Money superstitions
for Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th!

Most of us are superstitious at least a little. But I’m not paraskevidekatriaphobic, so today isn’t a big deal for me. In fact, I didn’t realize today was what some folks consider an ominous day until I unfolded my newspaper.

But now that I’ve figured out what day it is (a challenge sometimes!), I’m running with the theme! Here are some fun money superstitions. 

An itchy palm means money is coming your way. I’ve heard this all my life.

Unfortunately, my personal experience doesn’t lead me to believe this is true.

"Lucky penny, pick it up. All the day you’ll have good luck." Apparently, this little ditty is popular in Great Britain, too.

Some folks say it only works, though, if you pick up a penny where you can see Lincoln’s visage; picking up one where our 16th President has face-planted into asphalt (or sidewalk or whatever) is actually bad luck.

Personally, I can’t verify or debunk this one, although, to the hubby’s dismay, I pick up every coin I see on the ground, penny or larger, face up or face down.

And Trinidadians reportedly shun picking up any found money because it could bring with it "money worries" from the original owner.

A bee landing on your hand means that money will come to you. Yikes! But then you have to use the new-found cash to pay for an emergency room visit!

Money attracts money, so always carry at least a little something in your pockets, purse or wallet. Apparently, this money superstition is of Greek origin, and it applies to your bank accounts, too, which therefore should never be emptied out.

I can see the value of this superstition, at least from the bank account perspective. If you don’t keep at least enough in your account to meet bank minimums, you’ll face a service charge.

A wallet received as a gift should contain at least a little cash or it will bring the recipient bad luck. Not sure what it’ll bring the gift-giver, but putting a buck or two into the wallet will at least get you a more sincere thank you!

Another one from the Caribbean ((Trinidad and Tobago): If you put your handbag on the floor, you will never have money. Maybe that explains why women traditionally let men pay for dinner at restaurants, since we typically have nowhere else but under the table to place our handbags, thereby ensuring our lack of funds!

Trinidad and Tobago also brings us a couple of insect-related money superstitions. First, a brown grasshopper in your house means money is on the way, but a green one means you’ll lose money. Brown is also important when it comes to spiders; arachnids of that hue in your home mean money is on the way.

I’m going to check out the webs in the corners and baseboards of every room as soon as I post this!

And we can’t forget the annual New Year money superstition. On Jan. 1, be sure to have greens (collard or turnip greens are my favorite, although kale will do, too, as, I suppose will spinach) and black-eyed peas to ensure prosperity for the coming year.

Some folks just follow the peas menu suggestion, but I always heard that the legumes mean more coins and the greens mean more paper currency, so the hubby and I have heaping helpings of both!

If you can elaborate on any of these fiscal superstitions or know of others, please pass them along.

Here’s hoping that your Friday the 13th is a lucky one, generally as well as financially!