Aviva Trivia

Are you superstitious? You may say no, but I would bet that you have participated in some of these seemingly innocent rituals. And I wonder if this is any indication why women seem to like to collect shoes… and lots of them?

1. Many people feel very nervous about the 13th of any month falling on a Friday and shoes seem to have been given some magical powers on this particular day. It is thought that if you wear an old pair of shoes on this unlucky day, you will ward off any bad luck that may cross your path. Must remember to tell my Mom this one. There are years when her birthday falls on a Friday the 13th!

2. This superstition is especially for any young girls who might be reading this article. Did you know that the laces in your shoes have also been connected to your love life! If they should become undone accidently, take a quick look around you. It is thought that the young man you are destined to marry is thinking about you at that very moment.

3. Do you have a trip planned in the near future? It is thought that if you leave a pair of shoes on the front porch, you will return from your trip with a smile on your face. Okay, this one didn’t work for me. I was having so much fun on my holiday, I didn’t want to come home! Oh well, maybe the shoes helped make the good times  happen.

4.In many small town weddings, shoes are often tied to the wedding car, and it is thought to bring good luck for the couple, but I also found that this superstition goes even further. Apparently the bridesmaid who tied the shoe to the car had her own fortune in mind. It is something along the same line as catching the bridal bouquet. She will be the next to marry. That would explain the multiple shoes that I have seen tied to the backs of cars. Each bridesmaid was out to catch herself a man!

5. And how many of us have committed this faux pas? The outfit that we wear to a funeral should never be new and that is especially true of the shoes. That means, you save one outfit and a pair of shoes at the back of your wardrobe for that unfortunate occasion.

6. And for those of you who suffer from nightmares… could it be that you slipped your feet out of your shoes and pushed them under the bed. Shoes left beneath you while you sleep supposedly cause bad dreams. I made sure that I didn’t do this last night and had a dream about a great house that I would  live in some day!

7. And here is one that I really like and I hope that it goes for slippers as well. If you wish to become wealthy, you should never throw out a pair of shoes until you have worn a hole in them. For me,  it is just a case of can’t be bothered replacing them, but hey… I just might hold onto them a while longer. I have an indoor swimming pool to save up for. Something tells me that I’m going to be wearing these slippers for a very long time.

8. If you get out of bed in a bad mood, be sure to check the house for shoes that have been turned over. It is a sure sign that you will quarrel with someone. Who needs that?

9. I was just at a wedding a few weeks ago and never thought to ask the bride if she had A sixpence in her shoe. Her family is very British, so I think that there was probably a very good chance that someone had slipped her the tiny coin. I always thought that this was for luck, but apparently it is to bring wealth to the couple. Damn… why didn’t I know about this when I tied to knot? Perhaps it just might be a good enough reason to renew the vows on our 30th anniversary. My tastes have certainly gotten more expensive over the years.

10. And finally, on a cheerful note, don’t wear new shoes on Christmas day. Just asking for trouble. I think that I will keep those slippers close by!