Pirates believed that piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and gold improved one's eyesight.
131
Before traveling a person should, apparently, sit on their luggage. (Russian)
117
According to an age old custom, carrying a dead shrew in your pocket wards off rheumatism!
24
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
Two people breaking a wishbone is said to lead to good luck for the person with the larger piece.
225
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 you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.
394
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