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
Pirates believed that piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and gold improved one's eyesight.
131
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
Placing keys on a table is considered unlucky. (Sweden)
3
Before traveling a person should, apparently, sit on their luggage. (Russian)
117
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
According to an age old custom, carrying a dead shrew in your pocket wards off rheumatism!
24