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By Alex Daniels

How does that saying go? “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and silver sixpence in her shoe.”  It is a credo believed to carry good luck dating back to the Victorian era and many folks, brides especially, try to arrange their wedding attire accordingly.

* Something old:  Something old represents the link with the bride’s family and many brides choose to wear a piece of antique family jewelry, her mother’s or grandmother’s wedding gown.

* Something new: This is to symbolize good fortune and success for the future of the couple. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item.

* Something borrowed: Something borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed. The borrowed object means something such as a lace handkerchief.

* Something blue: The color blue is meant here to symbolize the loyalty and fidelity of the couple. Often the item is the garter.

* Silver sixpence in her shoe: A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe is to wish the bride wealth.  But frankly, if you are willing to go through your entire wedding with a coin in your shoe, well that’s just crazy 

The bride’s bouquet at its inception formed part of the wreaths worn by both the bride and groom.  It was a symbol of happiness.  Today the practice of tossing the bouquet is an off shoot of throwing the garter.  Single women compete to catch the bride’s bouquet because according to superstition the one to make the catch will be married next.

The wedding tradition of throwing the garter began in France when pieces of the bride were considered lucky.  The bride would throw the garter to those attending the wedding and whoever caught it could expect good luck.  In some states, the groom traditionally removes the garter from the bride and throws it to the unmarried men. The man who catches it is thought to be the next to marry.  As the wedding ceremony progress, the excitement level of all increases.

* Catching the garter: Men compete to catch the brides garter as the groom tosses it up in the air.

* Garter game: At some weddings the man who catches the garter places it on the leg of the lady who caught the bouquet or they have the next dance.

These superstitious wedding games have become part of the wedding tradition today.  It is believed that by participating you are bestowing upon the couple good fortune.

A century ago, wedding superstitions were even more deeply rooted.

* Marrying a man whose surname began with the same letter was thought to be unlucky.

* Marrying on Friday the 13th cursed your wedding from the start.

* Brides who choose to be married in December were thought to be the wisest woman because she surely would be marrying her true love.

The desire for a marriage to last is strong, and consequently weddings are particularly vulnerable to superstitious beliefs that can supposedly affect it.  My thoughts?  Try not to take any of them seriously, there are so many superstitions to follow it can drive you crazy!  And of course there’s the whole “superstition” aspect.  You do know that it’s all made-up, right?  That it’s not going to have any bearing on your marriage or wedding day at all, right?  Good.  I’ve got to go get the penny out of my shoe now.  Good luck!

Alex consults for a gift shop offering wedding party gifts and bridesmaids gifts. Alex is recently married.

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By Adel Awwad

Many times while gambling, I’ve found myself searching for subtle signs to assist me in making my next bet. For
example, if I’m playing roulette and a person in a red blouse stands next to me, then I’ll place an outside bet on
red. If I’m experiencing very good luck at Blackjack and a less friendly dealer takes over the table, then I’ll take it
as a sign to move onto another table because my luck is about to change. Superstition and myth have always
played a small part in the gambling area.

From the common practice of blowing on a set of dice before rolling
them, to the not so common practice of carrying a toenail from a horned toad, many gamblers believe that they
can actually give their game play an edge by following irrational beliefs that have long been associated with
gambling. While most gamblers have adopted their own set of superstitious beliefs and practices, there still
remains a common set of beliefs that many gamblers have at one time or another adopted.

Some of the superstitions which are believed to bring good luck include:

- Carrying a four leaf clover.

- Carrying a rabbit’s foot.

- Carrying a horseshoe.

- Carrying a personal lucky charm.

- Wearing a lucky item of clothing.

- Blowing on the dice before rolling them.

- Being well dressed.

- Crossing one’s fingers.

- Stacking the gambling chips neatly.

- The color red.

Some of the superstitions which are believed to bring bad luck include:

- Breaking a mirror.

- A black cat crossing one’s path.

- Walking under a ladder.

- Dogs near a gambling table.

- The color black.

While most of us at one stage or another have given way to the occasional superstitious belief, when it comes to
the practice of gambling, it would seem to make more sense for a player to invest more time in the study and
practice of various playing strategies and less time in the practice of irrational superstitious beliefs which may or
may not work.

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By John Kunkle

Russians are very superstitious people. They will deny this, but it is true. These superstitions affect my life on a daily basis. Most of the time they are harmless and I go along with them to humor my wife. Sometimes I tease her about them.

New superstitions pop up all the time, as new situations arise in our life. I keep telling her that I need a rulebook for them. Perhaps someday I will codify them in a book.

Russians are raised with these superstitions so they have no need to consult a manual.
Here are some of them. It is by no means an exhaustive list:

1) You can’t whistle in the house or car, as they believe that you are whistling away your money.

At a dinner party at our house, a friend of mine started whistling. My wife silenced him immediately. She explained to him, “You can whistle in your own house, but you can’t whistle in mine. In my house, it’s my money you are whistling away.”

When she first came to America, she would see people standing at intersections holding signs. She asked me what they were doing. I told her they were asking for money. She asked me why. I told her that they had done entirely too much whistling in their house for their own good.

2) If you step on your spouse’s shoe by accident, you have to let the other person step on your shoe, or you will have an argument.

I never tested this superstition. It seemed easier to go along with the remedy than pay the price for violating it.

3) If you leave your house, you cannot go back inside for something you have forgotten, or your trip will result in ‘nothing good,’ as my wife says.

4) If you must go back in to get the forgotten item, you can try to mitigate the bad effects of returning by looking into the mirror at your own reflection for a moment before you leave again.

5) Never demonstrate another’s surgery or wound on your own body with your hand or other means as you are likely to visit that upon yourself.

In the few times I have done this, my wife has tried to remedy this by wiping away the spot where I made the imaginary incision with her hand, blowing on her hand to blow it away to the wind, and covering it with the sign of the cross.

6) Never give a Russian woman an even number of flowers. Even numbers are for the dead. Always give odd numbers. When you order a dozen, or two dozen roses, for her, ask them to throw in an extra one for good luck.

7) Never give yellow flowers to a Russian woman. It signifies infidelity and may mean that your relationship will not last.

8) Never give a watch as a gift to a Russian woman. Time is running out on your relationship.

9) Never give knives or handkerchiefs as gifts. I don’t know the reason for this one.

10) Never celebrate a birthday early. You are pushing your luck.

11) Don’t show your newborn baby to strangers until after forty days. They are waiting for their soul to arrive and they may take on another’s soul or energy during that time.

12) It’s best to cut your hair or nails during a full moon.

13) It’s considered bad luck to shave or cut your hair when a family member is in danger or bad health.

14) Whenever someone praises you or offers a positive comment, you knock on wood or imaginarily spit three times over your left shoulder so that you are not jinxed by the comment.

15) Do not shake hands or kiss over the threshold of a door. It forms a bridge that allows the devil or evil spirits from the outside to enter the house this way. When I have done this by mistake, my wife usually pushes me back outside or pulls me inside before greeting me with a kiss at the front door.

16) Before anyone takes a long trip, the whole family sits together silently for a few minutes before the traveler leaves.

17) The truly superstitious have been known to eat ‘lucky’ bus tickets, when the sum of the left three numbers equals the sum of the three numbers on the right.

18) Recently, while preparing to give my infant daughter a bath, the little tyke peed on me while I was taking her clothes off. My wife laughed and said that it was good news. It meant that I would live to dance at my daughter’s wedding!

This list is not exhaustive by any means. Superstitions vary by country and locale. There is a popular Russian television show that travels around the country exploring the unique superstitions of each particular town or village.

Many of the superstitions came from folk tales or fairy stories, Russian Orthodox tradition, or had peasant or agricultural roots. Most Russians are only one or two generations from the farm or village.

At any rate, be aware of the superstitions and try to show some respect for them whether or not you believe in them. Your Russian friends will appreciate it.

John has been married to a Russian women for over five years.  He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life.  He will show you step by step how to do this yourself.
www.russian-luv.com/superstitions.html

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