An invitation

[kungfuscience]

Hi guys,

It's a long way off, but, next year, in August, we have a Friday 13th.

To laugh in the face of superstition, I intend to host a meal for me, and 12 others, doing as many things as possible that supposedly bring about bad luck.

I've not found a venue yet (heck, so far it's just me), but if any of you are free and are in the south of England, feel free to put it in your diaries, mesage me that you're itnerested, and i'll keep you in the loop.

Otherwise, please list things that bring bad luck, so far i've got:

Eating on a stage which is decked in green, underneath a ladder.
We'll spill salt, toast with empty glasses and maybe break a mirror each (I'm not a fan of just breaking things though, so might skip this one).
We'll obviously open up umbrellas inside too.

Obviously, we'll video it and post it on you tube too, so if you do end up eating, you will get broadcast on teh interwebs.

[morganp]

Hi, kungfuscience

You could make numerous references to 'the Scottish play' AKA McBeth, walk underneath a ladder to get to your seats and ideally have the meal served in a room that requires you to break into and pass through an Egyptian pharoahs tomb to get to the room

morganp

[Deleted]

That is such a cool idea!

I'm actually on stage next week at a conference and am saying Macbeth on stage just to sort of prove a point.
Doing it on a Friday 13th would just be amazing. Good luck (hahahaha.)

Don't forget to put a pair of new shoes on the table you eat from and make sure you cross your cutlery when you have all finished your meals and deck the place with upside down horse shoes!

Oh my gosh, you're going to have so much fun.

[kungfuscience]

Fun is the main idea.

morganp - I have had a friend recently move to Egypt, he he

Thanks for the new shoes; cutlery and horse shoe ideas.

I forgot to post that we'll start the dinner conversation with a talk about Macbeth!

[Deleted]

Excellent!

[catharine]

Surely someone has a black cat to bring along (crossing paths and all that). Alternatively you may need to abduct one.

[Deleted]

See, there is some confusion about black cats crossing your path and whether it is supposed to be lucky or unlucky. Different people say different things.

[kungfuscience]

I believe the black cat issue is because different countries vary. I think (but admit, must go check some folk lore references) that it was lucky in this country, but unlucky in others and I *think* "oithers" this included the USA. Either way, the inconsistency amongst cultures is the reason, but I might be totally wrong on where it's lucky and unlucky.

[catharine]

Well maybe you could sacrifice it, just to cover all the bases?

Don't know if thats technically unlucky, or just evil...

Oo oo oo, I just saw on a website that if you kill an albatross it brings bad luck. So if you could just get your hands on one of them....

[kungfuscience]

Depends - would it be strawberry flavour?

[Deleted]

Aaah! Albatross'
If you kill one, they tie it round your neck!

...or so the ancient mariner tells us.

[tomroberts]

It's unlucky to see a single magpie, but lucky to see two. ;D

Whereabouts is the meet likely to be? I could look out for a stuffed one.

[fluffet]

I could do the cooking , anyone would be considered "unlucky" to suffer my toad in the hole

[Tetchy]

I think just being toed in the hole would be considered bad luck anyhoo.

T

[fluffet]

Funnily enough the reaction to eating my food is often likened to being "toed in the hole" Tetchy

My lack of culinary skills aside , i like the idea of gathering people together and challenging their ideas on superstition. In a group situation id like to see if the majority take their lead from one who chooses to break the superstition or from one who exhibits reluctance to ....would be good to have 6 who are not superstitious and 6 who are (with Kungfu as the 13th) and see if anyone changes their ideas over the course of the evening .

Superstition can be a hard habit for those who have become steeped in it over the years to break, all that reinforcement can cause superstitions to creep into the daily routine of peoples lives without them even realising they do it .

I guess the difference for some people is they are aware that the superstion or ritual they personally adhere to is the result of some kind of irrational fear or is based in repeated reinforcement by others over the years , they may even say " i know its silly but i just feel better if i do this "more through a kind of comfort inducing repetative action and not through an actual belief that if they do not they will have some terrible fate befall them.

Routine and ritual seem to provide a false kind of security to many , harmless bit of nostalgia for some but for others when it becomes an obsessive compulsive behaviour it can take over much of their life and dictate the limits of their life rather than provide them with the freedom to proceed unhindered that they falsely believe carrying out their superstitions or rituals gives them.

[Amaris]

Aug 23, 2009 17:47:35 GMT tomroberts said:

It's unlucky to see a single magpie, but lucky to see two.

Oh! What can it mean then to see more than two? There are loads of them in my area! I could see up to six a day but if I went out specifically to search for Magpies then I could see around twenty or so! Mind you in China they are considered a good luck bird, but do they live in China? (sorry not up on my bird knowledge) If not then of course they'll be a symbol of good luck...bloody lucky to see one

[romany]

Cross on the stairs - one coming up, one going down - to ensure an argument later.

Give one of your lady guests a new purse as a gift, but don't put any coins in it - ensuring she never gets rich.

Drop a knife - if lands pointing away from you, expect news. If it lands pointing towards you, expect a visit from a stranger.

Wind your watch or clock forwards before they all arrive, but do so by turning the hands antclockwise, thus ensuring more bad luck!

Have roast chicken and don't forget to pull the wishbone.

Go out and pick dandelions before the starter, then sit back and wait for reports the following morning as to how many of you wet the bed (be advised this can also be due to an unfortunately excssive intake of alcohol.)

Hang a horseshoe upside down on the wall behind you.

[fluffet]

Oh! What can it mean then to see more than two? There are loads of them in my area! I could see up to six a day but if I went out specifically to search for Magpies then I could see around twenty or so!

Hi Amaris , theres a little poem i do believe the more superstitious have that details the quantity and the supposed luck you will have in relation ...clears throat ...ahem ....taps mike ....

One for sorrow , two for joy , three for a girl , four for a boy , five for silver , six for gold , seven for a secret never to be told , eight is a wish and 9 is a kiss but 10 is a bird you should not miss .

Presumably 11 is a sign your on a roll but 12 is when to call pest control

Tomorrow i shall be reciting a poem that links the number of empty buckfast bottles in your garden with the relevant house prices in the neighbourhood

[fluffet]

Just thinking on some more "unluckies" that you could attempt at the meet ....

Have everyone arrive in a green car .

Upon entering the venue make everyone step on the cracks in the pavement leading up to the door.

Let the dinner commence at 13.13 and 13 seconds on the 13th of course .

Dinner attire should consist of hats for all (not to be removed), green t shirts preferably with the number 13 printed on them, new shoes that can be placed on the dinner table , and of course an umbrella to be opened held over the head then placed on the floor

[romany]

Just thought of a couple more - coa a garden bird indoors for a few minutes - a wild bird entering the house means an impending death in the family!

Put your shirt on inside out and then put it right again - it' s 'unlucky' to turn it the right way out once you've worn that way and done it up. Putting it right is just asking for trouble. (Never mind that you'd look like a basket case if you wore it inside out all day just in case.)

If you want to really be silly, you could collect tiny money spiders beforehand, put one on each guest (even for just a second) and see how many of them make significant financial gains over the next few days.

Blimey, there's loads and loads! Didn't realise I knew so many of them!