to use one hand only to grab things in shops without paying. For years, people have been traveling to Verona to send their love letters to Juliet, which they hope will bring them good fortune when it comes to love. The dream is a sign for your vulnerability, confusion and frailty. So, bakers would leave a loaf of bread upside down for them. Here's why. WebLighting a cigarette backwards dream represents surrender. 2015. People who happened to be religious who also smoked more likely than not shared this belief with the people that they smoked with and this is how it spread around the smoking community. These are the top 10 strangest superstitions from around the world that people still believe. Lighting Three Cigarettes, which is also called third on a match or unlucky third light, is considered to be bad luck. To sell more matches. 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