Superstitions

[mox 298]

A Russian friend and I meet downtown sometimes on the weekend for coffee and a walk. We were talking about some Russian superstitions (don't take garbage out at night, spilling salt at the table means a fight, etc) and she said that you shouldn't give a wallet for a gift unless you put money in it, or the receiver will have bad luck with money in the future. Then she said that she had sent her brother a wallet for a gift for his birthday, and he called her in a panic and said "I think you must have forgotten to put the money in the wallet, can you please send the money to me now?" She told him, "I'm not a child, I don't believe in all these superstitions anymore, and you shouldn't either!"

It was about that point in her story that we came across a guy fixing a window fixture, standing on top of a ladder that forced you to either walk into the street, or go under the ladder. Without missing a beat she says "oh, let's go around. Do you know it's bad luck to walk under a ladder?"

[KGSodie 0]

Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending. Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin. I've also been told that fashion (particularly for women) trumps all, so no how uncomfortable those tall spiky heeled shoes are you walk as though on clouds and then soak your feet in the privacy of your home. Not really a superstition, I suppose, but there you have it.

[mox 298]

Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending. Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin. I've also been told that fashion (particularly for women) trumps all, so no how uncomfortable those tall spiky heeled shoes are you walk as though on clouds and then soak your feet in the privacy of your home. Not really a superstition, I suppose, but there you have it.

Ah yeah, we talked about the watch/clock superstition. Her reason was that a watch symbolizes that you are running out of time. Maybe it sucks the life out of you or something. I like Natasha's explanation better, not near as creepy. Also forbidden as a gift are knives, but I can't remember what misfortune is connected to that. Losing fingers I suppose.

When I asked her why she completely dismisses the wallet superstition, but not the ladder, she said that some superstitions are real and that she has first hand information that the ladder one is real. I suspect it's more to do with the rubles she'd have to cough up to satisfy her brother. My guess is that the more expensive the superstition is, the less like it is to be "real."

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending.

Uh oh I gave my wife a watch for xmas last year, she loved it but never mentioned the seperation. hmmm

Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin.

Well that is just common sense I hate whistling mostly because people are tone deaf and have no volume control. Its like jamming an icepick into my ears.

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

My guess is that the more expensive the superstition is, the less like it is to be "real."

Isnt it funny how money is a motivator regardless of culture. Until my grandmother passed away a few years ago on my birthday I would receive a card with a scratch off lottery ticket and a nickel for every year old, my last card contained 34 nickels it had to have 3 stamps on it.

Speaking of superstition and lottery, my wife is not superstitious and has told me lottery tickets are a waste of money but every time we travel somewhere of any distance more than 20 miles we have to stop and buy lottery tickets at the gas station we fill up in.

[NYGirl 0]

Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending. Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin. I've also been told that fashion (particularly for women) trumps all, so no how uncomfortable those tall spiky heeled shoes are you walk as though on clouds and then soak your feet in the privacy of your home. Not really a superstition, I suppose, but there you have it.

Ah yeah, we talked about the watch/clock superstition. Her reason was that a watch symbolizes that you are running out of time. Maybe it sucks the life out of you or something. I like Natasha's explanation better, not near as creepy. Also forbidden as a gift are knives, but I can't remember what misfortune is connected to that. Losing fingers I suppose.

When I asked her why she completely dismisses the wallet superstition, but not the ladder, she said that some superstitions are real and that she has first hand information that the ladder one is real. I suspect it's more to do with the rubles she'd have to cough up to satisfy her brother. My guess is that the more expensive the superstition is, the less like it is to be "real."

You can give knives for a persent, but the receiver should pay for it. It can be even a penny, nickel, dime....as long as it seems like they paid for it.

I am a firm believer in breaking a mirror/glass and bad luck for 7 years and a black cat crossing infront of you. Russian's have too many superstitions they believe in

[GiGii 4]

I've heard you can't buy shoes as a present, that it brings bad luck to the receiver. Also heard that if at family dinner a fork falls to the floor, and unexpected guest will arrive hungry.

And the weird one, I heard when I was a kid, was that if a child is sitting with their legs up, and someone jumps across them, that means the kid's growth will stop.

[Blues Fairy 0]

You also have to pay for a kitten even if you're getting it for free.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Natasha tells me it is considered improper to give a watch as a gift, particularly to someone you care about, as this indicates a separation is impending. Of course, you don't whistle inside a home or this invites financial ruin. I've also been told that fashion (particularly for women) trumps all, so no how uncomfortable those tall spiky heeled shoes are you walk as though on clouds and then soak your feet in the privacy of your home. Not really a superstition, I suppose, but there you have it.

That explains why my whistling show tunes during my birthday party with Viktoria's family drew so many horrified looks I thought I was just off key, but then I thought "how would they know if All That Jazz was off key or not?". Seriously, no show tunes, but I did whistle while walking up the stairs and got some strange looks.

[Mags 112]

I don't think any of those superstitions are just restricted to Russia. They are all ones that are known in the UK and Europe. The ladder one especially - mainly cause if you walk under a ladder you're likely to get something dropped on your head!

(that's actually where it came from)

Edited December 10, 2008 by Magenta

[mox 298]

I don't think any of those superstitions are just restricted to Russia. They are all ones that are known in the UK and Europe. The ladder one especially - mainly cause if you walk under a ladder you're likely to get something dropped on your head!

(that's actually where it came from)

Yeah I think the ladder one is pretty universal, I remember hearing it as a kid, along with not crossing a black cat's path and breaking mirrors for bad luck. I know the UK and Europe have a lot of these (I lived in Scotland for 3 years, they're a superstitious lot too!) but I don't think I've ever seen it permeate a modern society quite like I've seen it in Russia/Eastern Europe. Go to shake a Russian's hand over a threshold and the look you get will make you think you just took a dump on their doorstep.

[Mags 112]

Go to shake a Russian's hand over a threshold and the look you get will make you think you just took a dump on their doorstep.

Well, did you?

[mox 298]

Go to shake a Russian's hand over a threshold and the look you get will make you think you just took a dump on their doorstep.

Well, did you?

There's absolutely no photographic evidence that such an event ever occurred, and in my defense I think the borscht might have been a little off.

[Kotenochek 0]

I've heard you can't buy shoes as a present, that it brings bad luck to the receiver. Also heard that if at family dinner a fork falls to the floor, and unexpected guest will arrive hungry.

I think the bad luck are home shoes"tapochki"cause you wear white ones when you die...shoes are fine to give or recieve:)))at least i am open to that:)))I dont believe in any of them,except for broken mirror,since i have experienced bad consequences myself...

[slim 1,514]

So funny for me..... "I don't believe in all that superstition #######. Well, except for this one, because it's true. I have proof. Everyone knows this one is true. The rest are like what your crazy old grandmother tells you. But, this one, it's serious."