Ever had a black cat cross your path? Opened an umbrella indoors? Broken a mirror? Well then you just might be one of the many people struck with the vicious contagion known as bad luck.
Well alright, bad luck isn’t exactly a disease – but if it were, it’d be the strangest way to contract an affliction. Walking under a ladder? We never thought we’d catch anything by doing that.
Superstitions are everywhere these days. Whether it’s one of the common instances named above or one of the following (and sometimes crazy) cases you’ll find below. These are the strangest superstitions at Sea…
Whilst you probably won’t find these superstitions on your average cruise – they’re still out there! So here is what you should watch out for on your next cruise.
1: Don’t Start Cruising On These Days…
Apparently cruising on certain days would be incredibly bad luck- so you should double check that itinerary before you book something!
The first Monday in April was the day that Cain slew his brother Able in the bible.
Don’t even think about booking the second Monday in August, too – this is apparently the day Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed.
And December 31st? Forget about it – this is the day Judas Iscariot hanged himself.
Seems like nonsense to us though because after all, the “second Monday in August”? That’s not a date, that’s a guess at best.
2: You Must Look Like A Pirate
Having an ear piercing meant a sailor had seen the entire equator and sailed the length of the world whilst gold hoops were worn to bring good fortune. Put two and two together and you get the perfect pirate outfit. We don’t recommend that way of living, but the sense of style is very much in these days.
3: No Women Allowed
Alright, we’ve all seen the music video to ‘In The Navy’. The Village People were undoubtedly one of the most masculine bands of their era and this track perfectly depicted what it was like to be a rough and tough man on the wide open seas. “Come on and join your fellow man!” they sing. Note: no mentions of joining your fellow women. Well that’s because women were said to be a distraction to sailors, and an anger to the seas. On the flipside however, a naked woman would shame the seas into calm. Sounds awfully convenient no matter which way you slice it to us. This is how the tradition of a partially naked female figurehead became so commonplace, apparently!
4: Don’t Go Near Priests
Bad news for the religious ones amongst you – priests wear black and perform funeral services which is a bad omen from the word ‘go’ for experienced sailors! Religious cruisers out there – make your peace before embarkation; you’ll have to live as a heathen until you get back to port!
5: Leave The Gulls Alone!
Basically you just shouldn’t kill the gulls. In fact, you should be showing them a kindness; gulls host the souls of sailors lost at sea, and, well, needless to say that’s going to end up badly. Best to be avoided if you don’t want to be haunted!
6: There is no 13 – Only 12+1
We’re not sure whether this will make trips to the Casino easier or more difficult, but true sailors refuse to use the number 13 at sea, lest it bring misfortune upon them. Instead, the slightly more wordy “twelve plus one” is preferred. Let’s hope the Roulette tables already know about this…
7: Bananas Not Allowed
There’s a few reasons why the captain may steer clear of bananas during your voyage. In the early 1700s, the Spanish found that the vessels that most often went missing usually carried a shipment of bananas…Mysterious!
Other theories include bananas fermenting and letting off deadly methane gasses, plus deadly venomous spiders stowing away in the fruity haul. Either way you can rest assured that we’ll probably be heading towards the buffet’s dessert bar, not the fruit selection.
8: Don’t Throw Stones – Glass House Or Not
Well to be honest we’d be pretty miffed if we were enjoying a cruise and stones started flying around. For one, where are they getting these stones from?
This superstition says that a ship which has a stone thrown over it will not return to port – not a nice thought! Luckily these days cruise ships are so big you’d need a really, really good arm to get it over.
9: Dolphins, Not Sharks
So this one is quite simple in that sharks following the ship are usually seen as a grim omen, possibly because they may be able to predict that only doom awaits. Conversely, dolphins swimming alongside your vessel can only be a sign of good luck. Plus they’re so pretty when they’re splashing around…we know which one we would rather spot!
10: Don’t Change The Ship’s Name!
Oops – we know a few cruise lines who have blatantly ignored this advice! Christening a ship will, of course, give the vessel a life and mind of its very own, and if you wish to change the name you would need to perform a de-naming ceremony. Let’s hope those cruise lines did their research first…
11: Pay Your Debts!
It’s said that seamen who still hadn’t settled their debts before sailing were jeopardising their entire crew! Though, I get the feeling this one was likely invented by a savvy gent who didn’t want his pal leaving home without paying up.
“You’re leaving tomorrow? You know what happens to sailors who haven’t paid what they owe, right…?”
12: No Singing!
No whistling, either! Mariners have long said that singing or whistling into the wind is only going to “whistle up a storm”. This completely ruins the light-hearted and whimsical mental image we have of pirates singing sea shanties. Boo!
12+1: Lethal Lexicon
There’s a handful of words and phrases you should remove from your vocabulary. For one, “Drowned at sea” is a big no no. A few others are off-limits too, such as “goodbye”. And of course, anyone with a history in theatre should know “good luck” is very much off limits. Break a leg is preferable.
On top of all that, should you break the rules, the only way to lift the “curse” is by drawing blood. We’re not sure if it has to be your own, though. We’d say pick the people that annoy you most during dinner.
And there we have it: 13 odd superstitions at sea! Which did you think was the strangest? Which other superstitions have you heard that you’d add to the list?
Let us know below and remember the above if you want to sail safely…
