Comments on: Warning: Do You Practice These Travel Superstitions?

By: Scribetrotter

Scribetrotter — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:13:34 +0000

I’m not hooked on numbers but I do carry two Chinese lucky coins in my wallet – and when I backpacked for a few years, my lucky green tin mug, Kermit, never left my side. I only stopped backpacking when the mug broke. Superstitious? You bet!

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By: Daniel Harbecke

Daniel Harbecke — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:01:03 +0000

In Russia (at least Siberian Russia) the number two is unlucky. Since that’s kinda hard to avoid, it seems to be reserved for significant gestures. For example, if you give a gift, you try not to give something in an even number because it’s symboloic of division or splitting up. However, to my knowledge they don’t go so far as to give second floors or rows a miss.

Carlo – TSA regulations demand everyone have their lucky charms stapled to their bodies as long as they aren’t incendiary or explosive. Absence of such charms – also known as FADs (Fortuity-Assisting Devices) can adversely affect the field of probability, resulting in criminal mayhem for which passengers may be liable. It’s in the fine print.

Regarding the clapping thing. though I don’t think it’s superstition as much as silly tradition. Unless it’s live entertainment, I see no reason to applaud for someone doing their job. When the pilot or projectionist come out to give a bow, maybe I’ll reconsider but probably not.

“Thank you, Mr. Spielberg! I know you’re someplace in Hollywood Heaven, but I’m clapping for you! See me clapping? Thank you for making $100 million this weekend, invisible director!” Weird.

If there’s anyone in a theater that deserves applause, it’s whoever cleans up afterward. Just a hunch, but somehow I don’t think it was the janitor who came up with the bright idea of cheese nachos in a darkened room. I mean really, it’s like yellow plastic… what’s next, supersized bowls of soup? “Yay! Clap clap clap!”

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By: Carlo

Carlo — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:27:14 +0000

But what happens if two people on a plane believe in a lucky charm? And one leaves it behind? Will leaving behind a lucky charm only be harmful for the person who owns it? Or can it affect others around them? (e.g. causing a plane to crash). Because if I carried a lucky penny and someone else forgot theirs under a seat in the gate, and the plane crashed, I’d be mightily pissed!

As for the clapping bit, I can’t stand that! The last time I heard that was a flight from Munich to Burgas two years ago. (I think it is a German thing)…although I guess at least the crew who is responsible for getting you there safely is around to hear the applause…what I hate more is the clapping at the end of a movie…(or is it for the person running the projector?)

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By: Turner Wright

Turner Wright — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:22:38 +0000

Yeah, “shi” for four and the kanji for death. As far as the clapping is concerned, I thought that was standard for landings of all international flights? Maybe I’m just riding with a lot of superstitious people.

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By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:31:18 +0000

Amanda, that is funny. I didn’t include it in the article (I couldn’t verify whether 4 sounded like death or resembled the Chinese character for death) but I found out that a lot of ANA planes don’t have row 4.

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By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:41:29 +0000

When I lived in Japan I lived on the fourth apartment of the fourth floor, but it was numbered 505, because the Japanese are superstitious about the number 4 (sounds like “death”!). But hey, it was still the fourth floor, wasn’t it? I don’t think the gods of superstitions would care what number was actually on the door.

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By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:53:24 +0000

There was a lone clapper on a recent flight who turned red and stopped when only two – four people joined in as opposed to a couple dozen people. Everyone was busy with grabbing their luggage. It was a bit sad because I finally freed my hands to make some noise. Also, I have to say that most of the applauding in my experience occurred on flights to and from Hawaii.

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By: Ian MacKenzie

Ian MacKenzie — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:29:22 +0000

Applauding – that’s funny. My friend told me only Jamaicans did that at the end of flights because they were all happy to have made a safe journey. I’ve never had it happen on any other flights, except a smaller flight in Hawaii. But now you’ve piqued by interest – on the next flight, I’ll start the clap and see if it catches on…

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By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:22:36 +0000

Grace – People usually still applaud the crew coming from or going to Italy. I guess it depends on the first brave person not being afraid to start the applause that gets it all going. It is nice after a long flight to let out some of that excitement for finally being back on the ground.

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By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:09:22 +0000

This is off topic a bit but has anyone noticed that people don’t applaud anymore after take off and landing on flights? It used to be so commonplace when I was growing up but the last few flights I’ve been on there have been no applause for the crew. I thought it gave everyone such a satisfactory feeling at the end of a flight.

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