Whether there are witches riding brooms across the sky or brooms being thrown after a husband, brooms have a long history in the superstitious world.
Just as interesting as broom superstitions is how brooms are made. I spent an afternoon at a craft fair one year watching a traditional broom maker make beautiful brooms from locally grown materials. If ever you have a chance, do a bit of research into the process and maybe give it a try. I made decorative corn husk brooms years ago and gave them out as gifts. It was a great, educational project that I was able to teach to my kids when they got older.
Stepping Over a Broom
In Yorkshire, young women had to be careful to never step over a broom. Doing so would mean that she would become a mother before she would become a wife and that the young woman would be of “poor character.”
Broom Beating
In China it was believed that hitting a person with a broom would bring the wounded bad luck for many years. In Europe, the men didn’t fare off any better because if a mother would whom her son with a broom, he would grow up to be a coward.
Buying a Broom
Never buy a new broom in May, according to a Devon superstition. As the saying goes: “Buy a broom in the month of May, Sweep one of the house away.”
New Year’s Day
On New Year’s Day, sweep in a bit of dirt before you sweep anything out. This way you do not sweep away all of your luck for the new year.
Fishing Luck
In Scotland, after the men would leave their homes for a long day of fishing, the women would throw a broom after them to break away any bad luck and to bring their men good fortune on the seas.
Company
If your broom falls on its own across the doorway, expect company. The same can be said if your broom leaves a streak across the floor when you are using it.
Ghost Prevention
To prevent ghosts or other evil entities from entering a house, a broom was laid across the doorway. According to some, this works just as good as putting a line of salt at the front door, although doing both certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Moving
An old superstition says that you must never move into a new home with an old broom. This is why many old timers leave behind their broom in their old home. Bringing the old broom along with them would bring along bad luck.
Witch Broom
I find it rather odd that in parts of the South it was believed that a witch could not step over a broom since the witch has been portrayed riding a broom since medieval times.
Jump
To find out if you will be married within the year, set a broom across two chairs. If you can jump over it neat and clean, you will be married soon.
Sources:
Dresslar, F. (1907). Superstition and education. Berkeley: University Press.
Lys, C. (1979). The giant book of superstitions. Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press.
Roud, S. (2003). The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland. London: Penguin.
Thomas, Daniel Lindsey, and Lucy Blayney Thomas. Kentucky Superstitions. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP, 1920. Print.
