The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom
Illustration: Kavel Rafferty

Illustration: Kavel Rafferty

Stories behind superstitions | New shoes

Lottie Storey September 10, 2018

Why is it bad luck to put new shoes on a table? Turns out this bold move may be a step too far

There are many reasons why it’s considered bad luck to put your shoes on the table – none of them pleasant. Let’s look at the death-related reasons first.

It may be because criminals were often hanged still wearing their shoes, or because it’s associated with a laid-out corpse. Back when shoes were more expensive and poorer folk had only one pair, it could also be a way of identifying a body. Which brings us to why new shoes are thought unlucky; when shoes were pricy, they’d be passed from the dead person onto another family member, as a “new” pair.

If not for deathly reasons, you don’t need to be a mastermind to understand why you might want to keep the soles of shoes away from anywhere involved with food. Back in less hygienic, less medicated times, it was quite possible the resulting illness could lead to another pair of shoes going spare...

  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

 

More from the September issue:

Featured
happy mail.png
Sep 25, 2018
Happy mail | 5 newsletters to subscribe to
Sep 25, 2018
Sep 25, 2018
SIM75.NEST_DSC_0236.png
Sep 24, 2018
Nest | Hydrangeas
Sep 24, 2018
Sep 24, 2018
SIM75.OUTING_E4GKJK.png
Sep 23, 2018
Old railway tracks
Sep 23, 2018
Sep 23, 2018

More superstitions:

Featured
One Day.jpg
Jul 14, 2019
When St Swithin met Billy Bragg
Jul 14, 2019
Jul 14, 2019
SIM76.MISCELLANY_Bed.png
Oct 8, 2018
Stories behind superstitions | The wrong side of the bed
Oct 8, 2018
Oct 8, 2018
new shoes.png
Sep 10, 2018
Stories behind superstitions | New shoes
Sep 10, 2018
Sep 10, 2018
InMiscellany Tagssuperstitions, miscellany, issue 75, september
  • Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram