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
Pirates believed that piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and gold improved one's eyesight.
131
An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.
115
In some parts of England, rum is used to wash a baby's head for good luck.
71
According to an age old custom, carrying a dead shrew in your pocket wards off rheumatism!
24
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
Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
89
Opening an umbrella indoors is said to result in 21 days of bad luck. Some traditions hold that it is only bad luck if the umbrella is placed over the head of someone while indoors.
75