American Superstitions and Folk Beliefs

Hearing the so-called death-watch or death-tick in a wall is interpreted as a sign of a death in the household.

Dreaming of flies is interpreted as a sign of sickness.

Dreaming of lice is interpreted as a sign of coming wealth.

Dreaming of a rat is interpreted as a sign that one has an enemy.

Dreaming of snakes is interpreted as a sign of enemies; some variants say killing the snake in the dream means overcoming them.

A double crown of hair is interpreted as a sign that the person will later live or spend significant time in two countries.

Combing one’s hair after dark is interpreted as a sign of sickness.

An itching right hand is interpreted as a sign that money is coming; the same record gives other meanings for the left hand and an itching nose.

An infant who keeps an open hand is taken as a sign of generosity, while closed fingers suggest a close-fisted disposition.

Seeing the moon over the right shoulder is associated with good luck, while seeing it over the left is associated with bad luck.

Stepping over a young child is believed to stop or stunt the child’s growth.

A loaf that cracks across the top while baking is interpreted as a death omen.

Two people break a fowl’s wishbone; the person who receives the longer piece is believed to receive the wish.

Breaking a looking-glass or mirror is interpreted as a sign that a death in the family will occur before the year ends.

To help a child “rise in the world,” the baby should first be carried upward, such as upstairs or toward an attic.

Carrying a hoe through the house is believed to foretell a death before the year ends.

Raising an umbrella inside a house is interpreted as a sign of an approaching death.

Leaving a house by a different door from the one used to enter is believed to bring family trouble or personal bad luck.

A clock that has long been still and suddenly begins ticking or striking is interpreted as a sign of approaching death or misfortune.

Seeing a falling star is treated as an opportunity to make a wish.

A person recites a first-star rhyme, makes a private wish, and expects the wish to come true if it is not disclosed.

A wish made on the first snowflake of the season is believed to come true.

First seeing the new moon through trees or brush is interpreted as a sign of trouble during the month.

On first seeing the new moon, a rhyme is recited asking the moon to reveal the future spouse and details about them.

A wish made the first time the new moon is seen is believed to come true.

After viewing the new moon, nine stars are counted and an object found beneath the right foot is placed under the pillow to prompt a dream of a future husband.

A floating thistledown is caught, breathed on with a wish or thought of an absent friend, and blown toward that person as a symbolic messenger.

Allowing a baby under one year old to look into a mirror is believed to endanger the child’s life.

Seeing a coffin-like form in a burning candle is interpreted as a token of death.

A coffin creaking in a carpenter’s shop is interpreted as a sign that another coffin order, and therefore another death, will soon follow.

A bell heard ringing without an identifiable cause is interpreted as a warning of death.

A child who is thought to favor or resemble the father is regarded as likely to prosper.

A child’s character or future is associated with the weekday on which the child is born.

A baby is believed to take on traits similar to the person who first carries the child outdoors.

The way a person crosses a fence—over, through, or under—is associated with different outcomes such as clover, a shoe, or a blunder.