Popular Superstitions Facts

1. Collect seven or nine different flowers on midsummer eve and place them under your pillow and it is said that you will dream of your future spouse. (Sweden) 
2. If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.
3. Many believe that if all of the candles on a birthday cake are blown out with one breath, while making a silent wish, the wish will come true.
4. When you speak of bad luck, it is said that one should always knock on wood. Also knocking when speaking of good luck apparently helps with having good luck. This is an old Celtic tradition related to belief of wood spirits. 
5. In Asia, the digit 4 never appears in any Nokia handset model number, because 4 is considered unlucky in many parts of Southeast/East Asia. 
6. Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
7. Some motorcycle enthusiasts hang a biker's bell from a portion of their bike to protect themselves from evil road spirits.  
8. There are numerous sailors' superstitions, such as: it is considered bad luck for a ship to set sail on a Friday, to bring anything blue aboard, to stick a knife into the deck, to leave a hatch cover upside-down, to say "pig", or to eat walnuts aboard.
9. It is bad luck to put new shoes on a bed (or a table) (comes from the tradition of dressing a corpse in new clothes and shoes and laying them out so everyone can give their respects) - (UK)
10. Placing keys on a table is considered unlucky. (Sweden)
11. Opening an umbrella indoors is said to result in 21 days of bad luck. Some traditions hold that it is only bad luck if the umbrella is placed over the head of someone while indoors.
12. If one walks underneath an open ladder it is said to bring bad luck. Sometimes it is said that this can be undone by immediately walking backwards back underneath the ladder.
13. Many believe that if all of the candles on a birthday cake are blown out with one breath, while making a silent wish, the wish will come true.
14. In some parts of England, rum is used to wash a baby's head for good luck.
15. According to an age old custom, carrying a dead shrew in your pocket wards off rheumatism!