TidbitsMOV Issue #1294 Superstitions by Tidbits MOV

TIDBITS® EXAMINES SOME SUPERSTITIONS

by Kathy Wolfe

Is it fate? Is it magic, luck, or coincidence? Fear of the unknown? This week, Tidbits looks at superstitions, those beliefs or practices for which there appears to be no rational basis or logic.

• Most folks know that four-leaf clovers are lucky and are a rare occurrence since most clovers have just three leaves. The ancient Druids and Celts considered those with four a powerful protective charm. Did you know that each leaf represents something? The four leaves are hope, faith, love, and luck.

• The Celts also brought us the idea of a lucky rabbit’s foot. They believed that because rabbits live underground and close to the Earth, they had a special connection to the spirit world which gave them the ability to outsmart enemies. Not all rabbits’ feet are equal. The luckiest is the left hind foot of a rabbit that has been captured in a cemetery under the full moon.

• Speaking of rabbits, there’s another superstition that if the very first thing you say at the start of a new month is “Rabbit, rabbit,” your month will be filled with good luck. Some followers of this legend claim you must say “rabbit” three times, while others maintain that you must say “white rabbit” in order to have good fortune. turn the page for more!

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SUPERSTITIONS

(continued):

• According to a Russian superstition, you should never wish someone “Happy Birthday” before the actual day arrives. They say celebrating a birthday early not only brings bad luck, it shortens the lifespan. How about blowing out birthday candles? One superstition says that blowing out all the candles in one breath means that the birthday boy or girl will be married within a year. If candles are left burning, the number of candles signifies how many years will pass before the person marries. Birthday candles got their start with the ancient Greeks, who baked round cakes symbolizing the moon, decorated with candles signifying the stars of the night sky. The smoke from the candles being blown out supposedly carries the individual’s wish to the heavens. The Chinese tell us not to even think of reusing old birthday candles from a previous year, as this will invite misfortune. New candles represent a fresh start to a new year.

• “Step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back.” This superstition’s roots speak of cracks symbolizing a boundary between the spheres of the living and the dead. Stepping on a crack attracts a demon or negative energy to escape and bring harm.

• There are many superstitions associated with the tiny acorn. The ancient European women kept an acorn in their pocket to be guaranteed a youthful complexion into old age, as well as warding off illness. To soldiers, it symbolized protection from harm and they carried acorns in their pockets for good luck in battle. Others held on to the nut to ground themselves in their spiritual beliefs and values and as a reminder for balance in their lives. In other cultures, it was connected to fertility.

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SUPERSTITIONS

(continued):

• Those in the Latin American and Mediterranean cultures rub an egg over the body of a newborn child, then break the egg and put it in a glass of water underneath the bed. The culture believes that the egg absorbs negative energy and illness and protects from “mal de ojo,” or “evil eye” that brings harm.

• Opening an umbrella indoors is said to “rain” bad luck on you. The ancient Egyptians used umbrellas, not as a shield from rain, but rather from the intense heat of the sun. As a result, an umbrella became associated with their sun god Ra and opening the umbrella indoors was considered disrespectful toward Ra, with the outcome of a curse or misfortune sent into the person’s life. The Europeans believed that every house was protected by guardian spirits, which were disturbed and annoyed when an umbrella was opened inside, resulting in bad luck being brought upon the home.

• Cheers! Why do we clink glasses with others as a toast? In medieval times, celebrations often carried the threat of ale, beer, and wine being poisoned. Trustworthy hosts often poured some of their own drink into the glasses of others to assure them that there was no poison. If the guests trusted the host, they clinked their glass into his as a pledge of confidence that swapping drinks was unnecessary. A German superstition proclaims that you better not be offering cheers with water in your glass. If you do that, you’re wishing death upon your fellow revelers.

• Folks in Nigeria never kiss babies directly on the lips. They believe that this dooms the child to an entire life of drooling. Another Nigerian superstition states that you must never whistle at night. This action wakes the dead, who in turn whistle back and will escort you back to their graves.

“I had only one superstition I made sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run.” - Babe Ruth.

SUPERSTITIONS

(continued):

• The obvious reason for not walking under a ladder is that it’s simply unsafe, particularly if someone is standing on it! But in medieval times, it was bad luck because the ladder symbolized the gallows where people were hanged. The Egyptians believed that if people walked under a ladder, they might accidentally see a god climbing up or down. Simple solutions to thwart the bad luck include putting your thumb between your index and middle fingers as you walk under the ladder or just saying “bread and butter” as you walk. Another prevention measure is to cross your fingers and keep them crossed until you see a dog.

• How many times have you and a friend said exactly the same word at exactly the same time? One superstition steadfastly maintains that this means you’ll never get married. There is a quick remedy for the action, though, which is simply touching your nose immediately to undo the action. Some legends say touch something red. Others view speaking in unison in a positive light. It calls for linking pinky fingers and making a wish while reciting, “Needles, pins, the chimney’s a-smoke, your wish and my wish will never be broke!”

• People knock on wood to avoid negative consequences of speaking a desire aloud, or to extend a chain of good luck. If you say, “My job is going so well,” according to the superstition, you should knock on a piece of wood to ward off any circumstances that would keep that from continuing. The ancient Celts believed that spirits and gods lived in trees, and the knocking was meant to call on them for protection. Others maintained that the sound of knocking on wood was irritating to devils and would drive them away.

Spring Cleaning for Your Fridge: A

Flavor-Packed

Stir-Fry Spring cleaning isn't just for closets and garages your fridge could use a refresh, too. Instead of letting half-used veggies or leftover meat linger, turn them into something delicious with a stir-fry. This quick, easy meal transforms leftovers like roast veggies, steak, pork or chicken into a satisfying dish without wasting a thing. Think of stir-fries as a blank canvas for getting creative with what you have on hand. The formula is simple: Start with a starch like rice or noodles, saute aromatics like onions, add your protein and veggies, then slather everything in a scrumptious sauce. Best of all, you can use whatever leftovers you've got whether remnants of last night's roast or that last lonesome pork chop. Stir-fry turns odds and ends into a delicious meal.

To make your stir-fry truly shine, the secret is in the sauce homemade stir-fry sauce, to be exact. Homemade stir-fry sauce is a total game-changer. It's not only cheaper and fresher than store-bought options, but it's also customizable to your taste. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a sauce that brings flavor and excitement to any meal. It pairs perfectly with veggies, meat, tofu, shrimp or whatever proteins you have on hand, and it's a great way to use up those random leftovers. Plus, making it yourself means you control the ingredients, so it's healthier and budget-friendly. Keep a jar on hand, and you'll always be ready

for

a quick, delicious stir-fry!

FLAVOR BOMB

STIR-FRY SAUCE

Yield: 1 cup sauce; 4 servings

Total Time: 5 minutes

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced

1 heaping teaspoon garlic cloves, grated or finely minced

Whisk all the ingredients together. Adjust the ingredients to your preference. Add to your stir-fry and cook for 3 minutes to thicken. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.

LEFTOVER LUXE STIR-FRY

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

3 cups rice, quinoa or noodles (your choice of starch)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small onion, sliced

1-2 cups leftover protein (chicken, beef, pork, tofu, etc.) or raw protein

4-6 cups mixed vegetables (e.g., broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, bean sprouts)

3 eggs, scrambled (optional)

1 cup stir-fry sauce (recipe included) If you're not using leftover starch, cook your rice, quinoa or noodles according to package directions.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 2-4 minutes. If using leftover protein, reheat with the on-

ion and set aside. If using raw protein, cook it through before setting it aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet. Start with slowercooking vegetables (e.g., broccoli, carrots, cabbage) and cook until tender. Add quicker-cooking vegetables (e.g., spinach, bean sprouts) near the end, cooking until just wilted. Scramble eggs in a bowl and add to the skillet. Break them up as they cook. Combine everything: Add protein back into the pan and heat for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle with the flavorful stir-fry sauce, cook for 3 minutes to thicken the sauce and serve over your choice of starch. With endless possibilities, stir-fry will clean out your fridge and create a fresh, flavorful meal in no time.

***

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the pennypinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Turn your fridge leftovers into a vibrant, flavor-packed stir-fry in minutes.

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SPORTS STORIES: QUIDDITCH

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, the fictional game of quidditch is a familiar one to you. But did you know that a genuine team sport has developed from the fantasy films? Follow along as Tidbits outlines the rules of the game said to be played by wizards.

• Author J.K. Rowling invented the makebelieve sport for her book series, with the game appearing for the first time in the 1997 novel Harry Potter & and Philosopher’s Stone. Witches and wizards attempt to score goals against the opposing team while flying through the air astride broomsticks. The playing field is a large oval with three ring-shaped goals of differing heights. Each team has seven players: three Chasers, two Beaters, the Keeper, and the Seeker. There are three balls in the game, the leather quaffle, which is used by the Chasers to score goals by throwing through the hoops, the Bludger, which is used by the Beaters to throw at the opposing players to hit or distract them, and the Golden Snitch. The Snitch, the smallest ball of the match, is a golden sphere attached to two silver wings for flight. Its point value is the highest at 150 points, and can only be caught by the team’s Seeker. Catching the Snitch marks the end of the game. In the fantasy novels, Harry Potter acted as the Seeker of the Hogwarts school team.

• Harry Potter’s very first quidditch match pitted his Gryffindor team against the Slytherin team. The final score was 170 points for Gryffindor to 60 points for Slytherin. The game commenced following the words of Madam Hooch, “Mount your brooms, please.” (Continued page #7)

Don’t Look now, but your Tidbits are showing!!

Stray cat advice stirs up pet owners

DEAR PAW'S CORNER: I received quite a few responses to my recent article on a stray cat that was being fed by a neighbor! Here are a couple of them from opposite sides.

DEAR PAWS: Bad advice in your article regarding stray cats. The complaining neighbor never mentions she has a cat while expressing concern for neighbor cats. This means she's a busybody or a cat hater who should mind her own business. Why should she care if the cat feeder buys specialty food? Not her business, and you should have said so.

Your answer mentions contracting FIV. This is a small risk. If cat owners are worried about disease, they should keep their cats inside. You didn't mention that the complainer could help by getting involved with TNR [trap-neuter-return], by working with the feeder to help the homeless cats. There are proactive ways to help.

You should have commended the person who feeds the cats for helping. We need more people like her and less like the person who was complaining. Debbi J.

DEAR PAWS: I completely disagree with your answer to feeding outdoor stray cats. Those cats would not be strays if PEOPLE would act like grownups, spay and neuter their pets and stop dumping cats whenever they feel like it.

One unspayed female dumped outside will struggle to survive and can have two or three litters a year. Her babies will be feral because they don't have human contact. At three months of age the kitten can also reproduce. There could be 40 or so by the end of the year. Relocating them does not work. A trap/neuter/return program reduces their numbers humanely.

Getting a pet is a 15- to 20-year commitment. If you can't do it, then don't acquire a pet and certainly don't dump them. Linda G. Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.

QUIDDITCH

(continued):

• Inspiration for the game of quidditch was partially provided by some ancient European games of legend. The German game of Stichstock also called for mounted broomsticks and attempting to pierce an inflated dragon bladder. The Irish played Aingingein astride broomsticks amidst a course of burning barrels, while the Scots played Creaothceann, a violent game that involved players strapping cauldrons to their heads. A large number of boulders were released and players riding the broomsticks tried to catch the highest number of rocks in their cauldrons.

• Vermont’s Middlebury College created the actual team sport of quidditch in 2005. While the players aren’t flying wizards, the principle of the game is basically the same. Two teams of seven players each straddling broomsticks meet each other on a rectangular field (unlike the fictional oval) and attempt to pass a ball through the defenders’ hoops, while keeping their opponents from passing it through their own. In order to keep the real sport separate from the fictional one, today’s game is often referred to as “muggle quidditch.” This takes its nickname from a person in the Harry Potter series with no magical abilities being called a “muggle.”

• The real-world sport, a combination of the elements of rugby, handball, dodgeball, and tag gained popularity very quickly, and just two years after its creation, the first Quidditch World Cup took place with Middlebury capturing first place. There’s been a World Cup competition every year since. There is an official governing body for the sport known as the International Quadball Association, which must sanction all events. The United Kingdom even has a Quiddith professional league.

• The word “quidditch” was added to Oxford dictionaries in April, 2017.

* There's no end to the quick time-savers and innovations in the kitchen. Today's homemakers are likely to have a full-time job already. Here's one for those mornings when you want to get a little fancy, but don't have all day: Make hash browns in a waffle iron.

Parboil shredded potatoes the night before. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Generously oil your waffle iron and scatter precooked potato shreds on. They cook twice as fast, and have all of the doublesided crispiness of pan-fried.

* Freeze leftover wine for use in cooking. Use and ice-cube tray for uniform measuring.

* Want to hard-cook many eggs at once? Bake the eggs in the oven 325-350 for 30 minutes, then submerge them in ice water for 10 minutes. Peel and enjoy.

* "Tension rods can be used in cabinets to separate cookie sheets and have them stored upright. Use two shorter ones mounted ver-

tically in the cabinet, and slide the sheets right in. You can also use a dish rack to store pot lids upright. This is something I do, and my cabinets are nice and organized." R.L. in Indiana

* Try prep cooking once a week for as many elements of that week's meals as possible. Chop veggies, saute or even brown meats for casseroles or prep slow cooker bags. It does save time if you are able to cook two meals at once, say, roast two chickens: one for tonight's dinner and another for chicken enchiladas later in the week.

* I only buy my bread when it's two for one. I freeze it in half loafs, so I always have fresh bread, even if my nest is empty now! -

- D.D. in Maryland