First of all, and maybe the most well-known, is bringing a woman on board a ship brings you bad luck (which is obviously totally unfair). In fact women onboard a ship were supposed to distract the crew and place it in peril.
I have selected a few more (among hundreds):
- You are not supposed to say the word ‘Rabbit’ ... it is a word that brings bad luck.
- Throwing stones overboard is bad luck (because it causes ripples, which causes waves and brings storms).
- Having flowers on board is bad luck as well because flowers are used for funerals.
- Losing a hat overboard signified a long trip.
- Black cat is considered good luck on board a ship (because cats don’t like water so they want to return to port as soon as possible).
- Black travel bags are considered bad luck as well. For some reason.
- Don’t whistle as this would cause a storm at sea. (We say ‘whistling up the wind’ and it also may come from the times when ships were using steam .. a leak in high pressure will make a whistle).
- Ship’s bell should never ring itself. It is an omen of death.
- You shouldn’t leave port on a Friday. (Because Christ was crucified on a Friday.)
- In old times, drinking wine on the deck was considered to bring you bad luck because it is an insult to the gods.
- Killing an albatross or a seabird is supposed to bring you bad luck because they are thought to carry the souls of dead sailors.
- A naked woman is supposed to calm the sea (that is why most of the time figureheads are naked women).
