Superstitions of German-Russians, List of

Last Update 31 Oct  2002

Stories of Supernatural and Witchcraft told by German-Russians, their Ancestors and their Descendants continued....

Superstitions Connected To Sewing

All occupations held  their own kind of superstitions.  Good example of this could be found in the shop of a tailor or a seamstress and many of these same superstitions spilled over into homes where such task, also,  took place.  

The following are examples of superstitions based around sewing or mending garments.

Scissors, Thread and Needles

According to very old superstitions,  cutting thread was views as giving a person form whom you were sewing "bad Luck" so to make sure you weren't blamed for giving a person "bad luck", a person bit the tread to separate it from the unneeded thread.

If a person sews a garment while still wearing it,  the person must have a piece of thread in their month to prevent "bad luck", or worst, a person could go mad.

If a person breaks a needle in the garment,  the broken needle will give the person who is to wear the garment "bad luck".

If you dropped a needle and it didn't stick in the floor, it was "good luck".

If you dropped a needle and it did stick in the floor, it was "bad luck".

If a person dropped a scissors it was thought to be "bad luck" and this "bad luck" could be averted if you could pick it up with the foot.

A single scissor would never be left in the open position, or, "bad luck" lurked around the corner.

Two scissor must never be crossed, however, it it should happen they must be uncrossed in a counter crosswise motion, again,  to avert the "bad luck" from falling upon you.

A new garment should not be started on Friday, it was unlucky if you did. And if "bad luck" already had you and you had to start a new garment on Friday, then, it must be finished by Saturday, or it would never be finished.

Never sew anything new on an old garment, if you do, it brought "bad luck".

Never lose a thimble and if you did it was unlucky.