Unlucky clothes!

merryone said:

It all started when I accompanied my mum as a child to visit the old lady round the corner that she used to run errands for. I remember her giving my mum this brand new apron, it was black with red flowers on it. She explained that she couldn't throw it away but if someone accepted it as a gift it'd be ok, my mum of course questioned this and the lady told her that black and red together is unlucky. My mum said sure I'll have it thank you. Being a young and impressionable kid I actually believed it and I begged my mum not to wear it - She told me not to be so ridiculous and that it was just a silly superstition of hers, and that there is no such thing as unlucky clothes or colours. To be honest it took me a good few years to put black and red together in any way shape or form!
Fast forward a few years and I was at my boyfriend's house, I was in his front room chatting to his mum whilst he got dressed upstairs. He walked into the room and his mum yelled "No, don't wear that jumper, you know it's unlucky"! "Don't be daft he said, c'mon let's go" and off we went, she called after him "I warned you" which if I'm honest gave me a bit of a chill. We were only going to his local as he was in the darts team, so I consoled myself thinking what's the worst that can happen - they'll lose?! We'd been in there for less than an hour when the barman shouted across "Dave, I'm sorry you need to go home - Now"! We both legged it back wondering what the hell was up to find that their cat had been hit by a car and killed, his mum was screaming, the next door neighbour was there trying to calm her down, the poor animal was laid out on the front lawn, then his mum started screaming at Dave blaming this bliddy jumper and from that day forward I was convinced that clothes can be unlucky!
So yes, I used to stop wearing certain clothes if I ever had a bad time, or bad news when wearing them. My mum used to try and drum it into me how absolutely ridiculous I was being and even to this day it has stuck with me. I always wear the same dress when I fly 'cause I've got there and back in one piece and I have a dress hanging up that I absolutely adore but because associate it with bad times I'm scared to wear it! I know it's ridiculous, of course I do, but something inside me won't allow me to reach for that dress. Get rid of it? I won't 'cause I know I'd be giving in to stupidity - but I also know it's just as stupid not to wear it. Am I alone here? I actually hope so!!!

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Grizelda said:

I'm not buying it, Merry.

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merryone said:

What my story, or the stupid superstitions I talked of? I'm hoping it's the latter 'cause sadly the story I tell is true and I really wish that it wasn't. Funnily enough I don't buy into the more usual superstitions that are around like walking under ladders, banging your other elbow etc

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Grizelda said:

I meant about red and black being unlucky. They have never been for me or anyone I've known. But I'm very sad to hear about the beloved cat being run over.

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merryone said:

Yes it was awful - Thankfully the poor thing was knocked out cleanly and quickly without being a mangled mess, didn't make it any less sad though. Back to the superstitions, I haven't heard black and red being unlucky since, and I never found out the story behind it. Like Donna's Aunty I have heard of the colour green being thought to be unlucky.

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Grizelda said:

I've heard that Jill Franks is repelled by the colour green. Maybe she thinks it's an unlucky colour as well so she stays away from it.

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Muttley said:

I've not heard of red and black being deemed to be unlucky. But when an idea takes root in your brain, no matter how illogical, it can get stuck there and no amount of persuasion will make us change our minds.

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merryone said:

Exactly! It must've been her own superstition, a series of coincidences that she somehow put down to this combination of colours, trouble is when you're a kid you'll believe anything and despite my mum's best efforts I was wary for a long time. I guess it's like when they tell you that there's no such thing as the "boogy man" but it doesn't necessarily sink in straight away. I like to think of myself as a rational adult and I so want to wear that dress, but somehow I've convinced myself it's unlucky, so I'll reach for something else rather than take a chance! Off at a bit of a tangent here, but when I was in my early teens I used to be dragged around the folk clubs with me ma and pa, and tbh I had the time of my life. There was one particular pub that was frequented by the local "Viking society" I got chatting to one of them and he was wearing a silver shield pendant with an inscription (something about Etheldred) on it around his neck and I admired it, he said "you can have it, but it's cursed" I said no thanks, he said if you take it willingly the curse will be broken, so I took it and I wore it, though I didn't come to any harm every time I wore it really annoying things would happen, eg I'd missed the bus, I lost my purse, the boy I fancied turned up at the youth club with a girlfriend in tow - all silly stuff. I was telling one of my besties and she said give it to me I'll have it. I told her that as she'd accepted willingly she'd be alright . First time she wore it, a guy was admiring it and he said wow, that's unusual and put his hand on it, and the next thing she knew is that his thumb started bleeding profusely and the edges weren't particularly sharp. She was so freaked out that she took it to the priest and he said a prayer over it and sprinkled it with holy water, after than my friend told me that it became nothing more than a benign piece of jewellery! It's a amazing how the mind works. I guess that if the guy just gave me the pendant without telling me it was cursed I'd may not have associated anything untoward about it!

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