Sorry, sir- I had never heard this either-

Legend has it that if you drink all the bubbles on the surface of your coffee, you will soon have lots of money.

Walking under a ladder is not advisable. But if you do have to walk underneath one, how do you protect yourself from danger in Western Europe?

by walking backwards


by whistling a song


by spitting on your shoes and not looking back until the saliva has dried


by clapping your hands and singing

The correct answer is by spitting on your shoes and not looking back until the saliva has dried.

In ancient Egypt the ladder was a sacred symbol. The Death would use it to travel to heaven, while the gods would use it to descend on Earth. Walking underneath a ladder was therefore strictly forbidden. A more common sense explanation is that the ladder in combination with the ground and the wall forms a triangle, and the triangle is a symbol of danger (traffic signs that indicate a danger are always in the form of a triangle).

 In China opening an umbrella inside the house will lead to what?

thirty days of rain


the death of a parent


seven years of bad luck


winning a lotery

No ma'am- The correct answer is the death of a parent.

When someone dies in China, the body will lie in state inside his/her home. The room where the dead body is kept, will be decorated with 'Pajons' (parasols). It is believed that by opening an umbrella (or a parasol) inside the house you invite death to your house.

As a matter of common decency you don't normally put your shoes on a table, but why can't you do so in England?

because English feet are more smelly than the feet of other nationalities


because you won't be able to walk when you get up


because the English don't wear socks


because it refers to hanging and is therefore not advisable

Great guess!

The correct answer is because it refers to hanging and is therefore not advisable.

Is it a good idea to buy an authentic 'kris' (a traditional dagger) in Indonesia?

Yes
No

I have never heard this:

The correct answer is spit on the ground.

The human saliva is believed to have special powers in all cultures. There is a little piece of the power of someone's soul in it.

Last one for today:

If you walk outside in the Netherlands and a bird does its business on your clothes it is supposed to bring good fortune.

True
False

LOL- that is very true!!

But the answer is false!

This superstitious belief is based on the habit of wearing new clothes at Easter. On Ash Wednesday (the Wednesday before Easter) the congregation would be showered with ashes as a result of which their clothes would be spoiled. Whoever would not be wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday (and apparently not take part in the ceremonies on Ash Wednesday) would get birds' excrement as a token of their disapproval.

Why do people in Hungary hang garlic next to their back door?

because otherwise the whole house would smell


to keep the vampires away


to welcome guests with a clove


because they don't have a front door

Vampires are believed to stay away from garlic (and to die only if you put a wooden stake through their heart).

On a hot and sunny day in Africa, would it be allowed to hide in the shade of another person?

Yes
No

It is a grave insult to do so as the shade of a person is regarded as their soul. In some African cultures the shade of a person is believed to be the dark side of a soul and one should try to step on their own shade to chase away the bad influences.

If, in one of the European Union countries, you drop a cent what should you do?

pick it up and give it back to the person who dropped it


whatever you wish, there are no superstitious believes associated with it


kick it away


ask someone else to pick it up

LOL! Very good idea!

The correct answer is whatever you wish, there are no superstitious believes associated with it.

I thought there was- about the side it lands on?

According to tradition, this item is used to predict the weather. It is kept beside the front door, will shrivel up when it's going to be warm and becomes moist when it's going to rain. What is it?

seaweed


beet


almond


hempseed

Sorry, Molly- The correct answer is seaweed.

According to tradition, if you eat the spinal cord of this animal, you will go deaf. What animal is it?

Moose


Ostrich


Ox


Duck

Well if you decide to- make sure it is not Ox. This superstition comes from the East of England.

If your knee itches, what does it mean?

You will be kneeling in a strange church.


Someone has put a curse on you.


Someone in your family will have an accident.


The boat you will soon board is going to sink.