If you missed Jody and Melody on Hot Country Mornings today, we stumbled upon some UNIQUELY East Coast superstitions that you may not have even heard of if you grew up elsewhere in Canada!
Of course, there are the superstitions we have all heard time and time again, like:
- Saying knock on Wood to ward off bad luck
- If a bird hits your window bad luck is coming
- Throwing salt over your shoulder if it spills
- Wishing on 11:11 or 12:34
We also stumbled upon some fun and totally unique ones from listeners, like this one from Desirae:
AND some that *some* of us might remember from childhood, when we were DESPERATELY trying to conjure up a SNOW DAY:
But one of the most interesting things to stumble upon, were the UNIQUELY East Coast superstitions – AND to discover where they (may have) originated!!
No Grey Mittens on a Boat
This seems to have originated in Lunenburg!
According to one folktale, the captain of a schooner turned back to port when he discovered one of his crewmen had grey mittens. WHY? Because undertakers wore grey mittens, so it was like asking for a death on the journey.
And even though WE KNOW that there is no “FACT” involved in any of this, some sailors still avoid wearing grey mittens as a matter of tradition, even though they may not fully believe in the superstition. PLUS…WHY RISK IT?!
Bread in your pocket
Originating in Newfoundland, the idea that BREAD can keep fairies at bay.
Bread could stop the fairies from Interfering with humans.
It’s not entirely clear why fairies were so bread-averse.
Maybe fairies are celiac?
Ultimately, it seems like we all carry some sort of superstition with us (whether we *really* believe it or not).
What superstitions do you have?
