My dear Nan was superstitious And she owned an enormous book. It was a complete encyclopaedia And I'd often take a look.
It listed many superstitions From ‘A’ right through to ‘Z’ I’d read it after school, And with my torch in bed.
I learned of all the things That were said to change one’s luck. That it’s bad to walk under a ladder But good to step in muck. If you drop a knife in the kitchen, Don’t pick it up from off the floor. But if someone does it for you, Their luck will be better than before.
Don’t sing before your breakfast. Don’t wear a hat indoor. Don’t cut your nails on Fridays. Don’t step over a baby on your floor.
If you break the bathroom mirror, You’ll have bad luck for seven years For every grain of salt you spill, You’ll cry that many tears.
Don’t pour tea from the teapot That has been poured by someone before. Don’t put new shoes on the table. And hang a horseshoe on your door.
If you see a single magpie, Always say “Good Day” I was told. But if I see five or six, I’d be rewarded with silver or gold. It has always been bad luck To invite thirteen people round to eat. The first visitor on New Year ’s Day, Will bring bad luck if they have flat feet.
If a black cat crosses your path, That will bring much good luck to you. And if you ever get married, Pop a silver sixpence in your shoe.
On every single Hallowe’en, To keep bad spirits away, We’d carve a pumpkin for by the door Which I still do to this very day.
Some superstitions made sense, But most of them are quite absurd. I get the one about ladders, But not spying a lone black and white bird!
When I grew up and moved out of home, I tried to ditch these beliefs if I could, But it’s much harder than I thought to forget them. Still, I’m getting there slowly. Touch wood! The End
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