Here’s the Spirus guide to disaster-proofing your Friday:
- Avoid walking under ladders. Even if it might look like the easiest route, if you know it’s a bad idea, there’s always another way round.
- Don’t break your mirror. Accidents happen, sure, but be aware of the possible pitfalls and take a bit of extra care if you know something is fragile.
- Always switch on the lights when you’re entering a dark room. Especially in a spooky house, at night. Always best to see where you’re going.
- Stockpile those four-leaf clovers. Or any other things that seem to bring you luck – whatever makes you believe you’re going to be lucky. Whatever your perspective on luck, frame of mind is a big part of it, so think lucky!
- See a penny, pick it up. Total no brainer. And keep an eye out for other easy wins too.
- Take the path which doesn’t have the spooky music playing. Sadly not everything in life is so clearly signposted, but this one just boils down to a simple “don’t take unnecessary risks”.
- Something to do with black cats. There seems to be some different schools of thought here, as to whether they’re good or bad luck – so don’t get too hung up on it. There’s always an argument for the other side.
- Have an apple. It may not be guaranteed to keep the doctor away, but it can’t hurt to eat healthily, right?
- Don’t put your umbrella up inside the house. Quite apart from the luck association, umbrellas are really big and they get in the way so you’re more likely to trip over it – which is not exactly lucky, is it?
- There are lots of superstitions involving behaviour at the table (not singing, not sleeping, not putting new shoes on it….) Frankly, we suspect most of these were made up to encourage good manners. So, it might not be lucky, but at least it’s polite.
- If you happen to spill some salt, throw a pinch of it over your shoulder. We have no idea whether it really wards off the devil or not, but we suggest you clear it up either way.
There are thousands of superstitions, and many of them seem to contradict each other, or are conveniently aligned with good sense and tidiness. So here’s our take on it. Make your own luck: learn to spot an opportunity, and to act on it. Take steps to avoid mistakes. If you do make mistakes, learn from them. And don’t be totally daft about it.
Happy Friday 13th everyone!