We've come up with a list of popular superstitions that are supposed to bring you good luck. Sorry, we didn't put them to the test.
The luck of the Irish is celebrated every year on St. Patrick's Day. So the Pulse team compiled a list of 13 things that are considered to bring you good luck. Although here in the United States, 13 is considered an unlucky number it seems in Italy that 13 is considered a lucky number.
1. Penny in the shoe. This old wives' tale actually is for new brides. According to WeddingandPartyNetork.com, the saying came from "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and put a silver sixpence in your shoe." The silver sixpence was replaced by the cheaper penny. It was to help wish the bride best wishes for her new marriage.
2. Knock on wood. If you say something that you're hoping to come true, you're supposed to knock on wood. According to World Wide Words, one legend is from the Irish who believed knocking on wood is thanking the little people for good luck. Other cultures say it is to ward off evil spirits.
3. Four-leaf clover. Associated with St. Patrick's Day, the four leaves on a clover are supposed to symbolize faith, hope, love and luck. According to FourLeaf Clover.com, legend has it that in the Bible, Eve was to have carried a four-leaf clover from the garden of Eden. That's why the three-leaf clover represents the Holy Trinity, and the four-leaf is supposed to mean God's Grace.
4. Grapes. Harley Harrison's family tapes a bunch of grapes to the door to bring good luck. It's an old tradition from the Philippians. Eating grapes on New Year's is another tradition for some Filipinos.
5. 777. The No. 777 is considered to be a lucky number because it's supposed to be the number of God, while 666 is supposed to be the mark of the beast. According to UrbanDictionary.com, some say that 7 is considered the perfect number and 6 is imperfect and actually 666 is supposed to be humankind.
6. Rabbit's foot. This is a very old tradition. According to Buzzle.com, the idea of carrying a lucky rabbit's foot might have started with the rabbit's cousin, the hare. In several cultures the hare was supposed to have had mystical powers. Rabbits, we guess, are more plentiful.
7. Throwing salt over your shoulder. AskYahoo.com reports throwing salt over the left shoulder with your right hand was supposed to ward off evil spirits. We just thought it was something funny that Rachael Ray did.
8. Crickets. According to the Web site TheLongestListofthe LongestStuffattheLongestDomainName atLongLast .com, crickets are full of good luck. If you find a cricket on your hearth it's supposed to bring good luck to your family for thousands of years. A chirping cricket is supposed to bring luck to all who hears it.
9. Rainbows. Irish legends have told us for years if we follow a rainbow to its end we might just find a pot of gold being guarded by a leprechaun. Some American Indians believed seeing rainbows was a "Pathways to Souls," according to Colours-of-the-Rainbow.com.
10. Lucky penny. "See a penny, pick it up, all day you'll have good luck." The original poem is supposed to something about a pin, not a penny, which really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us. People believe in lucky pennies so much that there's even a Lucky Penny Day on May 23. You're only supposed to pick up a penny if you find it heads up. Picking a penny tail-side up is considered bad luck.
11. Horseshoe. According to eHow.com, a found horseshoe is more lucky if it doesn't belong to you. The more nails in the shoe, the more lucky the person will be . And a horseshoes should hang prongs up so that the luck doesn't spill out.
12. Shooting stars. Only if you wish on a shooting star is your wish supposed to come true. We couldn't find an answer for this, but maybe because they're supposed to be so rare to see.
13. Saying "Rabbit rabbit" at the beginning of every month. According to AllExperts.com, superstition comes from the United Kingdom. The person is supposed to say rabbit three times before going to bed at the first day of the month and then "hare" when they woke up the next morning.
-Compiled by Pulse correspondents Devon Jacobs, Harley Harrison, Courtney Bradford, Kacey Keith and Brigitte Grewe
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