Britain's top 10 most common superstitions
More than 16 million Brits regularly carry out routines they believe will bring them luck - or ward off bad good luck, it has been revealed.A survey of 3,000 people found a third of us salute magpies on a daily basis, four out of ten regularly touch wood and half of us would never walk under a ladder.
One in two admitted always making a wish when blowing out birthday candles and one in three would never put an umbrella up in their house.
It also emerged a third of people always throw salt over their left shoulder and 29 per cent would never give a purse or wallet as a gift without putting money in it first.
Personally we think it is back luck to answer survey questions... especially if it is a black cat asking them.
A spokesperson for The National Lottery, who commissioned the study said: "People shouldn't be too hasty to dismiss their superstitions as unlikely to come to anything.
"In a poll of lottery millionaires over a third admitted to receiving a sign of their impending win, and one in ten admitted to having a lucky charm.
"So it would appear that whatever your lucky habit looks like being positive is the key, research shows the more positive you are when giving something a go, the more lucky you will feel you are."
TOP 10 MOST COMMON SUPERSTITIONS
1. Not walking under a ladder
2. Making a wish when blowing out Birthday candles for good luck
3. Touching wood for good luck
4. Crossing fingers for good luck
5. Not putting an umbrella up in the house
6. Throwing spilt salt over left shoulder for good luck
7. Not putting shoes on the table
8. Putting money in a purse or wallet as a gift
9. Saluting a lone magpie
10. Not crossing on the stairs
LINKS
The National Lottery
"In a poll of lottery millionaires over a third admitted to receiving a sign of their impending win, and one in ten admitted to having a lucky charm.
"So it would appear that whatever your lucky habit looks like being positive is the key, research shows the more positive you are when giving something a go, the more lucky you will feel you are."
TOP 10 MOST COMMON SUPERSTITIONS
1. Not walking under a ladder
2. Making a wish when blowing out Birthday candles for good luck
3. Touching wood for good luck
4. Crossing fingers for good luck
5. Not putting an umbrella up in the house
6. Throwing spilt salt over left shoulder for good luck
7. Not putting shoes on the table
8. Putting money in a purse or wallet as a gift
9. Saluting a lone magpie
10. Not crossing on the stairs
LINKS
The National Lottery
