Are you superstitious? I’d like to say I am not, but I do tend to knock wood every now and again. The fascinating things about superstitions is that many of them have a basis in reality. Or perceived reality.
I clearly remember an episode of The Roy Rogers Show where Roy walked under a ladder, and his sidekick, Pat Brady, knew that something was dreadfully wrong because normally Roy would never take such a chance. I have to admit that sixty years later, I still think twice before walking under a ladder, thanks to Roy and Pat Brady. That will probably keep me from being hit with a falling paint can, or the ladder coming down on my head.
A common cowboy superstition is to never, ever, put your hat on a bed. I assumed that it was so that the hat wasn’t accidentally squashed. That said, cowboy hats can generally take quite a beating and a little steam from a tea kettle will put them back in the shape they were once in. I did a little research and found out that head lice were quite prevalent in the old west, and by keeping hats off the bed, the wearer also kept lice from migrating to the blankets.
Iron was thought to repel evil in the Middle Ages. It could withstand fire and therefore was a protective element. Horseshoes are made of iron and therefore hanging a horseshoe could protect a house and those within. Now there is some controversy about which way to hang the horseshoe. In my house, a horse had to have the U pointed down so that the luck didn’t run out. Some people believe the U has to point the other way so that the luck pours out. Maybe so, but it still bothers me to see a horseshoe pointed the “wrong way”.
Some people believe that if you should never gift a person a knife. If you do it may severe the relationship. To keep that from happening, the recipient must pay at least a penny for the gift.
Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls avoid eating chicken or wearing yellow when competing. Obviously yellow is the color of cowardice and chicken is, well, chicken. Also a rodeo rider doesn’t compete with change in their pocket, because that will be all the money they get that day.
Lastly, never buy used cowboy boots or you’ll be stepping into the owner’s troubles. Stepping in manure is good luck (kind of takes the sting off from having to clean your shoes). A cowboy will oil his boots but won’t clean them because they may lose their luck.
Do you follow any superstitions? I try not to as I said, but I do have “power” socks for bad days and I knock on wood.
