Very superstitious

BY GREER MCDONALD

I killed a spider the other day.

Seriously it was the smallest spider you've ever seen.

I thought its size was kind of amusing, so I took a photo and posted it on Facebook and Twitter for others to marvel at.
Within minutes, a follower on Twitter responded: "Greer! That was a money spider!! You don't squash them!"

A money spider? What the? Never heard of it. (A quick poll of the newsroom reveals I am in fact the only person who has never heard of a money spider. Could this be what I've been doing wrong the whole time? Maybe I should try this guy's method...)

Intrigued, I googled, and discovered these tiny creatures are thought to bring wealth to those whose skin they run their little eight legs across.

Learning about this superstition reminded me of all the other old wives' tales about money and attracting wealth I'd heard of but never really taken any notice of.

Superstitiously, at number 13 on this list, was this "Poo on your head, your [sic] lucky indeed; follow the bird you'll get money with speed!"

Well, I got pooed on twice by seagulls at an event in January. Between laughter, those in the group I was with moved to assure me that it was good luck.

Yeah, nah. More like gross and annoying.

According to Russian superstitions, scattering coins in random spots around the house is a go-er, but whistling indoors, singing on an empty stomach and counting money after dark are all frowned upon.

Other superstitions I've heard of or discovered today in my research include:

- Giving a wallet to someone as a gift without money in it will bring that person bad luck.

- If your right palm is itchy, it means money is coming to you. If you scratch it, though that will stop the cash.

- You should always take or receive money with your left hand, but give it with your right hand.

- If you put your handbag on the floor you will drive away whatever good fortune you may have had (I'll admit, when I read this I picked my handbag up off the floor and put it on my desk. Hey, it might work!)

- According to the Japanese, legend has it that placing a piece of snakeskin alongside your notes will help you become rich or find money.

- If you find a piece of money, you must keep it, for it will bring money

- According to Chinese superstition, the number eight is lucky because it's pronounced in a similar way to the words for fortune or wealth. Nine and six also have positive connotations. In contrast, four is considered unlucky in Chinese tradition because it sounds like the word for death.

- If your initials spell a word, you will become rich

- I have a mate who swears he's come in to more money since he placed something red in a corner of his bedroom. He has no idea where he got this from - "I think it's feng shui?" he said when I quizzed him on it - but it seems to have worked for him, with a few unexpected financial windfalls since he adopted his red theme.

- If you make money on Monday, keep it and the amount will increase during the remainder of the week.

Now before you start ranting about the only way to get money is to make it and not spend it, breathe in, and out, sit back, relax and have a little bit of fun and tell me some of the most ridiculous quackery you've heard of.

Are there any money superstitions you follow - even if you don't really believe in them?

» You can follow Greer on Twitter or on Facebook.

» Follow NZStuffBlogs on Twitter and get fast updates on all Stuff's blogs.

- © Fairfax NZ News