Leprechauns may not exist, but Irish superstitions do, and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we look at a few of them.
In addition to those more common ones, like: throw salt over your shoulder to blind the devil; if you break a mirror you’ll have seven years of bad luck; if your nose itches you’re about to have a fight, there are others that might not be so familiar.
For example, whatever you do, don’t cut down a lone tree standing in the middle of a field — especially if there are ribbons tied to the branches or a formation of rocks around the base. In Celtic folklore, those are fairy trees, which serve as the gateway between our world and that of the little fellas.
Don’t look too long at yourself in the mirror or the devil will appear over your shoulder.
Don’t give something sharp to a friend or you can ‘cut’ your friendship, but if you do make that mistake, exchange a coin to break the bad luck.
If a candle doesn’t burn in the window throughout Christmas, bad luck will come to the house the following year.
Make a cross on the bread to let the devil out.
After someone dies, open a nearby window to let the person’s soul leave and go up to heaven.
If you get a watch as a gift from your significant other, it means that you’re going to break up because time is running out.
Strangely enough, green was traditionally considered a bad luck color in Ireland, so if attending a wedding, above all, don’t wear green or you’ll bring bad luck to the bride and groom!
Next time that a bird poops on you, just consider yourself blessed with upcoming good luck. In the meantime, don’t get carried away with superstitions and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day!
