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I always say hello to or wink at magpies on their own. Not because I'm particularly superstitious that it'll be bad luck if I don't, but more because I like them š
I have a family (of magpies) living in a tree at the bottom of my garden. I gave up saluting them just after we moved in 18 years ago. Still do it to the odd one I see out in the car. I have no idea why.
I do this, but with all corvids and regardless of the number.
But, then again, I am the local weirdo who feeds the rooks and jackdaws in her garden every day. And who took special walks to 'visit' the random hooded crow that turned up after a storm.
What do you feed your Crows and Jackdaws? I give the little birds seed, the Blackbirds dried Mealworm and the tits peanuts. We have Crows and Jackdaws who sit and watch and I'd love to know what to give them. TIA X
To be honest, they'd eat all of that! They're just very smart, so don't trust humans easily.
I feed them very similar: a good dog kibble without any food dye that I soak in water for a while, dried mealworms that I also soak (it's good to add a bit of water content to them - especially at this time of year when there are young birds), peanuts in the shell, and a high energy bird seed. Sometimes I'll put out some scrambled egg if I have a cracked egg that needs using (I cush the shell into it and add a little water but no milk, salt etc.) or other things like that, but my daily food for them is the dog food, mealworms, peanuts, and seeds.
But the trick was getting them to actually come to the garden in the first place. I've managed to gain enough trust for corvids to visit our garden in two different houses (crows and magpies at the last place) and both times I have found the best bet has been to try when there's a lot of snow. That way, all their usual food sources are covered and they're more likely to go out of their comfort zone looking for alternatives. And then you hope by the time the snow has cleared, they trust you enough to keep coming back.
However, I appreciate that's easy for someone who lives in the NE of Scotland where snow is guaranteed!!
As you can probably tell from my username, I'm autistic with a special interest in corvids. So, thank you for giving me an opportunity to infodump!! Good luck!
I won't gift a purse without a coin in it.
I'll try to avoid having the last few drops of a bottle of wine.Ā
I won'tĀ walk under ladders, but that's more sensible than superstitious.Ā
My granny used to say that the one who finished the last few drops would be the next one to get (someone) pregnant. Just a silly saying but these things stick in your head sometimes.Ā
Unlikely, seeing as how she's been dead for several years.Ā
But she did have a *lot* of children. I don't know if they're correlated with how much wine she drank.Ā
The purse/coin thing sounds familiar. Every wallet I've received as a gift has come with some money in it. Along the same lines, I gave a set of knives as a wedding present and the recipient insisted on giving me money (a quid I think) because you should 'never cut friendship'. I do love a harmless, charming, fun superstition.
Ooh when I was a child my mother would always put a pound coin in my Christmas stocking! I never really knew why. Maybe it was something to do with luck?
That reminds me of my mum gifting me some kitchen knives and making me pay her a penny for them. She said if I didn't pay her, the knives would cut off our relationship.
It's weird, these superstitions we have.
Not just a purse, a wallet, money box, anything that is designed to carry money canāt be gifted empty. Itās bad luck and means the receiver will struggle with money. Thatās just a fact.
If I spill salt, I throw over my left shoulder, supposedly in the face of the devil.
I never put a box of new shoes on the table as its bad luck.
Always say morning to a magpie & hope to see another.
I like to walk into A&E and say it, then I run, run for my life. Back to my office, where I wait for them to phone me about all of the patients who have just arrived
As a married man, I always put the toilet seat down after urinating. I was once told that if I didn't, I would be awakened by screams in the middle of the night.
So he has to lift it up and put it down but you refuse to do the same? The lid helps limit piss water being sprayed throughout the room. Seems like you're happy brushing your teeth with a tooth brush covered in piss particles.
Edit: And on the point of having to touch it. You are waching your hands after right? So why does it matter?
Same, I love this. My son is just learning to talk and I can't wait to teach him important life lessons like "always pass on the latest BBC headlines to a passing bumblebee".
I'm not superstitious about anything EXCEPT the way you hang a horseshoe. If you hang it in "n" orientation rather than "U" orientation, all the luck will run out the ends.
I would not buy a horseshoe for good luck. This applies to other people's horseshoes.
A horseshoe is like a black cat. Depending on where you are or what you were taught orientation can be good or bad. Some say the U let's the devil sit it, some say the U holds the luck.
When I tidy up the kid's toys, I make sure to put soft toys and figurines and the like in such a way that if they were alive, they would be able to breathe and would be comfortable. Just in case.
And *never* say it is 'quiet' at work. Never.
Iām 36. I genuinely think Iāve only walked over 3 drains about 5 times in my life.
Ever since my mate at primary school told me if you do, something horrible will happen to my family.
I chuck spilt salt over my shoulder, I never put new shoes on a table, I put a coin in new bags or purses if I gift them, I cross myself if I see an ambulance, I don't open umbrellas indoors, I sweep all the bad luck out of my house on new years eve, I don't walk under ladders, I never toast with water, and its not really possible but I try not to let anyone stir my tea
I salute the magpie if I only see one of them. I swear this prevents bad luck happening to me on the same day or if something bad happens I donāt end up in tears over it.
Like so many others, apparently, I salute magpies. If I see one, I try and apply the bad luck to a certain aspect of my day as I pass. E.g. I won't be able to find that one thing when shopping. Or, I'm going to have a busy day, but it'll be hard work. This generally works out.
I was going to say I don't have anything I do due to superstition, but I've just remembered I actually do! Back when I was a student, I was friends with a Luxembourgish woman and an Austrian guy. They both said that when you clink glasses/say cheers, you must give eye contact to the other person or you'd have 7 years of bad sex.
Even though I'm autistic and not always the biggest fan of eye contact, I have always looked the other person in the eye when clinking glasses since!
I think for me most of these things I donāt feel superstitious about but became more of a habit. I salute a single magpie every time and I wonāt walk on 3 grates/drains. I donāt like crossing people on stairs but itās hard to avoid at work so again that was more a habit at home that Iād shout āaaaahhh wait there Iām on the stairsā. I never have a āloose mirrorā (one thatās not hung on a wall, for the fear of smashing it. The mirror one being the only one I feel superstitious about.
When I start work I always put my torch on my jacket first, then gloves. Have always done it, and nothing too bad has happened so far so now it's in my head that if I do it the wrong way round things will go tits up
I think the only thing I'm suspicious about is tempting fate.
I never say things like "it'll be easy", "nothing will go wrong", "Its quiet today", "it'll arrive on time", etc etc etc. I don't tempt the fates.
I would not say I'm superstitious and I don't really do anything superstitious in my day to day life.
But if someone said let's have a seance or let's do an Ouija board I'd be like, nope! Seen way too many movies where that goes wrong, thank you very much.
Mostly the usual ones, like saluting magpies, throwing spilled salt over my shoulder, not walking under ladders, not walking over 3 drains, don't look in the back of an ambulance (I think that's more of a respectful thing though), etc.
My late nan had some really fun ones: don't look at a new moon through the window: you have to go outside and turn money over in your pocket for good fortune!
At new years, the youngest person or the one with the darkest hair (? maybe? can't remember) has to run out the front door and in through the back with a lump of coal (or salt, if coal is unavailable).
My dad wouldn't ever give a knife as a gift. If he bought someone a fancy kitchen knife as a gift, which is the kind of thing he did, he'd make you give him a penny so that it was a purchase, not a gift.
My Mum had one, which could have you walking about looking like a loon for ages these days.
If an ambulance passes you, you need to hold your collar ātill you see a spotty dog.
My late mother believed that egg-white caused warts on the hands. I donāt believe that at all, but I always rinse my hand(s) after cracking an egg. I always feel stupid, but I do it.
I don't walk under ladders or scaffolding, especially when the Lottery"s on.
I used to believe that thing about Friday the 13th being unlucky, but then I once got 2 credit slips at school on a Friday the 13th lol.
I will only wear odd socks and if I have to wear matching socks (I had to for fancy dress recently lol), one of them has to be inside out. It started from when I used to compete in dancing competitions as a child (I must have won a few with odd socks/ one inside out) and I still do it to this day.
I've heard putting socks on *first* if you suffer from athletes foot or other feet & toe-based fungal infections is a good idea, other wise when you pull your other garments on your can pull the fungus up your legs
3 drains for me. actively avoid stepping on the middle one
I have to salute every magpie I see.
I don't know when it started but now it's not a choice. I've said to myself before that I'm going to stop it but I always have a stupid worry that something bad will happen if I don't so I can't not salute them.
Yes! My boyfriend (now hubby of over 30 years) looked at me like I was a mad eejit when I did this and said "it's to save the sailors". My parents always did it so I assumed it was an Irish superstition (they both moved to England in the 50's) as I have never known any of my English friends and family do it.
An old east end (of London) superstition was to put a coin in the hand of a newborn baby, people you didn't know would come up to you and put a coin in babies hand, this was to ensure they were never poor, a bit like a coin in a purse given as a gift.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That's because it makes no sense to put your socks over your shoes.
š
Ask Barry Venison about that!
I always say hello to or wink at magpies on their own. Not because I'm particularly superstitious that it'll be bad luck if I don't, but more because I like them š
Yep, give em a little salute, and maybe mutter "morning Mr Magpie" if I'm alone
I always salute solo magpies too.
Thought you were supposed to salute and say " Hello Mr magpie, how's your wife and kids" or is that just me?
"Hello Mr Magpie, how is your wife? And er, your mistresss?"
Yeah I've heard that one too. Easier to wink discretely though!
Good idea. Don't want the rest of us to think you're nuts.
Always thought it was morning mr magpie how is the family?
I know it as "good morning Mr magpie give my regards to your wife" ... Doesn't matter if it's the afternoon, still have to wish him a good morning
Yep, I do this and I hate that I do because I'm not generally a superstitious person and there's a fuck load of magpies round where I live.
I have a family (of magpies) living in a tree at the bottom of my garden. I gave up saluting them just after we moved in 18 years ago. Still do it to the odd one I see out in the car. I have no idea why.
I do this, but with all corvids and regardless of the number. But, then again, I am the local weirdo who feeds the rooks and jackdaws in her garden every day. And who took special walks to 'visit' the random hooded crow that turned up after a storm.
What do you feed your Crows and Jackdaws? I give the little birds seed, the Blackbirds dried Mealworm and the tits peanuts. We have Crows and Jackdaws who sit and watch and I'd love to know what to give them. TIA X
To be honest, they'd eat all of that! They're just very smart, so don't trust humans easily. I feed them very similar: a good dog kibble without any food dye that I soak in water for a while, dried mealworms that I also soak (it's good to add a bit of water content to them - especially at this time of year when there are young birds), peanuts in the shell, and a high energy bird seed. Sometimes I'll put out some scrambled egg if I have a cracked egg that needs using (I cush the shell into it and add a little water but no milk, salt etc.) or other things like that, but my daily food for them is the dog food, mealworms, peanuts, and seeds. But the trick was getting them to actually come to the garden in the first place. I've managed to gain enough trust for corvids to visit our garden in two different houses (crows and magpies at the last place) and both times I have found the best bet has been to try when there's a lot of snow. That way, all their usual food sources are covered and they're more likely to go out of their comfort zone looking for alternatives. And then you hope by the time the snow has cleared, they trust you enough to keep coming back. However, I appreciate that's easy for someone who lives in the NE of Scotland where snow is guaranteed!!
I too live in the NE of Scotland. Thanks so much for your detailed reply, I'll give this all a try š
As you can probably tell from my username, I'm autistic with a special interest in corvids. So, thank you for giving me an opportunity to infodump!! Good luck!
I won't gift a purse without a coin in it. I'll try to avoid having the last few drops of a bottle of wine.Ā I won'tĀ walk under ladders, but that's more sensible than superstitious.Ā
I've never heard of not drinking the entire bottle of wine - why wouldn't you drink it to the end?
My granny used to say that the one who finished the last few drops would be the next one to get (someone) pregnant. Just a silly saying but these things stick in your head sometimes.Ā
Sounds like granny likes to fuck alcoholics bare.
Unlikely, seeing as how she's been dead for several years.Ā But she did have a *lot* of children. I don't know if they're correlated with how much wine she drank.Ā
Lol, granny always finished the bottle
Wine used to have a lot of sediment in the bottom of the bottle.
The purse/coin thing sounds familiar. Every wallet I've received as a gift has come with some money in it. Along the same lines, I gave a set of knives as a wedding present and the recipient insisted on giving me money (a quid I think) because you should 'never cut friendship'. I do love a harmless, charming, fun superstition.
Ooh when I was a child my mother would always put a pound coin in my Christmas stocking! I never really knew why. Maybe it was something to do with luck?
The purse thing is from my mum, who said "if you gift someone an empty purse it'll forever remain empty".Ā
That reminds me of my mum gifting me some kitchen knives and making me pay her a penny for them. She said if I didn't pay her, the knives would cut off our relationship. It's weird, these superstitions we have.
Oh I like that one! I'm fascinated by superstitions and their origins. Some of them are sensible and some are just crazy.Ā
Well thatās me done for because if I like the wine thereās no way Iām wasting any.
Not just a purse, a wallet, money box, anything that is designed to carry money canāt be gifted empty. Itās bad luck and means the receiver will struggle with money. Thatās just a fact.
If I spill salt, I throw over my left shoulder, supposedly in the face of the devil. I never put a box of new shoes on the table as its bad luck. Always say morning to a magpie & hope to see another.
There is usually another one, hiding in a bush, or a tree. I think that they are laughing to themselves. Nobody should have told them the rhyme!
What situations are you getting into in which you spill salt?
Like, sometimes you might knock the salt shaker over? Idk, itās not that unusual š¤·š¼āāļøš
I do the no new shoes on the table thing and Iāve no idea why, I annoy myself
Never ever say The Q Word at work.
At my old job, we used the term "breezy" instead as you must not say the q word
I accidentally said the Q word to the receptionist at the GP last week. Poor woman almost had a heart attack.
What's the q word?
[The Q Word](https://youtu.be/09yIyeG2WVI?si=0IESXCc52Uoy6Kfq)
Quackbeth
Shhh! (Quiet)
Settled was the word we used when I worked on the wards.
I like to walk into A&E and say it, then I run, run for my life. Back to my office, where I wait for them to phone me about all of the patients who have just arrived
We say bjork
As a married man, I always put the toilet seat down after urinating. I was once told that if I didn't, I would be awakened by screams in the middle of the night.
In our house we both put the seat and the lid down. They manufactured it with a lid for a reason.Ā Ā
I do too, but explaining that spoils the joke.
Thatās so annoying. My fiancĆ© used to do that but I told him off cos I had to keep touching it to lift it up. Now he leaves it up.
So he has to lift it up and put it down but you refuse to do the same? The lid helps limit piss water being sprayed throughout the room. Seems like you're happy brushing your teeth with a tooth brush covered in piss particles. Edit: And on the point of having to touch it. You are waching your hands after right? So why does it matter?
No one has to lift it up or put it down. It stays up š¤·š½āāļø
So you piss with the seat up? You sit on the actual toilet?
The seat stays down. The lid stays up. How are youyou finding this difficult to understand?
So your partner has to put the seat up and down to piss but you refuse to do the same with the lid? Entitled much?
He sits down too. Always has. The end.
Your tooth brush is covered in piss. The end.
Don't put new shoes on the table. Telling bees news.
Iāve never heard of telling bees news before. It wonāt be long until I start doing that š
Same, I love this. My son is just learning to talk and I can't wait to teach him important life lessons like "always pass on the latest BBC headlines to a passing bumblebee".
People will think Iām mad once they notice I salute lone magpies and talk about the news to the bumblebees š
I remember going with my friend and her mum, to tell the bees that my friends grandad, "their caretaker had died"
I work in a hospital. We never use the word "quiet" lest we be inundated with inpatients, outpatients, and A&E patients at the same time
I'm not superstitious about anything EXCEPT the way you hang a horseshoe. If you hang it in "n" orientation rather than "U" orientation, all the luck will run out the ends. I would not buy a horseshoe for good luck. This applies to other people's horseshoes.
There's a belief held among some witches that a n-shape is the correct way, because the luck pours out over the household.Ā
Interesting! How often do they need to be replaced?
I don't know, I didn't think about that when I was told about it (I was quite young). Maybe they believe they can be recharged or something?Ā
Maybe they need to be in "U" orientation to be charged up, haha.
Maybe they attach them on a rotating platform!Ā
Luck sprinkler!
A horseshoe is like a black cat. Depending on where you are or what you were taught orientation can be good or bad. Some say the U let's the devil sit it, some say the U holds the luck.
I wouldnāt say Iām superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
Michael?
When I tidy up the kid's toys, I make sure to put soft toys and figurines and the like in such a way that if they were alive, they would be able to breathe and would be comfortable. Just in case. And *never* say it is 'quiet' at work. Never.
I burn a Policeman in an effigy of a giant made of wicker for May day. It's all a bit silly but it's tradition.
I say good morning mr magpie how is your wife? to lone magpies.
My wife adds "and children" to the end of the magpie salute.
Iām 36. I genuinely think Iāve only walked over 3 drains about 5 times in my life. Ever since my mate at primary school told me if you do, something horrible will happen to my family.
I chuck spilt salt over my shoulder, I never put new shoes on a table, I put a coin in new bags or purses if I gift them, I cross myself if I see an ambulance, I don't open umbrellas indoors, I sweep all the bad luck out of my house on new years eve, I don't walk under ladders, I never toast with water, and its not really possible but I try not to let anyone stir my tea
Why?
Why what lol
What's with the tea stirring? And toasting with water?
Stirring someone's tea is said to stir up trouble and toasting with water is a bad omen says means death
Damn. I literally make people tea daily and obviously stir it for them. Im doomed. But may also explain my life.
Youād have a job making toast with water, itād get too soggy
It must be hard to be you
None. Superstitions make no sense to me.
I salute the magpie if I only see one of them. I swear this prevents bad luck happening to me on the same day or if something bad happens I donāt end up in tears over it.
Like so many others, apparently, I salute magpies. If I see one, I try and apply the bad luck to a certain aspect of my day as I pass. E.g. I won't be able to find that one thing when shopping. Or, I'm going to have a busy day, but it'll be hard work. This generally works out.
I buy Euromillions tickets when the jackpot goes over a certain threshold. It's essentially a superstition, given the odds
I always make sure never to step on a crack. I mostly avoid wearing green too- for some reason my grandmother thought wearing green was bad luck.
I was going to say I don't have anything I do due to superstition, but I've just remembered I actually do! Back when I was a student, I was friends with a Luxembourgish woman and an Austrian guy. They both said that when you clink glasses/say cheers, you must give eye contact to the other person or you'd have 7 years of bad sex. Even though I'm autistic and not always the biggest fan of eye contact, I have always looked the other person in the eye when clinking glasses since!
I think for me most of these things I donāt feel superstitious about but became more of a habit. I salute a single magpie every time and I wonāt walk on 3 grates/drains. I donāt like crossing people on stairs but itās hard to avoid at work so again that was more a habit at home that Iād shout āaaaahhh wait there Iām on the stairsā. I never have a āloose mirrorā (one thatās not hung on a wall, for the fear of smashing it. The mirror one being the only one I feel superstitious about.
When I start work I always put my torch on my jacket first, then gloves. Have always done it, and nothing too bad has happened so far so now it's in my head that if I do it the wrong way round things will go tits up
I think the only thing I'm suspicious about is tempting fate. I never say things like "it'll be easy", "nothing will go wrong", "Its quiet today", "it'll arrive on time", etc etc etc. I don't tempt the fates.
I never step on a group of 3 drain covers even if it means doing an awkward little side step to avoid them.
We always say ārabbitsā on the first of every month for good luck.
I try to never split a pole, or never put my purse on the ground. Words of wisdom , that I had heard from friends in the past! š
I would not say I'm superstitious and I don't really do anything superstitious in my day to day life. But if someone said let's have a seance or let's do an Ouija board I'd be like, nope! Seen way too many movies where that goes wrong, thank you very much.
Mostly the usual ones, like saluting magpies, throwing spilled salt over my shoulder, not walking under ladders, not walking over 3 drains, don't look in the back of an ambulance (I think that's more of a respectful thing though), etc. My late nan had some really fun ones: don't look at a new moon through the window: you have to go outside and turn money over in your pocket for good fortune! At new years, the youngest person or the one with the darkest hair (? maybe? can't remember) has to run out the front door and in through the back with a lump of coal (or salt, if coal is unavailable).
š«°Itās unlucky to be superstitious š¤
My dad wouldn't ever give a knife as a gift. If he bought someone a fancy kitchen knife as a gift, which is the kind of thing he did, he'd make you give him a penny so that it was a purchase, not a gift.
My Mum had one, which could have you walking about looking like a loon for ages these days. If an ambulance passes you, you need to hold your collar ātill you see a spotty dog.
My late mother believed that egg-white caused warts on the hands. I donāt believe that at all, but I always rinse my hand(s) after cracking an egg. I always feel stupid, but I do it.
I don't walk under ladders or scaffolding, especially when the Lottery"s on. I used to believe that thing about Friday the 13th being unlucky, but then I once got 2 credit slips at school on a Friday the 13th lol.
I will only wear odd socks and if I have to wear matching socks (I had to for fancy dress recently lol), one of them has to be inside out. It started from when I used to compete in dancing competitions as a child (I must have won a few with odd socks/ one inside out) and I still do it to this day.
I've heard putting socks on *first* if you suffer from athletes foot or other feet & toe-based fungal infections is a good idea, other wise when you pull your other garments on your can pull the fungus up your legs 3 drains for me. actively avoid stepping on the middle one
I still salute magpies
I have to salute every magpie I see. I don't know when it started but now it's not a choice. I've said to myself before that I'm going to stop it but I always have a stupid worry that something bad will happen if I don't so I can't not salute them.
I always say hello to magpies and their friend or partner magpies.
A foot on every other step when going upstairs. Started when I was a kid and still do it at 53.
I still don't like to pick a coin on the sidewalk/ground tails side up. My mom told me that it was a source of bad luck as a kid.
I say 'white rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit' on the first day of every month.
I always salute Magpies, no idea why though!
I always break a cross in the bottom of my egg shells if I have boiled eggs. It's to stop witches using them as boats and endangering sailors.
Yes! My boyfriend (now hubby of over 30 years) looked at me like I was a mad eejit when I did this and said "it's to save the sailors". My parents always did it so I assumed it was an Irish superstition (they both moved to England in the 50's) as I have never known any of my English friends and family do it.
I always greet a singular magpie, I don't put new shoes on the table, I don't let knives cross.
Salute magpies and will never ever walk over 3 drains. 2 drains good, 3 forbidden!
An old east end (of London) superstition was to put a coin in the hand of a newborn baby, people you didn't know would come up to you and put a coin in babies hand, this was to ensure they were never poor, a bit like a coin in a purse given as a gift.
- Saluting magpies - Donāt say the āQā word - Donāt step on triplet manhole covers (phone lines?)
I salute magpies