Learn American English: The Top 10 Superstitions and Beliefs #5 - Opening an Umbrella Inside and Four-Leaf Clovers
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Opening an umbrella inside. Did you know? It's believed in the US that opening an umbrella while inside a building will bring bad luck. This superstition most likely stems from pure pragmatism. Umbrellas used to be larger and more unwieldy, so opening them inside tends to result in broken things and accidents. Bringing an already opened umbrella inside, however, is totally fine. Hey, wait till we're outside. Don't you know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?

Four-leaf clovers. In the US, it's believed that four-leaf clovers will bring good luck. The more leaves, the better. This superstition has its origins in pre-Christian Ireland, where the Druids believed that three-leaf and four-leaf clovers helped them see evil spirits approaching. The chances of finding a four-leaf clover are 10,000 to 1. Did you enjoy this series on American superstitions? Click here to go to EnglishClass101.com to learn more.