# Out of curiosity - Gestures and beliefs



## Silvia

Hi all,

I was not sure about the title of this thread, but I couldn't come up with a better one  

Anyway, I noticed that in Italy some people, especially older ones, have the habit/custom to make the sign of the cross when they pass by a cemetery.

Does anything like that happen in other countries? Does anyone know of a similar or other type of gesture on other occasions? I'm not talking of offensive gestures, just odd ones.

Thank you!


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## belén

In Spain, usually old people crosses oneself when passing by a church. My grandma used to make me do that when I was a little girl...

Silvia, isn't there something in Italy with nuns, something people do when nuns pass by? Or when a hunchbacked person passes by? I don't know why this comes to my mind. Something little kids do to each other, like a game...

I'll think of more stuff, this is interesting!!

Cheers,
B


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## DDT

Well, some Italian men are in the habit of making a gesture which I cannot report when they see one or more nuns    
The soft version is to say "Una sorella un'ora bella" which means (sorry the rhyme is lost in English) "One sister one beautiful hour"

DDT


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## badger

silviap said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> I was not sure about the title of this thread, but I couldn't come up with a better one
> 
> Anyway, I noticed that in Italy some people, especially older ones, have the habit/custom to make the sign of the cross when they pass by a cemetery.
> 
> Does anything like that happen in other countries? Does anyone know of a similar or other type of gesture on other occasions? I'm not talking of offensive gestures, just odd ones.
> 
> Thank you!



Morning sil bel and D.

Here in Ireland people cross themselves... 
when passing a church,
if a funeral passes them by,
if an ambulance with sirens passes them by,
if they hear terrible news,
if they hear good news and expected bad,
and I can't recall about the cemetry but I think they probable do.

I can't think of other gestures.

It's a nice little thread.

Badger.  

I'll have to start using my full name, because some foreros didn't realise that it was short for badger and thought that "bad" was a comment.


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## Silvia

belen said:
			
		

> Silvia, isn't there something in Italy with nuns, something people do when nuns pass by?



What is it?!!! I have no idea!

About hunchback, I guess that has to do with superstition, it is said that touching a hunchback will bring you luck, so if you're superstitious you can tap his/her back.


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## Silvia

DDT said:
			
		

> Well, some Italian men are in the habit of making a gesture which I cannot report when they see one or more nuns
> The soft version is to say "Una sorella un'ora bella" which means (sorry the rhyme is lost in English) "One sister one beautiful hour"



A gesture for nuns?! That must be because I'm not a man  I've never heard that expression either!


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## Silvia

Hi dear Badger,

I didn't know Irish people could make the sign of the cross so often. Now I recall what a classmate once told me. This is a real story happened around 14 years ago. He was on vacation in the South of Italy (Calabria) and he didn't have a haircut. While in a small village, some old women looked at him and made the sign of the cross!  I admit he was not that handsome  but a sign of the cross made him look like he was the devil! Who knows...


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## badger

silviap said:
			
		

> Hi dear Badger,
> 
> I didn't know Irish people could make the sign of the cross so often. Now I recall what a classmate once told me. This is a real story happened around 14 years ago. He was on vacation in the South of Italy (Calabria) and he didn't have a haircut. While in a small village, some old women looked at him and made the sign of the cross!  I admit he was not that handsome  but a sign of the cross made him look like he was the devil! Who knows...



As I think about, the scene that you describe could just as easily have happened here in Ireland.  And the women would have probably said "God forbid in all harm".   This was a common expression, and would have also been said with my earlier reference to bad news.

A very common expression in my boyhood but gradually disappearing.

b  

By the way.


> Hi dear Badger



I'm not dear (expensive), you can have me at a special cheap rate he he he


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## tim

Don't know about the sign of the cross, but kids in Australia play a type of "game" when going past a cemetary.  Namely, they throw their arms in the air and hold their breath until they pass it.  This is all very wel and good when driving along a freeway, but on one occasion walking past a nearby necropolis I remember quite a few blue faces, lol.


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## cuchuflete

tim said:
			
		

> Don't know about the sign of the cross, but kids in Australia play a type of "game" when going past a cemetary. Namely, they throw their arms in the air and hold their breath until they pass it. This is all very wel and good when driving along a freeway, but on one occasion walking past a nearby necropolis I remember quite a few blue faces, lol.


Hi Tim,
Who holds the steering wheel while the driver's arms are in the air?


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## Jade

Bon dia!

People do this in Spain in all kind of situations. 

Have you ever seen a torero when he gets dressed before going out to the bull ring?

Jade





			
				cuchufléte said:
			
		

> Hi Tim,
> Who holds the steering wheel while the driver's arms are in the air?


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## cuchuflete

silviap said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> I was not sure about the title of this thread, but I couldn't come up with a better one
> 
> Anyway, I noticed that in Italy some people, especially older ones, have the habit/custom to make the sign of the cross when they pass by a cemetery.
> 
> Does anything like that happen in other countries? Does anyone know of a similar or other type of gesture on other occasions? I'm not talking of offensive gestures, just odd ones.
> 
> Thank you!


Buon giorno Silvia,
As if the recent elections didn't provide adequate proof of the "odd ones" over here, there is further evidence...
  In parts of the Mid-west, including at very least Wisconsin, when young people are driving, and an approaching car is a "one eye", meaning only one of the headlights is working, the passenger is supposed to kiss the driver!  In my distant memories, I don't recall the penalty for failing to do so, or what happens if both front seat passengers are either male or female.

Cuchu


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## Silvia

badger said:
			
		

> I'm not dear (expensive), you can have me at a special cheap rate he he he


That was a good one!

Are you offering for free? 

I hate doing the chores


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## Silvia

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> In parts of the Mid-west, including at very least Wisconsin, when young people are driving, and an approaching car is a "one eye", meaning only one of the headlights is working, the passenger is supposed to kiss the driver!  In my distant memories, I don't recall the penalty for failing to do so, or what happens if both front seat passengers are either male or female.



What?!!!  Let me get this straight. If I'm driving a one eye car in the Mid-west, what does happen to me?!  Do I have to kiss anyone? Or just in case there's a passenger in my car?

And I thought Americans were puritans


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## zebedee

I remember when I was a kid we used to lift our feet off the ground when an ambulance drove past, which is fine if you're sitting down but...


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## Silvia

Zeb  Luckily you're not a kid anymore


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## zebedee

silviap said:
			
		

> Zeb  Luckily you're not a kid anymore



Who thayth?


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## cuchuflete

silviap said:
			
		

> What?!!!  Let me get this straight. If I'm driving a one eye car in the Mid-west, what does happen to me?!  Do I have to kiss anyone? Or just in case there's a passenger in my car?
> 
> And I thought Americans were puritans


Silvia--I have no idea what goes on in the one eye car.  Note the word 'approaching' in my last post.

Yes, Americans are Puritans, except when they don't feel like it!

Cuchu


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## Silvia

zebedee said:
			
		

> Who thayth?


 You?

You said... "I remember when I was a kid"


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## Silvia

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> Silvia--I have no idea what goes on in the one eye car.  Note the word 'approaching' in my last post.
> 
> Yes, Americans are Puritans, except when they don't feel like it!
> 
> Cuchu



I thought you knew everything!


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## badger

badger said:
			
		

> Morning sil bel and D.
> 
> Here in Ireland people cross themselves...



Hi again sil.

We used the term "Bless themselves" in days gone by, probably still do but I haven't noticed.

I'll be listening out for it now.


A hug

(From a reasonably priced.)

Badger.


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## amarena

silviap said:
			
		

> What is it?!!! I have no idea!
> 
> About hunchback, I guess that has to do with superstition, it is said that touching a hunchback will bring you luck, so if you're superstitious you can tap his/her back.


Dear Silviap,
actually, for what I know, if the hunchback is a man, in Italy it is sign of good luck, if it is a woman it's the opposite...This makes me think of the old tradition for New Year's day in Tuscany (probably in some other regions as well): when you get up in the morning and you o to the window, if a woman sees a man it's good luck, if she sees a woman it's bad luck for the year to come, BUT generally the important thig is that a man not of the family will come and visit on New Year's day, first: this is considered a good sign for the whole family!
Not  politically correct, but....


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## Lancel0t

silviap said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> I was not sure about the title of this thread, but I couldn't come up with a better one
> 
> Anyway, I noticed that in Italy some people, especially older ones, have the habit/custom to make the sign of the cross when they pass by a cemetery.



Hello there!

Greetings from the Philippines! Here in our country we Catholics (in any age)don't do that but we do the sign of the cross when we pass by a church to show respect to the house of God.


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## Silvia

Hi LancelOt, that's not a usual thing where I live.

amarena, I didn't know the hunchback thing was sexist! Anyway, I guess we're off topic now! I was asking about odd/traditonal/habit/custom gestures... superstition is full of those though.


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## Lancel0t

hi there silviap,

here in our country we have lots of superstitious beliefs that until now most people still believe on those. And i know that we inherited those from our diffirent nations. Are you interested to know these superstitious beliefs?


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## Silvia

Sure, why not?! Go for it! This thread doesn't even have a real title!


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## kopol342

In America kids hold their breath when passing by a cemetary as well.  I never did it though because I can't hold my breath that long.  I'm not much for superstition either.  There was one really strange superstition that I remember from when I was in Spain.  There it is considered good luck when you step in dog poop!  I figured it was because there was so much of it, you have a really good chance at good luck.
I was in Valladolid, so maybe it's different in different parts of Spain.


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## Silvia

Oh well, that's considered good luck in Italy, too. I guess it's because it's such a nuisance that you really need to find something positive about it! 

About holding breath, why do you think they do that?


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## kopol342

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> Buon giorno Silvia,
> As if the recent elections didn't provide adequate proof of the "odd ones" over here, there is further evidence...
> In parts of the Mid-west, including at very least Wisconsin, when young people are driving, and an approaching car is a "one eye", meaning only one of the headlights is working, the passenger is supposed to kiss the driver! In my distant memories, I don't recall the penalty for failing to do so, or what happens if both front seat passengers are either male or female.
> 
> Cuchu


I'm from Wisconsin and that's not how I learned it... the "one eye" means that your'e supposed to say "piddidle" and hit the roof of the car.  I do not know the significance of this, but it's what I've learned.  Also, if there is a vehicle with wood panneling along the side, it's a "woody" and you can punch any person nearby.  I never liked that one


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## belén

kopol342 said:
			
		

> In America kids hold their breath when passing by a cemetary as well.  I never did it though because I can't hold my breath that long.  I'm not much for superstition either.  There was one really strange superstition that I remember from when I was in Spain.  There it is considered good luck when you step in dog poop!  I figured it was because there was so much of it, you have a really good chance at good luck.
> I was in Valladolid, so maybe it's different in different parts of Spain.




Oh, yes, actually, the poop thing is considered good luck, even in France, when they want to wish you good luck they say "Lots of shit" (excuse me, but it's true) and I've heard it in Spain as well..
When you step on dog's poop, people tell you "oh, now you are going to win the lottery", this is an example of seeingthe bottle half full, huh? 

Now, the positive part of the story, I don't know when you were in Spain, Kopol, but I am happy to tell you that for the last years, we have becomed very civilized and now almost all dog owners pick them up. In most cities you find special trash cans with small plastic bags for that purpose. 
But I remember the times when you had to always look down at the sidewalk in order to lose the lottery but at least save your shoes from disaster...

Cheers,
Be


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## Silvia

That makes me think of similar things here in Italy. When a certain event happens, you have to say some specific word or phrase, either for good luck or just cause it's funny. This is a really odd one: when two people say the very same thing at the very same time, they either say 'chips' or touch their own nose, or both together. Very informal, if not childish. I wonder who started all this!


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## kopol342

lol, I didn't mean to imply that Europe was uncivilized!  I was actually there from January-June of this year and even though there are places to dispose of poop, not everyone does their part...there as well as here in the U.S!  In Valladolid, there weren't many grassy areas for the dogs so the sidewalks often became the prefered place to poop I guess.
That isn't the only thing I remember about Europe either, it was just something funny.  They also have a different "superstitious day" than us.  In the U.S. Friday the 13th is a superstitious day, but in Spain (and I think other European countries) it is Tuesday the 13th..stemming from Martes (which is the name of a God of war or something)  Also, actors are superstitious about the color yellow in spain, and that is not the case here.
These are just some differences I noticed... I loved Europe though- I made it to Italy, Portugal, Germany, and England as well... I'm coming back some day!


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## kopol342

In the U.S when two people say the same thing at the same time you say "jinx" and then whoever didn't say Jinx can't talk until someone says their name three times.  My brother and I always played that game and I loved it when you couldn't talk!


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## Silvia

Ok, ok, maybe I'll change the title of this thread into Superstitions! 

Kopol, just fyi, in Italy that day is Friday 17th, and the color is purple. If we had to talk about superstition in Italy, I can tell thousands of examples... but I guess at least no one takes that seriously, it's merely a game. Just some examples. Seeing a black cat crossing the street, breaking a mirror, passing under a ladder, these are all said to bring bad luck. Ladybugs and spiders are supposed to bring good luck. It's unreal how some traditions survive through the centuries...


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## Lems

silviap said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> (...)
> Anyway, I noticed that in Italy some people, especially older ones, have the habit/custom to make the sign of the cross when they pass by a cemetery.
> 
> Does anything like that happen in *other countries*? Does anyone know of a similar or other type of gesture on other occasions? I'm not talking of offensive gestures, just odd ones.
> 
> Thank you!


In Brazil it is pretty much the same among catholics, specially when passing by a church. I guess it has to do with the catholic religion rather than to countries...

Lems
______________________________________________
Things are more like they used to be than they are now.


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## zebedee

silviap said:
			
		

> Ok, ok, maybe I'll change the title of this thread into Superstitions!
> 
> Kopol, just fyi, in Italy that day is Friday 17th, and the color is purple. If we had to talk about superstition in Italy, I can tell thousand of examples... but I guess at least no one takes that seriously, it's merely a game. Just some examples. Seeing a black cat crossing the street, breaking a mirror, passing under a ladder, these are all said to bring bad luck. Ladybugs and spiders are supposed to bring good luck. It's unreal how some traditions survive through the centuries...



In Britain, seeing a black cat cross your path brings GOOD luck, and in Spain it's bad luck like in Italy. We also did the "jinx" thing when I was a kid, which developed into: "Jinx, personal jinx", meaning you couldn't speak until someone said your name to 'free' you from the spell. Then it developed into: "jinx, personal jinx and no returns to me" which is quite a mouthful if you have to be the first one to say it: "jinxpersonaljinxandnoreturnstome!". In Spain you say:"Filipinas".


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## Silvia

Now I'm amused! Such odd things!

By the way Lems, making the sign of the cross while passing by a church is not a Catholic custom, at least I've never noticed it in Italy. That's probably because we have so many churches that you should do that every 3 seconds!

Anyway, I wanted to point out that my question is not about religious gestures, nor superstitious ones. For example I saw one made by American actors(US), that is while they're speaking they raise their hands and make a sign like quotes or inverted commas. I'm not sure why they do that. Is that a frequent sign?


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## Janna82

silviap said:
			
		

> Now I'm amused! Such odd things!
> For example I saw one made by American actors(US), that is while they're speaking they raise their hands and make a sign like quotes or inverted commas. I'm not sure why they do that. Is that a frequent sign?


I'm not quite sure about it, but Americans do raise their hands and make the quotes sign, when they want to talk about something as "between brackets". for example, when explaining something, and saying it in "other words"..
But if I'm wrong........... it's nice if someone would correct me


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## Silvia

Let's wait and see!


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## belén

Yes, they use it in the same way as you would use the quotes sign in written language.

And if you can't see their face (on the phone, on the radio) they say "quote----unquote"


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## Chaucer

Interesting, my brother the atheist, would love this thread. He doesn't hesitate to tell my mother, "Why do you have to make the sign of the cross all the time? It's just a superstition." He'll love this site. He sees making the sign of the cross as being on the same continuum as all the superstitions you have naturally evolved into including in this thread.


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## amarena

silviap said:
			
		

> Ok, ok, maybe I'll change the title of this thread into Superstitions!
> 
> Kopol, just fyi, in Italy that day is Friday 17th, and the color is purple. If we had to talk about superstition in Italy, I can tell thousands of examples... but I guess at least no one takes that seriously, it's merely a game. Just some examples. Seeing a black cat crossing the street, breaking a mirror, passing under a ladder, these are all said to bring bad luck. Ladybugs and spiders are supposed to bring good luck. It's unreal how some traditions survive through the centuries...


And  I can add many more, as my grandmother was a very superstitious person and taught me many of these traditional signs of good/bad luck. I said something about New Years'Day, and I will add a few more, which now my husband and kids recognise as welll.
Apparently, getting married on Friday/Tuesday or leaving for a trip/starting sometning on these days is bad luck ("Di Venere e di Marte non si sposa, non si parte e non si mette l'ago all'arte": On the days of Venus and Mars don't get married, don't leave or don't start a new job). While in UK you should never put your shoes on the table (new box of shoes for example), as I have learned while leaving here, in Tuscany you should never put your hat on the bed , or your money (we say that if you put money on the bed it means that you will spend them for a bad cause, es: medicines...!)
Are there similar beliefs in other regions of Italy?
Buona domenica!
Annalisa


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## belén

With Annalisa's post, I remembered some as well. My grandma was the one who told me all this

En martes ni te cases ni te embarques
Don't get married or take plane/boat on a tuesday

Never leave scissors opened 
Never leave a drawer opened - according to my granma, it calls Death
Never open an umbrella inside a house
Never (this is the weirdest thing) turn a bag around. Like sometimes you grab a plastic bag by both ends and rotate it very fast, so that the opened end will roll. (difficult to explain)
Don't leave your purse on the floor - you will lose your money


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## cuchuflete

belen said:
			
		

> With Annalisa's post, I remembered some as well. My grandma was the one who told me all this
> 
> En martes ni te cases ni te embarques
> Don't get married or take plane/boat on a tuesday
> 
> Never leave scissors opened
> Never leave a drawer opened - according to my granma, it calls Death
> Never open an umbrella inside a house
> Never (this is the weirdest thing) turn a bag around. Like sometimes you grab a plastic bag by both ends and rotate it very fast, so that the opened end will roll. (difficult to explain)
> Don't leave your purse on the floor - you will lose your money


Never step on a crack in the sidewalk, and never forget to put a meaningful title on a new thread?


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## te gato

Here...

We cross ourselves when a funeral car goes by...and cross our fingers when going by a cemetery...
If you say a V.W bug car you got to punch someone..very hard..and say 'punch buggy..no return'...

Never put new shoes on a counter...invites the Devil in your house...
Never walk under a ladder..bad luck..
Never step on a spider...makes it rain...
Black cats crossing your path..bad luck...
Never break a mirror..seven years bad luck...
Never give a wallet as a gift without putting a penny in it...bad luck..

te gato


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## Lancel0t

zebedee said:
			
		

> In Britain, seeing a black cat cross your path brings GOOD luck, and in Spain it's bad luck like in Italy. We also did the "jinx" thing when I was a kid, which developed into: "Jinx, personal jinx", meaning you couldn't speak until someone said your name to 'free' you from the spell. Then it developed into: "jinx, personal jinx and no returns to me" which is quite a mouthful if you have to be the first one to say it: "jinxpersonaljinxandnoreturnstome!". *In Spain you say:"Filipinas"*.



Does it mean that Filipinas is bad luck to Spain? I'm just curious.


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## mirandolina

Silvia, I think I once heard that when you see a hunchback you have to touch a button to keep away bad luck  (I mean a button on your own clothes, not on the hunchback).  Have you ever heard of that?




			
				Silvia said:
			
		

> What is it?!!! I have no idea!
> 
> About hunchback, I guess that has to do with superstition, it is said that touching a hunchback will bring you luck, so if you're superstitious you can tap his/her back.


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## Silvia

No, never, mirandolina. I'm assuming that comes from the Veneto region? I'll ask around and let you know


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## amarena

Dear Silvia and Mirandolina: I have read the things you write about hunchbacks. In Tuscany, we don't touch buttons etc, but we believe, very maschilistically, that a man with a hunchback is lucky and that a woman with a hunchback is very unlucky! So, if yu see a man, it means good luck, especially if you touch his back, but if you see a woman, then you have to do all the "gestures" of the case to scare bad luck away...


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## zebedee

Lancel0t said:
			
		

> Does it mean that Filipinas is bad luck to Spain? I'm just curious.



I doubt it very much! It's just a kids' thing that you do when 2  people say the same thing at the same time. I don't think it has anything to do with luck either good or bad!
Do kids say anything in a similar situation in the Filipinas?

zeb


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## NTFS

hi!

i remember when we were kids, when were walking down the street and encounter a dog (stray dog) we tend to bite our tongues so that the dog won't run after us. i think they still do it today... lol 


NTFS


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## NTFS

te gato said:
			
		

> Here...
> 
> We cross ourselves when a funeral car goes by...and cross our fingers when going by a cemetery...
> If you say a V.W bug car you got to punch someone..very hard..and say 'punch buggy..no return'...
> 
> 
> te gato


 
oh here in the Philippines when your driving then pass by a funeral car going to the cemetary we throw coins infront or at the funeral car.

we also do that VW thingy... jejeje it's quite fun... when a VW beetle pass by you have to salute and say pass! or else everybody will hit you in the head! lol.


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## NTFS

amarena said:
			
		

> Dear Silviap,
> actually, for what I know, if the hunchback is a man, in Italy it is sign of good luck, if it is a woman it's the opposite...This makes me think of the old tradition for New Year's day in Tuscany (probably in some other regions as well): when you get up in the morning and you o to the window, if a woman sees a man it's good luck, if she sees a woman it's bad luck for the year to come, BUT generally the important thig is that a man not of the family will come and visit on New Year's day, first: this is considered a good sign for the whole family!
> Not politically correct, but....


 
hi amarena you've metioned something about new year customs... here in the philippines at new years eve, kids will wait until the clock strikes 12 for the new year then they'll jump so that they'll grow tall. our elders also shake trees so they'll grow tall too....


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## NTFS

4 consecutive posts by NTFS.... i'm sorry... i'm trying to stay awake here... i'm on a grave yard shift... lol... 

ok another custom we have here is when you're eating and someone has to leave the house, you have to turn the plates so that the person leaving won't have an accident. 


one more thing is the holy week thingy(i believe this i only observed by people in barrios/ provinces) . when the holy week comes nobody in the family should be roaming around or going out of town or climbing trees... etc... everybody should stay at home to give respect to the holy week because during this week everybody is accident prone. so meaning any accident encountered during this week is associated w/ the observance of holy week (lunes santo, martes santo, etc...)


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## weird

Hi all, 

My grandma and my mother used to write down a cross at the top of a letter.

They cross themselves before having food and when they got into the car before a travel.

When I was a little girl, when children saw a priest we kissed him on his hand.

(Excuse me, my English is very bad!!)

Saludos.-


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## Artrella

When I come back home on the train we go past Lourdes Church, and all the passage do the cross signal.  Sometimes when people see a funeral procession again they do the same thing... other times when they see an ambulance!!! This applies for all kind of people...


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## amarena

NTFS said:
			
		

> hi amarena you've metioned something about new year customs... here in the philippines at new years eve, kids will wait until the clock strikes 12 for the new year then they'll jump so that they'll grow tall. our elders also shake trees so they'll grow tall too....


 
Hi, in Tuscany there are some old traditions for new year's morning: the unmarried girls used to stand at the top of a staircase and throw one of their slippers down. If the toe of the slipper landed facing them , then they would get married within the year,
And, going back to the man/woman dicotomy, this custom is very radicated: it's very unlucky to meet a woman first thing on new year's day, so some kind men visit the homes of their friends to say Buon anno. I remember an old relative who used to come to our house regularly every new year's morning to visit my grandmother who was very superstitious!!


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## mirandolina

About New Year's Day: in Scotland the "First Foot" (first person to enter your house in the new year) should be male, preferably tall, dark and handsome. He should bring a gift with him - it used to be a lump of coal for the fire, but in these days of central heating, smokeless fuel, etc., I guess he will have to bring something more useful. Probably a bottle for the party....!




			
				amarena said:
			
		

> And, going back to the man/woman dicotomy, this custom is very radicated: it's very unlucky to meet a woman first thing on new year's day, so some kind men visit the homes of their friends to say Buon anno. I remember an old relative who used to come to our house regularly every new year's morning to visit my grandmother who was very superstitious!!


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