White Rabbit, White Rabbit….. Hmmmmm…..
Ok, so it’s the 1st of September and whenever it comes to the 1st of the month I’m always reminded of that old superstitious ritual that I got embedded into my brain during my time at University by my paranoid housemate…and that is the ritual of saying ‘white rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit’ out loud in the morning before you get out of bed.
Even though I don’t really believe something bad will happen if I forget to chant white rabbit x3, I still make sure I do it and if I remember half way through the day that I haven’t done it (like today), I do have a little panic just in case it’s real.
My only real superstition is magpies – If I see a lone magpie I have to look away immediately and cancel my bad luck by making a ring with my thumb and finger then breaking it with another finger. Madness? Probably.
It got me thinking – what other superstitious rituals do we all follow despite knowing they are utter nonsense?!
September 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Angela, as much as I think you are great… I now think you are slightly unhinged… That said…Just realised that I salute magpies when I see them and say hello captain. I too appear to be a weirdo…
Paul C
September 1st, 2008 at 5:41 pm
holding your breath while walking through a cemetery
bad luck to walk under an opened A-frame ladder
blakc cats are just bad luck to see alone…especially on a night of a full moon
September 1st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I am wedded to the saluting magpies thing. God only knows what might happen otherwise…
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 am
the light side obvious have aspirations of leaving adveritsing to become horse whispers or Dr Doolittle’s assistant!
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I have an alarming number of ‘charming’ quirks like these…… For example, I cant have the volume on an odd number. Nor am I willing to eat with mismatching cutlery. Surely this is normal?!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 am
im a weirdo too…
when i see 1 magpie i salute and say “good morning/after mr magpie where’s your wife and children”
but if i see 2 magpies (together) i salute and have to say “how’s your wife and children” instead?…
don’t know where i got this from??
does anyone still do 2 drains goodluck, 1 or 3 drains badluck??
September 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Though not the least bit superstitous I have a friend who firmly refuses to walk across 3 drains in a row on the pavement as its bad luck
If you accidentally do it you have to spin around the times to undo the bad luck
September 4th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I, sadly, still notice when I walk across three drains. No bad luck as of yet……..touch wood!
September 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
My gran is very superstitious. Her strangest ritual is if she ever drops a glove on the floor she can’t pick it up. She has to wait until someone visits and ask them to pick it up for her……not good considering how cold aberdeen can get in the winter!
Then, of course, there is the old scottish tradition of Hogmany and first footing. The first person through your front door on hogmany should be tall dark and hansom. If not, then the year is doomed.
Walking under a ladder, standing under an open umbrella inside, breaking a mirror, killing a money spider……the list could go on. I however, am a sane individuak and do not believe in any of these but can understand how they can become addictive.
Lou
September 8th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
The middle drain in a set of 3 is lucky….right?
What does a Magpie look like?
September 9th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Mid-sized, black and white, look of malevolence
September 10th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Like a flying Zebra?