Breaking a mirror brings bad luck, it is said, a black cat crossing your path brings good fortune, and you should never walk under a ladder if you don’t want to tempt fate.
But there are many more age-old superstitions that are in danger of dying out.
Below are just some of the stranger superstitions that were once widely believed in Britain but few people today have heard of, let alone believe.
They include the reason why you should always break the bottom of the shell after finishing a soft-boiled egg, and why you should never put new shoes on a table.
Some of them have historic roots, from acts of chivalry to mining tragedies, but the source of other superstitions has been obscured by the mists of time.
Have you heard of any of these old superstitions, and are there any others you remember hearing from your parents or grandparents?
1. Never cross on the stairs
To some people this is just a matter of common sense and decency, but to others it's a source of deep superstition. One person told how their partner ignored the rule, being unaware of the superstition, and couldn't understand why they were 'so aghast'. A few nights later, they said, the upstairs toilet flooded the house. | Getty Images Photo: Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive
2. Don't put new shoes on the table
This was once a common superstition, with several theories as to its origin. One is that the practice is associated with death, because the families of dead miners would often place their boots on the table to pay tribute. Shoes on a table are also said to curse marriages and bring on storms. | Getty Images Photo: Rosemary Matthews/Keystone Features
3. Don't pick up your own gloves
If you drop your gloves, the superstition goes, you should never pick them up yourself as this will bring you bad luck. Some people add that if somebody else picks them up for you, you should not say thank you if you don't want to risk tempting fate. This apparently dates back to the days when ladies would drop their gloves as an invitation for suitors to pick them up and return them. | Getty Images Photo: Hulton Archive
4. Always salute a magpie
If ever you see a lone magpie, superstitious folk say, you must salute it, say hello and ask after its wife, if you want to avoid bad luck. This is connected to the rhyme about the birds, which goes 'one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy'. Birds can bring good luck too, with some people believing that being pooed on by one is a happy omen. | Marek R. Swadzba - stock.adobe.com Photo: Marek R. Swadzba - stock.adobe.com