Some people wouldn’t consider that bad luck, (excl. me of course, Mom).

I’m just sayin.

Breaking a mirror is 7 years bad luck – more likely you’re going to be finding shards of glass for ages so be careful with your mirror! Don’t pass sharp objects because it increases the risk of you or the receiver being cut vs them picking it up themselves, or always hand a knife handle first – well of course, it’s the safest thing. Bad luck to walk under a ladder: things are more likely to fall on you because if a ladder is there there’s likely a trades person up there with a bucket of paint or some tools. Umbrellas opened inside are likely to knock things over. They’re tales used to scare children into obeying with punishments like bad luck, marrying a rat or similar. Really it’s to keep them out of trouble.

Conversly, there is one that says that a bird pooping on your head is good luck. Like the rain on your wedding day being good luck, I think that the ‘good luck’ promise is more to calm down the frantic bride or the person with poop on their head than a prediction of luck coming their way.

Don’t know about the ones from other cultures though, I guess I’ve only had practise rationalising the european ones :)

- Don’t stick your chopsticks in your bowl of rice (I think it’s because it resembles the incense at funerals).
- Don’t pass food from chopstick to chopstick (meaning, using your chopsticks to pass someone food, and having them take the food with their chopsticks).
- Your rice shouldn’t make a mound in the ricebowl, it should be flat (I think because it resembles a fresh grave).
(Regarding etiquette, it’s good manners to slurp your soup.)

Another good one is, Don’t give someone who is sick a potted plant, as the illness may then “take root.”

In Russia there are a lot of superstitions:
-Don’t greet someone across a threshold. Wait for them to come in first.
-Don’t wish someone “Happy Birthday” before the day-it brings bad luck.
-Travelers sit on their suitcases before a trip (I don’t know why).
-Don’t look into a mirror for 40 days after a loved one dies (while their spirit is still on the earth-presumably) or they may decide to stay and haunt you.
And my favorite:
-If your bowl of soup contains a bay leaf, then you will receive a special letter soon.

- If you have one brother, it is bad luck for him if you wash your hair on Thursdays or Saturdays.
- If you look particularly enviable, a black line of kohl behind your ear will protect you from the Evil Eye.
- Odd numbers of sneezes are omens of bad things. Even numbers of sneezes are okay as they cancel each other out.
- When giving money, always give an odd amount. Don’t know why.
- When a loved one is going to a new place or traveling a long distance, do not comb your hair until they arrive to insure their safety.
- Never step over a baby as it will stunt its growth.

There are tons more, but since I spent the majority of my childhood repressing such memories, I can’t recall them now.

BUT just for ‘good manners’ I was taught to only hand back a knife as it was given to me. If I feel OCD I wont step on cracks, but I’m playing more of a ‘mini game’ with myself than being superstitious… cuz it’s fun :)