Folklore from The Old Farmer's Almanac Archives
There are many superstitions for “good luck” around the home. Many of these would be called “Old Wives’ tales.” Let’s have fun exploring these age-old sayings.
Even though most of us say we are not superstitious, we avoid walking under ladders and practicing other superstitious behavior! Is it just tradition, or is there something to some of these old wives’ tales?
Here are 11 sayings for good luck in your home that come from The Old Farmer’s Almanac folklore archives:
- Scatter Solomon’s seal on the floor to banish serpents and venomous creatures from the room.
- To protect your house from lightning, gather hazel tree branches on Palm Sunday and keep them in the water.
- Add caraway seeds to chicken feed to keep poultry from wandering. Feed the seeds to homing pigeons to help them find their way back.
- Stuff fennel in your keyhole or hang it over your door to protect against evil spirits. (Of course, we now know fennel has many natural remedy benefits to help keep us healthy!)
- Never carry a hoe into the house. If you do so by mistake, carry it out again, walking backward to avoid bad luck.
- Never walk under a ladder, which is Satan’s territory. If you must do it, cross your fingers or make the sign of the fig (closed fist, with thumb between index and middle fingers).
- If you give a steel blade to a friend, make the recipient pay you a penny to avoid cutting the friendship.
- Never give a knife as a housewarming present, or your new neighbor will become an enemy.
- Never pound a nail after sundown; you will wake the tree gods.
- Nail an evergreen branch to new rafters to bring good luck. An empty hornet’s nest, hung high, also will bring good luck to a house of any age.
- When you move to a new house, always enter first with a loaf of bread and a new broom. Never bring an old broom into the house.
Enjoy folklore? Read all about herbs and folklore—and their many uses around the home!
What do you think about these superstitions? How superstitious are you?
Unfortunately, we couldn't information about this saying. As a wild guess, it might possibly mean that one might do that for protection or for good luck--and the more sugar, the better.
There is a tradition in Puerto Rico during New Year's Eve (Año Viejo) where people might sprinkle sugar outside the home around the stroke of midnight to attract good luck.
Similarly, in various cultures there are traditions about leaving salt outside the door to protect the home against evil.
Smelling food odors that aren't there sometimes can indicate a sinus infection or other illness, but the fact that both you and your husband detected the odor, there is likely another cause. Sometimes chemical leaks (such as freon) from the refrigerator, furnace, air conditioner, etc. may cause a sweet odor. Check your appliances to make sure that everything is OK. (If there is any chance that carbon monoxide from the furnace, etc., or a gas leak is occurring, leave the house immediately and call a professional. Carbon monoxide is odorless, but a failing furnace can sometimes create a sweet smell.) Mold or mildew sometimes can smell sweet, like honey. Insects, such as honeybees, that set up shop in walls may also cause a sweet scent. Hope this helps!
See our best days timetable for best days to set posts or pour concrete: http://www.almanac.com/bestdays/timetable
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