Pirates believed that piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and gold improved one's eyesight.
131
In some parts of England, rum is used to wash a baby's head for good luck.
71
It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
143
Placing a hat on the bed is, apparently, bad luck. (South Carolina)
9
It is bad luck to put new shoes on a bed (or a table) (comes from the tradition of dressing a corpse in new clothes and shoes and laying them out so everyone can give their respects) - (UK)
57
A single magpie is considered a sign of bad luck. A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar recites an old proverb concerning the incidence of bad weather when magpies forage alone and a possible scientific explanation for this.
49
If one walks underneath an open ladder it is said to bring bad luck. Sometimes it is said that this can be undone by immediately walking backwards back underneath the ladder.
105
At times, a horseshoe may be found above doorways. When positioned like a regular 'U' it supposedly collects luck. However, when it is positioned like an upside-down 'U' the luck supposedly drains.
78