Saluting magpies!

When my father died neighbours came in to pay their respects. (Bodies were brought home back then - 1963) A Catholic woman came in, picked up dad’s hands and said ‘oh they are supple, that means someone close is going to die soon’. I was 15 at the time - she put the fear of god in me. As it happens, dad’s brother came off his scooter 6 wks later and, yes, he died. Make of that what you will.

I always say good morning or good afternoon if I see a magpie or I was told good morning or good afternoon captain..
The day before my dad died I was walking with my husband in a local park, when I saw one.

No, we get far too many of them.

I think the saluting dates back to when they were much rarer, since they were not a protected species.

I always address a lone Magpie with "Good Morning/Afternoon Mr Magpie, How's your lady wife?"

Pippa000
A beekeeping friend of mine always tells the bees of any important 'happening' in the household.
Apparently this started centuries ago, when upon the death of a beekeeper, the new keeper had to formally introduce themselves to the bees. This was supposed to keep the bees in their hive, as if they didn't know their new keeper, they may desert the hive.
She also always talks to the bees in a calm, quiet voice, and will happily sit with a coffee on a nice afternoon and chat to them! When they start answering her back, I'll have her committed!

We have lots of magpies here, plus seagulls ,rooks and crows. The magpies are real bully birds. I salute one and count others. Nearly always over 5, so have to start the rhyme again

I used to be quite superstitious and on the way to the hospital to have my DD we saw a single magpie. I started panicking so DH stopped car and said that we would wait to see another one. In the end it became a bit desperate so I told him we had to go! All went well.
Now I know w to greet he magpie. I tell him that Mrs Magpie wants him as he is a bit scared of her and so will not have time for mischief. Silly isn’t it

No, I trust in God (I’m a Christian) and superstitions don’t bother me. I like seeing magpies and don’t mind how many of them there are.

You little devil Kitty but quick thinking though.

I always say ‘rabbits, rabbits, rabbits’ on the first of the month.

We used to pass lots of magpies on the way to school which we always used to greet, just to be on the safe side. But, on the day DD2 was sitting her Maths GCSE there was only one which caused mild panic in her fevered brain.

Thinking quickly I told her that the bad luck was cancelled out if we saw a heron. Sure enough, driving over the river, we saw a heron and her panic subsided. She got an A*.

She was quite embarrassed recently when some friends said they had never heard this version and that I'd probably made it up to make her feel better.

She's only 37 - bless!!

I always say 'good morning Mr. Magpie' 3 times, whilst saluting, I forgot that part - reading this thread back, it's all very odd, this magpie fixation ?

You aren't one are you oddbird? . If I see a magpie in my garden I shout at it because one pecked the sealant off around my front door, and on my neighbours conservatory roof. How have I managed to survive all the bad luck from not doing all this superstitious stuff? Oh dear! Tempting providence now.......

I hadn't heard of the magpie thing until my daughter got me stated on it so now whenever I see one it's, salute and say good morning Mr Magpie how's your wife today. 5 times. Why 5 I don't know. I'm usually a what will be will be person so I don't know why i carry this one on.

I have lots of magpies near me, and hate to see one on its own,i chased one away not long ago,it was attacking a pigeon, saw one last week, and my sister said oh no,its bad luck,
The day after that my sons Mother in law died suddenly of a stroke, made me shudder

When out driving I am always seeing single magpie. It used to make me uneasy but not anymore.

We always say 'hello Mr Magpie' 3 times when we see a single one. When my OH was a taxi driver he had an elderly lady on board who saw a magpie and burst out with 'where's the other f****r'. He thought it was hilarious as she had seemed so respectable.

I broke a mirror about 30 years ago and threw the pieces into a river. I believe that it has to be running water to wash away the bad luck.

I try not to walk under ladders and I throw spilt salt over my shoulder and into the devil's eye. I blame my paternal grandmother for the family superstitions lol!!

???. Made me giggle. We are bloody barmy. British ha haha

Horrible birds have just been inside a tree outside my house and come out with loads of stuff. I know it's nature but they are thieves LOL

I am an easy prey to lots of superstitions??‍♀️ I always say Goodmorning Mr Magpie if I see a single one. I throw salt over my shoulder if spilt, won’t walk under ladders etc etc ?

EllanVannin The hawthorn was the witch's tree, so was the elder. As a general rule, witches and the devil were supposed only to enter a house if they were invited in, so they created all kinds of situations to cheat people into letting them in. Taking the flowers into the house made it easy, as they worked as a kind of door-opener for them. That is why it was bad luck to take them into the house, you were opening it up to bad influences.

What happened to my post? It didn't appear. I shall repeat it.

I’m loving reading all these!
Totally irrational, but I love it if a black cat crosses my path.

I always say 'good morning Mr.Magpie' as I thought the bad luck was cancelled after noon? I have never worried about seeing a lone magpie later in the day. We have loads here, sometimes they all roost in one tree at dusk - until I read this thread I had no idea they were so vicious to other birds. I know they don't like crows though - if 2 or 3 big crows descend onto the lawn for seed the magpies all fly away.

We were never allowed them either EllenVannin I remember my mum hustling me out the house with my bunch of flowers I had collected from the hedges near us and proclaiming I had brought bad luck into the house

I am not at all superstitious but my husband is - I am not allowed to open an umbrella indoors as one example ???

Mum would never allow the sweet smelling hawthorn flowers inside the house. I never knew why.