Broom superstions and loreCompiled by Andy Hagerty
Below is a group of lore dealing with an ordinary household item. The broom. The lore about brooms below have been collected from numerous sources over a seemingly indefinite time span. The lore will continue to be collect and added. I broke up the lore into different categories just for ease of presentation. All errors are my own.
If you have any broom lore you would like to share, please feel free to contact me via my email address on this site or send it to the Admin and she will pass it on to me. |
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Luck Related
Bad luck will befall you all year and you will sweep out the money made during the coming year. If you sweep on New Year's Day, you can avert bad luck by not taking up the dirt and leaving it in a pile on the floor. Also burn up the rubbish when you sweep on New Year's Day and you will have money throughout the new year.
It is unlucky to sweep on Monday. Sweep dirt out of the house on Friday and it will cause you bad luck. Also if dirt is swept out of the house on Friday, the house will burn.
Carry a broom under your arm for luck, however if you carry a broom over your shoulder you will have bad luck. It signifies bad luck, to carry a broom through the house from the front door to the back door.
If a broom falls as you are passing it, you will have bad luck. If a broom falls in front of you and you step over it before picking it up, you will have a "bed of sickness."
Night time is especially hard to sweep. It causes bad luck to sweep a porch after dark. If dirt is swept out a door before sunrise, you may expect bad luck. Also If you sweep after dark/ You will bring sorrow to your heart. If you sweep after dark, you will sweep out the money made that day. Never sweep the kitchen after supper, whether daylight or dark, or you will sweep out all your money. However if you must sweep your kitchen after sunset, you can avert bad luck by burning the dirt. When you sweep after dark, you sweep away your friends and let enemies in. Sweep after dark and you will never be rich. You also sweep away your best friend by sweeping after dark
If you hand a broom through a window to someone, you may expect bad luck.
It is unlucky to borrow a broom. Lending a broom will cause you bad luck. If you must borrow a broom, take it without the owner's knowledge, and you will not have bad luck.
Always pick up, for luck, a broom that is lying on the floor or ground.
It is unlucky to sweep dirt out a door at any time. Pick up the dirt and carry it outdoors for luck. To sweep dirt out the door is a sign of a slovenly
housekeeper.
To brush your boot with the broom while your are sweeping will give you bad luck for a week.
It is unlucky to sweep on Monday. Sweep dirt out of the house on Friday and it will cause you bad luck. Also if dirt is swept out of the house on Friday, the house will burn.
Carry a broom under your arm for luck, however if you carry a broom over your shoulder you will have bad luck. It signifies bad luck, to carry a broom through the house from the front door to the back door.
If a broom falls as you are passing it, you will have bad luck. If a broom falls in front of you and you step over it before picking it up, you will have a "bed of sickness."
Night time is especially hard to sweep. It causes bad luck to sweep a porch after dark. If dirt is swept out a door before sunrise, you may expect bad luck. Also If you sweep after dark/ You will bring sorrow to your heart. If you sweep after dark, you will sweep out the money made that day. Never sweep the kitchen after supper, whether daylight or dark, or you will sweep out all your money. However if you must sweep your kitchen after sunset, you can avert bad luck by burning the dirt. When you sweep after dark, you sweep away your friends and let enemies in. Sweep after dark and you will never be rich. You also sweep away your best friend by sweeping after dark
If you hand a broom through a window to someone, you may expect bad luck.
It is unlucky to borrow a broom. Lending a broom will cause you bad luck. If you must borrow a broom, take it without the owner's knowledge, and you will not have bad luck.
Always pick up, for luck, a broom that is lying on the floor or ground.
It is unlucky to sweep dirt out a door at any time. Pick up the dirt and carry it outdoors for luck. To sweep dirt out the door is a sign of a slovenly
housekeeper.
To brush your boot with the broom while your are sweeping will give you bad luck for a week.
Company and the Broom
A broom dropping in front of the door means company before the day is over. When a small child takes a broom and begins to sweep, company
is coming.
Always sweep dirt out the back door or you will sweep away your best friend. Never sweep dirt out the front door; it will bring you bad luck.
Do not sweep immediately after the departure of a guest or you will sweep him bad luck.
If someone comes in to see you and you pick up a broom and go to sweeping in front of them, that is the sign they are not wanted and you want them to go home. For if you sweep in front of someone, you are sweeping them off the earth.
If you go to someone's house and have to step over a broom, it shows that the mistress of that household is an untidy housekeeper.
If you sweep under someone while he is sitting on a chair, you are giving him bad luck. Sweeping under a person's feet while he is sitting in a chair and he will not grow any more.
Hitting someone with a broom means that he will go to jail before a week has passed. If you hit a person with a broom just before he starts "uptown," he will have trouble. When someone is hit with a broom, he should spit on the broom and take ten steps backwards so he will neither have bad luck or be arrested.
The person under whose feet you sweep will always be poor.
is coming.
Always sweep dirt out the back door or you will sweep away your best friend. Never sweep dirt out the front door; it will bring you bad luck.
Do not sweep immediately after the departure of a guest or you will sweep him bad luck.
If someone comes in to see you and you pick up a broom and go to sweeping in front of them, that is the sign they are not wanted and you want them to go home. For if you sweep in front of someone, you are sweeping them off the earth.
If you go to someone's house and have to step over a broom, it shows that the mistress of that household is an untidy housekeeper.
If you sweep under someone while he is sitting on a chair, you are giving him bad luck. Sweeping under a person's feet while he is sitting in a chair and he will not grow any more.
Hitting someone with a broom means that he will go to jail before a week has passed. If you hit a person with a broom just before he starts "uptown," he will have trouble. When someone is hit with a broom, he should spit on the broom and take ten steps backwards so he will neither have bad luck or be arrested.
The person under whose feet you sweep will always be poor.
The Broom itself
You will be unlucky, if you do not pick up a fallen broom at once.
Keep the corners of your broom square or even for luck.
Letting the sweeping edge of a broom wear off at the two corners will bring you bad luck.
Never burn up a broom; it will bring you bad luck.
Step over a broom and you will break your mother's back. If you step over a broom you will be arrested. Stepping over a broom is a sign of slovenliness. Stepping over a broom will bring sorrow to your heart. The child who steps over a broom will get a whipping. To step over a broom will start a quarrel in the house. To avert bad luck after you have walked over a fallen broom, step backwards across the broom.
Keep the corners of your broom square or even for luck.
Letting the sweeping edge of a broom wear off at the two corners will bring you bad luck.
Never burn up a broom; it will bring you bad luck.
Step over a broom and you will break your mother's back. If you step over a broom you will be arrested. Stepping over a broom is a sign of slovenliness. Stepping over a broom will bring sorrow to your heart. The child who steps over a broom will get a whipping. To step over a broom will start a quarrel in the house. To avert bad luck after you have walked over a fallen broom, step backwards across the broom.
Random bits of lore
Sweep on the third day after Easter and you will have bugs in the house.
Placing a broom in a doorway in a home or a starboard door of a ship will allow departed friends and family to speak to you
if they wish. As long as the broom remains there they can speak to you.
Dropping a broom while sweeping is the sign of a new carpet.
If you let a broom fall and do not step back over it immediately, someone dirtier than you will come.
It is a sign of good luck to have a broom drop in front of you.
It is a sign of misfortune, to lay a broom on the bed. Lean a broom against a bed and you will be unlucky. It signifies bad luck, if you sweep under a bed on which someone is lying. Sweep the top of a bed and you will have bad luck.
Let the broom rest with the straws up and you will be lucky. Stand a broom on its handle and you will always be poor. To have good luck, place the broom on its handle in a corner. To set a broom in the corner with the brush up shows that you are an untidy housekeeper.
It means bad luck when a broom falls across the threshold and also it indicates that you will walk on strange ground.
Placing a broom in a doorway in a home or a starboard door of a ship will allow departed friends and family to speak to you
if they wish. As long as the broom remains there they can speak to you.
Dropping a broom while sweeping is the sign of a new carpet.
If you let a broom fall and do not step back over it immediately, someone dirtier than you will come.
It is a sign of good luck to have a broom drop in front of you.
It is a sign of misfortune, to lay a broom on the bed. Lean a broom against a bed and you will be unlucky. It signifies bad luck, if you sweep under a bed on which someone is lying. Sweep the top of a bed and you will have bad luck.
Let the broom rest with the straws up and you will be lucky. Stand a broom on its handle and you will always be poor. To have good luck, place the broom on its handle in a corner. To set a broom in the corner with the brush up shows that you are an untidy housekeeper.
It means bad luck when a broom falls across the threshold and also it indicates that you will walk on strange ground.
