3 Bizarre British Beliefs
3 min read
Level: Pre-intermediate
'One for sorrow, two for joy...' What makes British people count magpies and avoid ladders like the plague?
In the UK we have many weird and wonderful superstitions that may seem strange. However, getting to know these beliefs can help you understand our culture and history. So, today I'll be taking you through 3 bizarre British beliefs, what they mean and where they come from. Let's take a look! Find out about 3 bizarre British superstitions...
1. Counting Magpies
First up we have a common British superstition which I actually take part in myself—counting magpies! This one even comes with a rhyme:
'One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold and seven for a secret never to be told.'
Depending on how many magpies you see it can be good or bad luck. Magpies are a symbol of death across British literature because they're carrion birds which means they eat the flesh of dead animals. Also these birds are often seen hanging around graveyards. Spooky!
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2. Unlucky Number 13
A very well-known superstition across the world is the fear of the unlucky number thirteen. It's even got it's own phobia: 'triskaidekaphobia'. The origins of this superstition are in Christianity. There were 13 people at the Last Supper which happened before Jesus was arrested and crucified. After this Christians believed that it was unlucky to have thirteen people at a dinner table. Over the years this expanded to a fear of the number thirteen in general.
3. Walking Under a Ladder
It is a common belief in the UK that walking under a ladder is bad luck. This superstition comes from medieval times when people believed that a ladder leaning against a wall looked like the gallows, which was the place where criminals were hanged. So, if you walked under a ladder in medieval times they thought it would mean you would die at the gallows.
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I hope this article will help you avoid some bad luck and understand us funny Brits a bit better! If you would like to find out about 2 more bizarre British beliefs then check out this YouTube livestream lesson where I talk more about British superstitions, or scroll down to watch it here. Or why not ask a native speaker about British superstitions in a one-to-one lesson with a professional Britcent tutor?
Vocabulary takeaway
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Please note: These blog posts are written in informal, conversational English.
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