The Truth Behind 10 Common Superstitions

10. Opening An Umbrella Indoors

If you ever open an umbrella inside, you can guarantee that there will be at least one person to let out a little gasp. To be fair, the superstition that it is bad luck is so deeply ingrained in most of us, that an open umbrella indoors does look kind of wrong. Like smoking at the dinner table or a baby with pierced ears.

It is thought that the reason why it is considered unlucky to open an umbrella is not some sort of modern day, rain dance voodoo, but is actually down to those thoroughly practical Victorians.

Victorian umbrellas were a sturdy affair, with sharp, eye-pokey metal spikes on spring-loaded devices - a pretty dangerous device to deploy in an enclosed space.

Why it was given the status of "unlucky", rather than downright dangerous is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps because setting a Victorian death umbrella off in a lift would cause immediate strife, arguments and possibly injuries, none of which can be considered particularly lucky.