ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE MATERIAL EOI: 01/12/2016

These are some common Western superstitions taken from http://stickyball.net/adult.html?id=262

Superstition	Meaning
Baseball Bat	Spit on a new bat when using it for the first time to make it lucky.
Bed	It’s bad luck to put a hat on a bed.
Bell	When a bell rings, an angel has received its wings.
Cats	If a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck.
Clover	It’s good luck to find a four-leaf clover.
Knives	If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him/her a coin.
Ladybugs	It is bad luck to kill a ladybug.
Ladder	It’s bad luck to walk under a ladder.
Mirror	If you break a mirror, it’s seven years bad luck.
Salt	If you spill salt you must throw some over your left shoulder.
Umbrella	It’s bad luck to open an umbrella in the house.
Wood	Knock on wood anytime you mention good fortune.
Yawn	Cover your mouth so your soul doesn’t go out of your body.
Itchy Ear	Someone is talking about you.
Friday the 13th	This day is traditionally unlucky unless you were born on it.

Now, some reading on the topic

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE MATERIAL EOI