Superstitions...and Penny Problem Solving

A stubborn cold, a cursed bottle cap, and a Halloween cape with a thousand wrinkles set the stage for a conversation about the tiny beliefs that steer our choices. We laugh our way through dubious trends like “hot chocolate” electrolytes and the red-wine-on-ice-cream craze, then stop cold at a time capsule from 1916: a message in a bottle penned by two Australian soldiers on their way to war. That letter, hopeful and human, unlocks the real heart of the episode—why we cling to rituals when life gets unpredictable.

From there, we chart how yesterday’s taboos became today’s habits: no shoes on the bed, avoid ladders, toss salt, knock on wood. We trace ladders back to Egyptian sacred geometry, salt to ancient protection rites, and tapping wood to tree spirits that once stood in for luck. Along the way, we own our personal rituals—phone solitaire during turbulence, pre-show handshakes that flip nerves into focus—and talk about the moment a superstition helps rather than rules. Then we go global: Sweden’s no-keys-on-the-table rule, Turkey’s no gum at night, Japan’s tucked thumbs by graveyards, Australia’s “rabbit rabbit” for monthly luck, and feng shui warnings about mirrors facing the bed. Each one is a window into how cultures turn uncertainty into something you can hold.

We even discuss the recent penny shortage! If pennies cost more than they’re worth to mint, do they disappear—and does a lucky find still count? Whether it’s a coin on the sidewalk or a whispered Hail Mary when sirens wail, we’re all trying to stitch meaning into the noise. Hit play for stories, history, and a clear-eyed take on when superstition is wisdom in disguise. If this conversation made you smile, nod, or text a friend “rabbit rabbit,” follow the show, leave a quick review, and share your favorite superstition with us.

Mike Haggerty Buick GMC
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Transcript

Cold Season And Camu Camu

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Hi, thanks for joining us today. It's Nora and Nora. Welcome, one and all. We're glad you're here today.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome, we are. And I have to apologize. I'm a little nasally, more than normal.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

I've got our family cold.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Well, there's a lot going on.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Is everybody else feeling better? I tried so hard to not get this cold. And I have to say, last year I never got a cold because of Camu Camu, because of our olive tree people. I religiously take it. And then over the summer, I got off of my schedule and then I started taking it again when school started. And then I ran out last week. And I'm totally blamed.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

I'm like, it's because I didn't have my eye.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

So I got some yesterday. My like, because I'm on a monthly shipment. Oh, great. Okay. And I swear by this stuff, but I can't get the bottle open. Why? I don't know. It won't open. You should have seen me this morning. I was like, oh close.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Yeah, so far away.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

So it's like I just need it to feel better.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Oh, well, it's nice to know it works.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

I like swear by this stuff.

unknown 1:16

Yeah.

Halloween Costume Misfires

SPEAKER_01 1:16

I love it. Check out our beauty consultant, Carly. Yes. Our Camo Camo consultant. Yeah. I don't know what to call her. But she's also. Our Olive Tree people. Our Olive Tree people person. Oh, yes. Yeah. Yes. But how are you? Uh, I'm good. I'm a little scrambled with Halloween. Sure. My youngest insisted we order this costume to match friends. Two friends. And it came from Timu Timu. Oh. Not Camo Camo. Right. And then he heard that it came from Timu. He was like, this is a cheap costume. Oh. I don't want this costume from Timu. It was like, if I told him it came from Nordstrom, I wonder if it would have been different. Or like Dick's sporting goods. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

So then what is he dressing about again? Oh, the squid game. Yeah. You could probably just wear a jumpsuit. That's what I ordered. What color? Black? I have a green one. With a zipper?

unknown 2:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Adam wore it in like fourth or fifth grade. So anyhow.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

So then that came this morning and I was psyched. He's like, Mom, you did something right. Kind of snarky, which I was very mad about. And then he's like, Oh. Never mind. It's like I'm just gonna be something else. So he's not gonna do Squake Games. So I don't know what he's gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Well, I have a cactus costume that I made. He can wear that. Okay, great.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Because he has been kind of prickly.

Wrinkled Capes And Cheap Fabrics

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Prickly. Yes. I just all my kids' costumes have shown up a thousand wrinkles. I mean, granted, they're from Amazon. Rory wanted like a black cape because he's going as like a character from Star Wars. This thing, not only is it huge because it's like flowy, it's a thousand and one wrinkles, but it's like collieester. So I don't know what I think I'm gonna have to put like a pillowcase over it and iron it like that. But in the shower. I mean, not in the shower. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what you mean. Yeah. Um but and Kevin is the Notre Dame leprechaun. His little jacket came like a thousand wrinkles. Why? Come on, Amazon. Because it's cheap. Oh. And they're like, you're gonna throw it away on November 1st. So we're not really gonna Or it's gonna disintegrate. Or it will disintegrate if it rains. Exactly. But I so that's I've been putting it off.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

My oldest is gonna go get a costume today. Great. Yeah. That that's so I'm excited. Oh, same, same. And if you're listening to this when we drop, Halloween will be since we memoried. Yeah. Yes. So we'll have to update you next week on Halloween.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Into November. Nora, you're a lady who is well familiar, well familiar, sure, with liquid IV. Yes, I am well versed in the do you drink liquid IV? Have you drank liquid IV? You have?

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Drank liquid IV. I am not a fan. Okay. My children drink it.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Because they are athletes. Yes. Yes. Have you heard they've come out with hot chocolate liquid IV?

SPEAKER_01 4:10

Oh, disgusting. Is it hot? Yes. Oh, yeah, because then it would be like chocolate milk.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

But what was disturbing to me, the picture of the hot chocolate. I love hot chocolate. It looks like brown, dirty water if your basement got flooded after a bad storm.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Well, I would imagine it's very thin. Like it's not a nice, thick, consistent.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, because I usually put milk in if I make hot chocolate. And I would think you cannot put milk in.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Stay in your lane, liquid IV. Just keep hydrating out.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

So I would think like you're like, oh wow, I had a really hard game, or I just played soccer for 90 minutes. You're not like, pour me a hot chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Although I will say they use it pre-gate like to hydrate like 24 hours before or whatever. So not just to replenish, but to Oh, to get ahead of it.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Okay. So I don't know. I'm curious what your kids think. Package of chemicals. Yikes. I'm not on board with that. I don't think you're going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Do you want to know something else I'm not on board with? Okay, what? This new red wine ice cream trend.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Is it like a sorbet?

SPEAKER_01 5:26

They're calling it like a wine float. No, no, it's those two ingredients. No. Uh-huh. No. So they say don't drown the ice cream in wine. The goal is to create a mixture, not to turn the it into a wine drink.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Isn't that gross? Wait, so you're using like wine like a chocolate syrup? Kind of. So you're eating it with a spoon.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yes, you're eating it with a spoon.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Out of a sipping it out of a glass. Sure. Some things are not I feel like we need to try it. I thought it would be a little bit more than a little bit. It'll be gross.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Because I don't know. Couldn't that make the ice cream taste like spoiled milk? Like, I don't know. I feel like wine is acidic, and isn't that gonna like turn the milk? Like curdle it? Curdle it? Gross.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

I'm not into that. I don't want ice cream in my wine. Because what if it's really good? But then it's gonna be grape and milk and vanilla. No. I would rather if I'm gonna have milk and wine or ice cream and wine, I would rather eat my ice cream and then take a swig.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

100%.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

I don't want them at the same time. I don't want them in the same vessel.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

I'm a busy lady, but I have time for ice cream and wine.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Some things aren't meant to be together.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Anyhow.

Wine With Ice Cream Trend

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Oh lordy. You know where I might take it? Where? If I signed up to be a professional line waiter, might help pass the time. Oh my God. I would is this a real job? This is a real job. I want that job. I'd be really good at that. You would? Yeah. If you should. There's a company called Same Old Line Guys. How much do they pay? It depends. There's an hourly fee, and you can find it this job on task-based sites. Wait, so but now I'm trying to think.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

What is that like the DMV or like to CCM?

SPEAKER_01 7:22

To like lobbyists use them sometimes?

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Oh. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Black Friday, I would imagine, was like their Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yeah, because you're not waiting in line for concert tickets or movie tickets anymore. So much of it is online. Yeah. So. And I don't think you could do a theme park because you'd have to that would be a disaster. Because say your family was at Disney World and you hired me to wait line for you, which would be hilarious. But then when I'm at the front of the line, do I text you and you're like, excuse me, excuse me, our wine lady arrey?

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Our line waker line. I want a wine waiter. The hell with a line waiter. Give me a line waiter. And then you'd have to like elbow your way.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

And then if the wine later, the line waiter, if the line waiter was just one person, I would imagine you can't. Then you have swap for, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

It's almost like you have a stunt double. Oh yeah, you would need, I mean, you'd kind of need six.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

I would imagine, and a lot of money. I would imagine a fast pass might be a better option for you in that situation. Indeed. You were waiting for a new television at Best Buy.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

However, in college when Dreamcast came out, or some other gaming council, I did have a friend wait in line for my brother to get it for Christmas. And my mom paid him.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Did oh, okay, because he wasn't like, oh, I'm also going, I'll just wait in line for you.

Professional Line Waiters

SPEAKER_01 8:58

I don't know if he I don't can't remember the specifics of it. Yes. Twenty-some odd years ago. Sure. I don't know if the quantities were limited, if he could get to, but he waited in line for my brother, which was very nice.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

My friend and I, I think it was a summer after senior year of high school. So we were out of school earlier and we waited in line for tickets to see Star Wars for my brother. Oh, that was funny. Because I don't think we saw the movie, but our we were graduated and we had stuff. We had time. But we had so much fun messing with the people on the line because we were just talking about like, this is a line to buy tickets for that new rom-com, right? You guys in line to see like love at first sight or like making up movie names. Then we'd be like, no, no, no. Luke, like just take like the wrong Star Wars references. People are like, oh, actually, you know, you're like, it's nice of you guys.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Yeah, we had nothing to do. Just out of the kindness of your heart.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Well, think about it. You're graduated from high school and you have nothing to do. Like, you're not, we didn't have jobs, I guess, that started yet. You're like, yeah, we had an hour to stand at the movie theater. Back in the day. Yeah, you know, it was the nineties. We had free time.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

I love the nineties.

unknown 10:09

I love the nineties.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Have we talked about the nineties?

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I don't think we have. Can we? Not right now. Yeah, let's do it. Let's add it to the list. You know what? We could talk about the 1910s. Oh god, I was hoping you'd bring up the tens.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

A couple in Australia found a message in a bottle. From the tens? Yes. From the tens. The 1910s. This is a bottle that's been just bottling around since the tens?

1916 Message In A Bottle

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Yes. So two soldiers, so 1916 to be exact, two Australian soldiers who were on a boat on their way to World War I to fight set letter in a bottle. They like threw it off the ship. And so fast forward to, you know, today, more than a hundred years later, this it was found in Australia. Oh, on October 9th. They found it. And they would this family picks up garbage on the beach. So they're they're not looking for messages in a bottle, but they pick up garbage when they find it. And they noticed, and you could still read it. Oh, you could. So they found it. It was one of them was Malcolm Neville, and the other one was William Hardy. And it's a little bit sad because one of them didn't survive the war. He died about a year later. But then the other one survived and got married and he had a family, but he did die of cancer in the 30s, which his family say was caused from gas, like from World War One being gassed by the Germans in the trenches, which after I watched that horrific movie. What did the story or what did the letter say? I'll read it because it's very sweet. He wrote, May the finder be as well as we are at the present. We are having a real good time. Food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal which we buried at sea. The ship was heavy and rolling, but we were as happy as Larry, which is like a happy as a clam, like a Wait, they were at war? So they were on their way to war. And happy. And happy. And he said, We're somewhere at sea and somewhere in the bright, which I guess refers to the Australian bright, like the enormous uh sea out east of Adelaide, Australia. But it just kind of it was a sweet story, but it broke my heart a little bit just to think of these two boys on their way to war and just like so happy to be like traveling, and then it ended a little sad. But one of his great-grandchildren just was stunned. She said it it feels like a miracle and feel like our grandfather has reached out to us from the grape in like the nicest way possible. That's the craziest thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

Is it the just I love that they found it?

SPEAKER_00 12:51

I wonder where it's become all these years. So they think it's been in sand. They don't think it's been out to sea because the the writing was intact and you could kind of still read it. And they think if it was in the ocean all this time, it would have been more worse for wear. It was almost like preserved like a fossil. I love this story. It's not sweet. Yeah, that is sweet.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah, I like that too. Hey, that's a nice high-to-end on. Should we check in with our sponsor? Let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

Nora, fall is here.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

It's so crisp and clean and cozy. Fall? Do you know what else is falling? What, Nora? Prices at Mike Haggerty Buick GMC. Really? Yes, 10% off MSRP and 3.9% financing on the 2025 GMC Acadia?

SPEAKER_03 13:36

Whoa!

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Yeah.$1,000 off and 7% off MSRP on the 2025 Buick Envision.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Oh my goodness, prices certainly are falling. And that makes me feel as warm and cozy as a turtleneck sweater.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

So if you're in the area, and what area is that? Ah, of course. 93rd and Cicero. Right on the corner? Right on the price. Or if you're in front of your computer, search him up at Haggertycars.com. Or give him a call. 708-423-5000. And just tell them the Nora sent you. And now back to the show.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Our topic today, superstitions.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Yeah. Are you a superstitious? Are you a superstitious person? I am. I am very superstitious. Yeah. And by the looks of your facial expression, you are as well. I didn't think I was. It's funny to me the ones I adopt and the ones I don't care about. A big one for me is uh shoes on the bed or bad luck.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Oh, this is a thing, yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

This is a thing, yes? Yes. All over the world. As a child, my mom said that, and we never knew if it was just because she didn't want shoes on the bed or if it was really a thing. Like if it's just gross or if it's a thing. My dad, when he's packing, will not even put the shoes in his suitcase on the bed.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Oh, okay.

unknown 15:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Because it's bad luck.

Sponsor: Mike Haggerty Buick GMC

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Yeah. I'm a big knock on one person. Like if someone's like, oh, you're gonna do great. I'll be like, ooh, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

Does it come with that facial?

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, it comes with the grimace.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

You know what else I go? I tend to believe the black cat crossing your path is bad luck, so I will reroute.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Yeah. Yeah. I feel like once you see it and it registers, you're like, I can't knowingly do this. But I like I I will not walk under a ladder. Okay. But I also feel like that's safety. It just seems cute. Yeah, it just seems like a bad idea. But a broken mirror, I don't think, is bad luck.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

I don't think it is either. But back to the black cat, the background on it is people believe that witches kept cats as companions and it meant that witches were near. No, I don't believe that witches are near. I want to be very clear.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Unless it's the witch rider. What is that called? Did they do that this year? Oh, I missed.

Kicking Off Superstitions

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Same. What about spilling salt? Do you throw it over your shoulder?

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Every once in a while, I think just more to be funny. Like if somebody really makes a giant mess of it, I'll be like, oh, whoopsie.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, I do that.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Do you do it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

Because I don't want the spirits. Right. That's one of the oldest deals from us to be welcomed or And these are some of the oldest superstitions.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

The salt is from the Sumerians and the Egyptians and the Greeks. They did it. The Egyptians started the ladder thing because they said if there was a ladder against a wall, it created a sacred triangle.

unknown 16:44

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

That triangles were important. And that you didn't want to that walking through the triangle was blasphemous. Oh. That's why it was bad. Yikes And that for knocking wood, that was linked to when people believe that there were tree spirits and that knocking that touching the tree was a way to call for them for protection or call on them to show gratitude. Like, thank you, tree spirits.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

Oh, that all right. I'll swear knock on trees. Yeah. I'll thank a tree. What about when you walk past a penny? Will you pick it up? Oh, isn't there a thing like heads up or heads down?

Shoes On The Bed And Knock On Wood

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Yeah, I thought they'd be aware of it. Well now we should pick them up because they're not making them anymore. What? They stopped printing pennies. They stopped making pennies. Because apparently it costs three cents to make a penny. Why have you not talked about this earlier? It's just started. Today? A couple weeks. Yeah. So now pick up that penny. Whether face down. Save your pen like save your penny. Yeah. They stopped making pennies. That's a bad idea. I think so too. Do you think they're gonna have to start making them again? Because well, they're gonna have to figure something out. Yeah, this is three hours ago. Well, how do you get change? They're gonna have so at McDonald's, I got Murray chicken nuggets yesterday, and there was a sign about like if the price is this, we're gonna round up to this. Like, there's a whole thing. Yeah. Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US mint stops making them. Trump decided to stop producing pennies.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

So this is a problem. And stores are running like promotions. Certain like give us your pennies? Like if you bring in a hundred pennies, we'll give you a free drink. I don't know if I have a hundred pennies. You probably do somewhere. But it's a real pickle because stores to give change or you know, do that many people use cash?

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Enough. Enough? Yeah, I guess enough for it to be a problem.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

It's still it makes oh, this is interesting. It makes 3.7 cents to make a penny. 13.8 cents to make a nickel. So already, Nickel, you're next.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Well, maybe we should come up with a way not to make pennies cost more than they're worth.

Black Cats Ladders Salt And Origins

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Yeah, how do we how do we make cheaper pennies? I don't know. Or maybe people. Could we make them smaller? Oh my god, they'd be like Then I feel like it's pouring like salt in the wound. What's your idea? I don't know.

unknown 19:24

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Do you know Britain and England they have a two cent coin? They're just rubbing our faces in it. And a 20 cent coin.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Well, I like a 25 cent coin. I like a 20, but 2550, 75. Well, shoot. All right, let me think on ways to be. How do we make it maybe do we not need to have all those designs on it?

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Or is it like, oh maybe, just plain? No one will counterfeit it. It'll be fine. But maybe it's like buy maybe we need to make more. It's like Sam's, it's like cost of Sam's like we just need to make more pennies so then it costs less to make them. Okay, that's an option. That's an option. So we have smaller, we have more of them, we have naked pennies. I was totally bombarded. Oh, let me keep thinking.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Let me keep thinking. I think we could solve this penny problem. Pennies have been around for a while. I mean, check the dates on some of your pennies. Baby. Yeah. Longer than that message in a bottle. We should look and see like how they used to make them. We could go back to our old.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

They probably weren't paying the workers who were making them. Maybe we could have less workers. Interns. Penny interns? So they're getting experience. Or volunteer out. Yeah. Volunteer hours. Hours. I volunteer to press a couple pennies.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

A couple? We need more than maybe they could get like a couple children. Maybe they could get like government credit, like a US government credit, like in some. Or like a savings bond.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Okay, maybe you but maybe this is like Americans have to roll up their sleeves. Everyone, instead of like mandatory military service, we have mandatory services. Just make a penny. Printing services, like minting services.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

So the cost. So this would be assuming the additional cost comes from paying workers. Yes. Which we haven't quite determined yet.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

That's what I'm assuming. Okay. But I don't know. All right.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Well, you can always count that us. Right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

Bring us your problems. We're problem solvers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

And that's just our two sets on that.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Moving on. Will you well now I know you'll pick up a penny, but in the past? Oh yeah, I'll pick it up heads or tails. Yeah. That doesn't bother me. I'm like, whatever. I also am not bothered by 666. I'm not bothered by Friday the 13th.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

No, I'm not bothered by any of the above either.

SPEAKER_00 21:59

But I have created some of my own superstitions. Oh, oh boy. Is that good? Because you know what? I get a little nervous on an airplane. Yeah. If it's bumpy. All right. So what I think helps the situation is if I play solitaire on my phone, then the fight will be fine. The entire time.

unknown 22:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

It's a lot of solitaire. A lot of solitaire. Why don't you just watch a movie? Because I think because then I'm like, oh, now it's bumpy. And now I should play solitaire and that will calm the plane.

unknown 22:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Which makes zero sense. I also have a little superstitious thing if I'm in a play, if I'm acting in a play, I do a little pre-show. I do a thumbs up, a double thumbs up fist bump, and then I say here goes nothing to someone. Oh, that's yourself. I have to pull someone aside and be like, I do this thing and you have to do it with me every night. That's cute though. And I just say, Here goes nothing. Do you how you feel?

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Do you ever throw garbage away and you are standing near the garbage can you're like, if I make this, then oh yeah. I do do that. 44 years into life. I'm still doing that.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

That is a fun thing. I like that. I kind of went down a little rabbit hole. You went down the rabbit hole of all rabbit holes with cultures. But I was reading that in Latin cultures, Tuesdays are bad luck.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Did you read that out on like Tuesday? I don't find a Tuesday. No, not at all. Yeah, and I I didn't read why. I was hoping you saw that.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

I saw that placing cinnamon sticks under your pillow is believed to attract love in the Dominican Republic. Hello. How about it?

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:42

I don't I didn't see anything about a knife.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Did you see anything about the Russians not saying happy birthday early because it's bad luck? So you have to wait until their actual birthday to say it?

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Really? You can't even be like happy early birthday.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

No. Bad luck.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

Really? I heard in Bermuda, if you kill a spider, it will rain the next day.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

Doesn't it always rain in Bermuda?

SPEAKER_00 24:05

So they're just stomping on spiders. That's a lot of spiders.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Yeah. How about this was a favorite of mine. That in Sweden, tossing your keys on the table is a no-no. Because back in the day it was something the women of the night did. Oh. To invite clients back to their chambers.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Oh, like here's the keys. How about don't chew gum at night in Turkey? Because chewing gum at night is believed to turn into human flesh at the time.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

Oh, sick. You wake up with somebody in your bed. That was that dumb.

Personal Rituals And Everyday Luck Tests

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Yeah, isn't that disgusting? I was like, that is the grossest thing I've ever heard. Yeah. And then what are some of the other ones? Don't cut your fingernails at night. This is a lot of different cultures, believe this. In Japan, if you cut your fingernails at night, they think you're going to die early. In Turkey and India, it's bad luck. And then in Korea, it don't cut your fingernails at night because they believe rats will eat the nail clippings and then turn into a monster rat version of you.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

I don't want a little rat or a monster rat version of the battery.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

No. Isn't that wild? Yeah. It's so crazy. Some people, like the Dutch in North Carolina and in Bohemia, don't sing at the dinner table.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Oh, why not?

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Because it invites evil stere evil spirit.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

To sing? Yes. Like the little fall la la la la la? Oh.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

Who knew? Or people think that whistling will bring bad luck and set uh your house on fire if you whistle at night.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

But it's okay to whistle during the day.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

Apparently during the day is fine.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Huh.

Global Superstitions Tour

SPEAKER_00 25:49

In Australia, this one was interesting. You should the f on the first day of the month. We could try this. Okay, tomorrow. Or Saturday. Okay. Okay, Saturday. On the first day of the month, your first word should be rabbit rabbit. Okay. Mm-hmm. Because that will bring you good luck for the month. But if you forget to say it, good old Australians. They're giving you a chance to make good. Say tibbar tibbar as the last words before you go to bed. Oh, is that rabbit?

SPEAKER_03 26:20

Backwards backwards?

SPEAKER_00 26:22

So let's try it. Let's try to say rabbit rabbit on Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

What about a rabbit's foot? Right? That's the lucky. Remember how gross those were? I know those always freak me out. Those were always like dice. I feel like the claw, and I'm sure it wasn't. I hoped it was not a real rabbit's foot. Because that would be disgusting. But I remember people having those and thinking that was not for me.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

Why would you want a rabbit's foot on your qiching?

SPEAKER_00 26:50

Well, I guess if you're bringing good luck. I feel like I did see this somewhere. There was an ex explanation of it. But this other one, for in Feng Shui, which is a Chinese belief of how things should be organized so that it pleases the spirits, you should not have a mirror facing your bed. Have you heard of this? Yes, I saw, I read that. Because you will have nightmares. Because they believe that your soul leaves your body at night when you sleep, and that your soul will get confused when it sees the mirror of you and go into your mirror self and not into your body self. And so basically you like stole your own soul. Like that's complicated.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

I'm like, good thing.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

I think I would like to think my body stays intact while I go to sleep.

SPEAKER_00 27:41

Well, your body is fine. It's just your soul. It's taking a little taking a little bit, hey.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Taking a little break, spreading its wings, moonlight.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Spreading a little bit of legs, checking in on all the other souls. Oh man, soul cakes. Soul cakes. I was telling my kids about that because we carved pumpkins. I was like, you know, guys, as you know, descendants of Irish people, we should know that trick-or-treating started with our people, the Celtic people. And they used to do this and they would say prayers for people, or they would give them soul cakes, and they were like, sounds a little sad. I was like, well, the Irish, it was ti it was not always smooth sailing.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

Yeah, that was a weird. We took that was a weird.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

But good on them, though. But very entrepreneurial. True, true. Oh yeah, but once in Latvia, it is bad luck to return home for something you forgot. I would have bad luck all the time. I'd be dead. I would, yeah, I would just that's it. I would like to overturn that one. Right. How we gotta meet somebody for Latvia.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

However, if you showed up without what you needed, you could be like, sorry, I couldn't go back. It was bad luck.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Yeah, right. Oh, and Bhutan, a dog in the house takes all the negativity of the family. Where is Bhutan? It is kind of in the South Asia. Trying to see. Oh, this was another weird one. In Japan, it is common practice to tuck your thumbs in when passing by graveyards to protect your parents. Oh. Because the thumb uh the word for thumb in Japanese translates to parent finger. So say okay. So if you're passing a graveyard, you should tuck your parent finger into the channel.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Gosh, it'll be hard to drive past the cemetery. Right? Thumbless, but I'll give it a whirl. You could try.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

I do say a Hail Mary when I hear uh an ambulance. So do I. Yeah. I because I always feel like, gosh, if I was in that ambulance, I'd want someone to say a prayer for me.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Um my grandma used to do that. My grandma too. And yeah, my mom will say, Say a prayer.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Exactly. Oh. If a pregnant woman eats twin fruits such as b twin bananas, she will give birth to twins. Why would st oh figs? Fix and bananas.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Oh god. That's not the kind of podcast we are. Uh next.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Oh my goodness. Okay, let's find one more. Okay. Oh, this is a happy one. Let's end it on a happy one. Okay, call. An Ethiopia. If the inside of your feet is itching, it means you are going to travel. I call BS on that. Okay, fine. We gotta find oh, don't discuss private matters with a cat in the room. Sneaky cats. Oh wow. Here we go. In Norway, Nora. It is considered bad luck to knit a pair of socks for your boyfriend. As it is believed that if he receives them, he will walk away from the relationship.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

Boyfriend just done one soccer.

Mirrors, Souls, And Feng Shui

SPEAKER_00 30:52

I was just in it for the socks. Oh man. Goodness gracious. Well, there's a lot of superstitions around the world. And, you know, mostly they're there just to help explain natural events that can't be explained, you know? So I like a superstition. I'm all for them. I think they're kind of funny. I think as long as you're not totally running your life by them, I mean there's I mean, what's the harm in it? And I think it's also, you know, things like don't put shoes on the bed. It's bad luck. It's also gross. Unsanitary. Don't do it. So if that's what gets you to not do it, fine.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Yeah. Great. You launch into highs and lows.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

Let's do it. All right. My low is that I have a cold and I'm sick. And that's a real bummer. I'm sorry for you. Thanks.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

My low is that my kids are like badgering me about giving the dog the same food every day. And I tried to tell them, guys, that's what dogs do. They eat the same food. Oh, they think that what what do they want you to do? Have give them give her a menu? Yeah, I I don't know. And I've tried to tell them, like research it, look it up. And then they referenced my brother's dog who eats pumpkin puree with chicken and dog food. And I said, essentially that's the same thing though, because the dog's eating the same thing every day. So they've been really on me about it, and it's been a lot of back and forth. Huh.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

So sorry, are they willing to make meals for the dog?

SPEAKER_01 32:19

No, I don't.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

The dog is fine eating dog food. Right. Well, that's she seems very happy to me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

So I'm just annoyed. Yeah, you're like, back off. Stay in your lane. Stay in your lane. How about your high? My high is my kids were studying together last night. Oh. I was on my way up to bed, and my oldest was helping my daughter study her Spanish. That's really happy. Also because I didn't want to stay up.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Yeah, but you're like, seems like you got this cover. Yeah. Asta Luego. How about you? I've started working on the musical and it's made me really happy.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Yay.

Sirens, Prayers, And Happy Charms

SPEAKER_00 32:56

I love this for you. Yeah. I I was on the fence if I was gonna do it again. Last year was hard. And I'm so glad I'm doing it. It's making me really happy. I've made a few changes. It's nice when you do something and you're like, oh, I'm good at this. Yeah. You are. Like I have like a natural inclination to do it. It makes me happy. I really like the people I'm working with doing it. And I'm excited for the kids to know. And it's always spectacular. You always love it out of the water. So yeah, it just made me happy. When is the actual show? It will be May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Awesome. So ready for a birthday time. But yes, but thank you. I'm excited too. So auditions will be in December.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

If you're interested.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Yes. If you're a fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grader at St. John the Cross. Welcome to the audition.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

And on that note, we will catch you next week. Bye.