It’s this time of year that we love to celebrate all that is Irish. And what better way to celebrate than to look at what makes us tick.
One thing is for sure, us Irish are a superstitious bunch – saluting magpies, blessing people when they sneeze and refusing to walk under ladders. But do these notions have any grounding? And where do they come from? We decided to explore this world with an aim to figuring out what makes us uniquely Irish. These weird and wonderful traditions seem to be plucked out of thin air but when we dig a little bit deeper we can start to see the origins of superstition.
Being a Christian nation, and a God fearing country, traditionally many of the foibles that Irish people had could be traced back to religion. A lot of beliefs had similar roots in protecting and respecting resources and generally wishing for good fortune. This corelated with Christian values of looking after family, the hearth and home.
But some historians argue that superstitions have been accounted for even in the earliest days of humanity. Dealing with a life of unexpected natural disasters such as earthquakes, drought or floods made people fear the unknown. To gain a sense of control and stability, humans started to attempt to create an understandable world that could be influenced by their own actions.
Superstitions are then a way of regaining control over events, particularly when one feels helpless – when success seems to be risky. Human nature is such that we always search for a reason for things we cannot understand – good luck or a bad omen.
But some historians argue that superstitions have been accounted for even in the earliest days of humanity. Dealing with a life of unexpected natural disasters such as earthquakes, drought or floods made people fear the unknown. To gain a sense of control and stability, humans started to attempt to create an understandable world that could be influenced by their own actions. Superstitions are then a way of regaining control over events, particularly when one feels helpless – when success seems to be risky. Human nature is such that we always search for a reason for things we cannot understand – good luck or a bad omen.
So let’s look at some of the most common Irish superstitions that so much of us hold close to our hearts.
In Irish craft, our nation has top-class makers who craft everything from pottery to Aran knit jumpers. Irish designers and craftspeople are our best exports. Look at Ian and Anife Dowling – market leaders in the production of lavender soap and candles, handmade in Kilkenny. Purple Cloud plants, grows and semi-distils the lavender that is cultivated on 300-acres of sprawling fields. They also encourage and support bee keepers with equipment and training. Is there anything these artisans can’t do?
In the Emerald Isle, handing someone a knife or scissors is bad luck. It is said that passing a sharp item can sever the relationship. Luckily, by exchanging a coin afterwards there is a quick-witted way around. Or… just make sure to place the scissors down first on a table before your friend picks it up!
Celtic tribes blamed bad luck (cows that couldn’t be milked, chickens that wouldn’t lay eggs) on local elves and magic goblins. Believing that fairies feared iron weapons, the Celts started hanging horseshoes over their doorways to ward off the spells of evil creatures. If you plan to do the same, just make sure it is facing the right way up – in a U-shape, to keep the good luck from spilling out.
An itchy nose means that a fight is coming your way. To nip the argument in the bud, lots of Irish people give a light slap to the hand and then shake hands. That should do the trick!
On our little island, having a bird poop on you is a sign of good things to come! The belief also extends to a bird pooing on your car. Suppose there’s always a silver lining.
A pinch of salt over your shoulder, knocking on wood, the number 13, there are endless Irish superstitions to pick and choose from. But it was William Butler Yeats, the most famous of all Irish poets, who puts it best:
One woman told me last Christmas that she did not believe either in hell or in ghosts. Hell she thought was merely an invention got up by the priest to keep people good; and ghosts would not be permitted, she held, to go ‘trapsin about the earth’ at their own free will; ‘but there are faeries,’ she added,’and little leprechauns, and water-horses, and fallen angels.’ – W. B. Yeats
