Column: How superstitious are you? It might be a lot more than you think

There’s no point crying over spilt milk. But salt, it would seem, is a very different story. Should you be unfortunate enough to spill or drop salt, you need to grab a pinch of it quickly and throw it over your left shoulder. 

Or so I’m told. 

I remember a former work colleague in the hospitality trade who I considered to be quite rational, getting very irate once when I spilled salt while filling a salt cellar. Not for the mess, but because I hadn’t quickly picked up a pinch with my right hand and thrown it over my left shoulder to ‘blind the devil’ and dispel the bad luck that I had caused. Ah well.

Tea leaves are used to tell fortunes. And while this has almost died off due to the decline of loose tea, I can remember in my own childhood a few older ladies in my area and in the wider family who were said to be able to ‘read the tea.’

Given that tea was so potent that it could predict the future, it’s no wonder it was associated with other superstitions. For example, only one person should pour from the pot. It’s considered bad luck if someone else takes over the pouring of the tea. 

And you should not put milk in before sugar or you will never get married - though in 2022 this is not considered the awful fate that it would have been for past generations. 

Ireland has a rich culture of fairy lore, and seeing some of the beautiful cold mornings recently with the mist sitting just above the ground in the first light of day, it’s not hard to see where this sense of magic comes from. 

The belief in fairy folk - and fear of incurring their wrath - is so deeply rooted that there are fairy trees in fields all over Donegal that no-one would dare to move. 

Plans for building houses and even road designs are some of the areas of life where the preservation of fairy trees is a serious consideration.

A fairy tree is a lone hawthorn, and it is certainly a captivating sight in any season. Its abundance of white blossom is a symbol of new growth in late springtime. 

This gives way to small but plentiful green leaves in summer, and red berries that burst forth in autumn and last well into winter, feeding the birds and being used in home remedies (as are the leaves). 

Given that the hawthorn is associated with hedgerow, a lone tree really does catch your attention. And once it matures, the hawthorn doesn’t change much over a long period of time, so even old trees are relatively compact, giving them a distinctive dense, huddled  and somewhat otherworldly character.

Superstitions associated with animals have also survived into the modern era. Animal rescue charities report a reluctance to adopt black cats because of the association with witches, though if asked, I’m sure not many people would admit to believing in witches.

Robins are associated with the spirit world, said to represent visits from a loved one who has died, particularly if they come into the house.

Crows are believed to be harbingers of death if one flies into the window of a house or if six are seen together. 

But there are few areas where superstition has a stronger hold than in marine culture. 

Be it among fishermen, coastal dwellers, or recreational water users, you simply don’t tempt fate. Water is utterly unforgiving when things go wrong, and this perhaps cuts to the nub of why superstition exists in the first place. 

In the face of such an immense force of nature such as the sea, our rituals and beliefs can give a feeling of maintaining an element of control over one’s own destiny. 

When it comes to boats and water, the list of actions that bring bad luck is long. 

Among the things you really shouldn’t do if you don’t want to invite misfortune is change the name of a boat, invite a woman on board, whistle on a boat, or say goodbye when setting sail. 

Starting a voyage on a Friday is also thought to bring bad luck.

And in order to increase your chance of a trouble free journey, always step onto the boat with your right foot. 

There are a few other superstitions that are still alive and well in 2022. More than once I’ve seen someone  step out in front of a car to avoid walking under a ladder on a pavement. 

Itchy palms are associated with money. If it is the right palm that is itching, it signifies that money is coming your way, while an itchy left palm means you will have an unexpected expense. 

These and many more superstitions are so much a part of our culture that we barely notice them, yet we find similar rituals in other cultures to be amusing and naive.

Where do you stand on superstitions? Are you happy to walk under a ladder? Would you worry if a black cat crossed your path? 

Is there something to these beliefs, or is it all a load of nonsense? 

Or perhaps you are on the fence, not really believing, but not quite ready to disregard the wisdom of our forebears. I think that’s where a lot of us find ourselves!