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
According to an age old custom, carrying a dead shrew in your pocket wards off rheumatism!
24
In some parts of England, rum is used to wash a baby's head for good luck.
71
An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.
115
There are numerous sailors' superstitions, such as: it is considered bad luck for a ship to set sail on a Friday, to bring anything blue aboard, to stick a knife into the deck, to leave a hatch cover upside-down, to say "pig", or to eat walnuts aboard.
70
It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.
143
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
Before traveling a person should, apparently, sit on their luggage. (Russian)
117