Wednesday Wives Tales~Luck of the Irish

Happy Saint Patrick's day to all of you!! Are you wearing green? I thought you might like to see a few Irish 'old wives tales' in honor of the holiday.

Most mountain people in my area (including myself) are are descended from Irish and Scottish immigrants. Some so far back that it is hard to pinpoint when they came here. I have an ancestor that arrived in America from Ireland in the early 1600s.


Here are a few fun (and sometimes creepy) Irish superstitions:

If you meet a funeral you must turn around and walk at least four steps with the mourners or bad luck will befall you.

A dead hand is believed to be a cure for all diseases. Many times sick people were brought to a house where a corpse was laid out, so that the hand of the dead might be laid on them. (I have found this 'cure' listed in many mountain superstitions. People used to be sure and bring their sick children to wakes in order for them to touch the dead person's hand.)

If you kill a Robin, you will never have good luck.

If a magpie comes to your house and looks at you, it is a sign of death and no charm or spell can avert this.

If you make a purse from a weasel, it will never be empty.

It is unlucky to knit at night unless you are quite sure that all the sheep are asleep. (I guess they don't mind during the day?)

If you Google Irish superstitions, you will find that there are endless amounts of them to enjoy.

Have a wonderful day~and may the Luck of the Irish be with you!