Superstitiones & Plurathewritingcafe:And now for a Halloween themed post.HALLOWEENAlso known as

Superstitiones & Plurathewritingcafe:And now for a Halloween themed post.HALLOWEENAlso known as Samhein, Sauin, La Samhna, Samhuiin, Oiche Shamhna, Samain, Hallowmas, Shadowfest, All Hallow’s Eve, Samhuinn, Samhain, Witch’s New Year, Summer’s End, the Third Harvest, Samana, Vigil of Saman, and others.The name “Samhain”, and its other spellings and similar names, comes from the Old Irish “sam” for summer and “fuin” for end, thus making this holiday the mark of the end of summer.The celebration of Halloween goes back six thousand years where the Celtic people celebrated the end of the harvest and the coming of winter. This day is traditionally October 31st, though some celebrated it in the early days of November. Its most precise date is when the sun is at 15 degrees Scorpio. In the year of 2013, it will occur on November 7th. The celebration usually began the day before, at sunset.This day was used to honor the dead and those who had passed away that year, as it was said the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest at this time of year. Rather than mourning the dead, Halloween was a celebration for the death of all things old and the beginning of all things new. SUPERSTITIONSBird Superstitions:An owl that circles a house three times is said to be a sign that someone within the house will die soon.It is said robins gained their red feathers because they attempted to remove the thorn crown from Jesus’s head, but his blood fell on the bird instead.It is unlucky to kill a robin.The eye on a peacock feather is said to be the “evil eye” and therefore bad luck to bring inside a home.There are countless superstitions about birds near homes and windows that signify oncoming death.Tip your hat at a magpie to avoid back luck.It’s unlucky to kill sparrows because they carry the souls of the dead.A crow at the window represents the soul of a dead person.A nearby robin carries the soul of a deceased family member.If a bird call comes from the north, misfortune will follow.If a bird call comes from the west, good luck will follow.If a bird call comes from the south, a good harvest will follow.If a bird call comes from the east, love will follow.Unbaptized children become birds until they are accepted into Heaven.Pet birds must be informed of important family events or they will die.It is unlucky to find a dead bird outside the home. A raven near a sick person means death is coming.In Wales, a blind person can regain sight by showing kindness to a raven.Cardinal SuperstitionsBird FolkloreCrow FolkloreDeath SuperstitionsVictorian Funeral Customs and SuperstitionsSuperstitions on DeathSuperstitions of Death13 Superstitions About Death and DyingSuperstitions About DeathDeath SuperstitionsSuperstitions Surrounding DeathGeneral Superstitions:Put almonds in your pocket when you need to find something.Scatter chili peppers around your house to break a curse.Never blow out the first candle you lit before you blow out the others or bad luck will follow.Throw rice in the air to make it rain.Ask an orange a yes or no question and count the seeds. An even number of seeds means no and an odd number means yes.In a photograph of three, the person in the middle will die first.Walk through the branches of a maple tree to have a long life.Carry peach wood to have a long life.Eat a peach to assist in making a tough decisionMix salt and pepper together and scatter it around your house to repel evil.Do not whistle at night.Eat mustard seed to ensure fertility.Place chips of cedar wood in a box with some coins to draw money to you.If you bite your tongue, someone is talking about you or thinking of you.Hanging up a new calendar before the year is over will bring bad luckAnimal SuperstitionsIrish Superstitions and FolkloreSuperstitionsSuperstitions From EuropeSuperstitions in Shakespeare’s TimeFolklore of Puerto RicoOld Irish SuperstitionsHalloween Superstitions:Put out all fires in the home the night before Halloween to cleanse negative spirits. Reignite them from a common source on Halloween.Burying apples along the path is said to serve as food for souls as they pass through our world.The veil between the living and the dead is said to be thinnest on Halloween.13 Halloween SuperstitionsHalloween SuperstitionsHalloween Superstitions and FolkloreHome & Hearth Superstitions:Hanging a pair of scissors over the front door will cut off negativityHanging a cluster of acorns on the front door will protect those who live therePut thorny branches on your doorstep to keep evil awaySmell dill to get rid of hiccupsPlace cotton on an aching tooth to relieve painPlace a sliced onion in the room of an ill person to draw out the sicknessHang a pea pod with nine peas above your door to draw your future loverPlace a pine branch above your bed to keep illness awayLove Superstitions:Cut an apple in half and give one half to your love for a long relationship.Put pepper inside a piece of cotton and sew it shut to bring back a lost loveIt is bad luck for siblings to marry within the same yearIf you see a robin on Valentine’s Day, you will marry a crime fighterEight Love Superstitions and Their OriginsSuperstitions About Love and MarriageLove SuperstitionsWedding SuperstitionsLove Superstitions (highlight to read text)Sleep Superstitions:Smell peppermint to help you sleepEat a bit of thyme before bed for sweet dreamsPutting garlic under the bed will prevent nightmaresRub a lettuce leaf on your forehead to help you sleepPlacing a full glass of water by your bed every night will collect any negativity in the room, but don’t drink itPutting a broom on the bed brings bad luckIf you leave laundry hanging outside during the night, a spirit will attach itself to it and possess the wearerNever put a hat on the bedPlace morning glory seeds under your bed to cure nightmaresPlace an onion underneath your pillow to have prophetic dreamsNever sleep with your head pointing eastNever sleep with your head pointing westIf you go to bed backwards, you will have good dreamsSea Superstitions:Superstitions and the Sea13 Sailor SuperstitionsMaritime SuperstitionsSeafaring SuperstitionsSailors’ SuperstitionsSuperstition Bash: SailorsBOOKSBest Books to Read for HalloweenBest Halloween BooksBest Halloween Picture BooksGreat Reads for HalloweenHalloween ReadsReading for October EveningsSpooky Kids Books to Read at HalloweenOctober Reading ListWitchy Picture BooksHalloween 2012 Must ReadsKiller Ghost StoriesCreepy Halloween ReadsHaunted Reads 2013All Hallows ReadsAmazing Paranormal BooksForests in Myth, Folklore, and Fairy TalesFantasy Novels Based in Native American MythGhost Story CollectionsAsian Folktale Picture BooksMythology/Folklore -- source link

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