46716 what do you know about superstitions in britain

INSTITUT ICÀRIA

NAME:

English Department
4 ESO D

HANDOUT ONE:
What do you know about Superstitions in Britain?

TASK ONE. In pairs, decide whether the following statements bring GOOD or BAD luck in
Britain.
Friday thirteen – Touch wood – Spill salt – Find a cover plant with four leaves – A black cat –
Walk underneath a ladder - See a magpie – Put new shoes on the table - Break a mirror – A
horseshoe – Open an umbrella indoors – Catch falling leaves in autumn
GOOD LUCK:

BAD LUCK:

TASK TWO. In pairs, put the beginnings and the ends together, using the expressions from
the box.
the sky – angry - left hand - get married – good luck – at the corner – seven years – a black cat
– nose – some money – a mirror – the weather

1. If you see___________,

a. ____________ will be fine tomorrow.

2. If you are _________ of a table,

b. you’ll get ________________ soon.

3. If ________ is red this evening,

c. you’ll have _______________.

4. If your _________ itches,

d. you’ll not ________________.

5. If you break _____________,

e. you’ll get _________________.

6. If your _______________ itches,

f. you’ll have ______________ of bad luck.

TASK THREE. In groups of four, discuss the following questions.
1. Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country? Which are different?
2. Can you give a definition of ‘superstition’?
3. Do you believe that they can influence our lives?


INSTITUT ICÀRIA

NAME:

English Department
4 ESO D

HANDOUT ONE
Be careful! Some superstitions can be different from the ones we have in our country.
GOOD LUCK
Touch wood

BAD LUCK
Friday thirteen

Find a cover plant with Spill salt
four leaves
A black cat
Walk underneath a ladder
A horseshoe
See a magpie
Catch falling leaves in Put new shoes on the
autumn
table
Break a mirror
Open an umbrella indoors

GOOD LUCK
Touch wood (to make something come true)
A clover plant with four leaves (specially the Irish. As you may know, the shamrock is one of
their cultural symbols).
A black cat (Black cats are a sign of good luck if they cross your path. Moreover, the picture of a
black cat appears on greeting cards and birthday cards in England).

A horseshoe (over the door. But It needs to be right way up). U-shape.
Catch falling leaves in Autumn (every leaf means a lucky month next year).

BAD LUCK
Friday thirteen ( it is considered like this because Jesus was crucified on a Friday).
Spill salt ( if you do so, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck)
Walk underneath a ladder
Break a mirror ( Seven years of bad luck. It has its origin in ancient times, when mirrors were
considered to be tools of the gods)
Open an umbrella indoors


INSTITUT ICÀRIA

NAME:

English Department
4 ESO D

See a magpie
Put new shoes on the table

TASK TWO. In pairs, put the beginnings and the ends together, using the expressions from
the box.
1. If you see a black cat

a. The weather will be fine tomorrow.

2. If you are at the corner of a table,

b. you’ll get some money soon.

3. If the sky is red this evening,

c. you’ll have good luck.

4. If your left hand itches,

d. you’ll not get married.

5. If you break a mirror,

e. you’ll get angry.

6. If your nose itches,

f. you’ll have seven years of bad luck.

1. If you see a black cat,

c. you’ll have good luck

2. If you are at the corner of a table,

d. you’ll not get married

3. If the sky is red this evening,

a. The weather will be fine tomorrow

4. If your left hand itches,

b. you’ll get some money soon

5. If you break a mirror,

f. you’ll have seven years of bad luck

6. If your nose itches,

e. you’ll get angry

ITCH: an uncomfortable sensation that causes a desire to scratch the skin.
SCRATCH: rub a part of one’s body with one’s fingernails to relieve itching.
(The cartoons Lisa and Bart Simpsons watch on Tv: Itchy and Scratchy)


INSTITUT ICÀRIA

NAME:

English Department
4 ESO D

TASK THREE. In groups of four, discuss the following questions.
1. Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country? Which are different?
SIMILAR: BREAK A MIRROR, TOUCH WOOD, FIND A COVER PLANT WITH FOUR
LEAVES, WALK UNDERNEATH A LADDER, A HORSESHOE, OPEN AN UMBRELLA
DIFFERENT: FRIDAY THIRTEEN, SPILL SALT, A BLACK CAT, SEE A MAGPIE,
PUT NEW SHOES ON THE TABLE, CATCH FALLING LEAVES IN AUTUMN, YOUR
NOSE ITCHES, YOUR LEFT HAND ITCHES, THE SKY IS RED, AT THE CORNER OF
A TABLE
2. Can you give a definition of ‘superstition’?

A superstition is an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance brings good or bad
luck to people’s life.
3. Do you believe that they can influence our lives?
Students’ own answers.