Lucky

It would appear that people visit the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Wisconsin from all over the country. Even in these pandemic times, that's a lot of visitors, enough that someone there at the Potawatomi found enough time and visitors to poll 1,000 guests about what the #1 superstition is back home.

If you ask me, the #1 superstition in Maryland is "being on I-95 with a Delaware driver on your tail," but that one didn't make the list.

Think about all the things you'd sooner die than do (or not do): throwing salt over your shoulder when you spill the Morton's? holding on to luck pennies? freaking out when a black cat crosses your path? Knocking on wood to ward off evil spirits?

The casino poll shows that 65% of Americans believe in superstitions. And remember, this was a survey conducted among people who go to a large place and wager on cards, slot machines, and roulette wheels. And the location of the plebiscite might explain that 83% of their patrons believe in good luck, and only 50% say there's such a thing as bad luck.

I've never gone in for this throwing salt over my shoulder (except when the driveway is icy) but it is the most common superstition in 17 states! That's the odd thing about this game. Spilling salt means nothing to me, but lots of folks seem to feel that if they don't toss some sodium chloride over their left shoulder as soon as it happens, all sorts of horrible things will happen to them.

On the other hand, out of 50 US States plus DC, 17 of them have a large population going around spilling salt.

Anyhow, here's the breakdown of top misbeliefs and hoodoo all across the US:

Alabama - Throwing salt over shoulder

Alaska - Throwing salt over shoulder

Arizona - Owls are a bad omen

Arkansas - Throwing salt over shoulder

California - Lucky pennies

Colorado - Friday the 13th

Connecticut - Throwing salt over shoulder

Delaware - Throwing salt over shoulder

D.C. - Friday the 13th

Florida - Ladybug landing on you

Georgia - Good luck ladybug

Hawaii - Throwing salt over shoulder

Idaho - Throwing salt over shoulder

Illinois - Good luck horseshoe

Indiana - Lucky rabbit's foot

Iowa - Lucky pennies

Kansas - Throwing salt over shoulder

Kentucky - Throwing salt over shoulder

Louisiana - Lucky rabbit's foot

Maine - Throwing salt over shoulder

Maryland - Throwing salt over shoulder

Massachusetts - Four leaf clover

Michigan - Lucky prime numbers

Minnesota - Friday the 13th

Mississippi - Lucky rabbit's foot

Missouri - Lucky prime numbers

Montana - Bad luck comes in threes

Nebraska - Bad luck comes in threes

Nevada - Lucky prime numbers

New Hampshire - Bad luck comes in threes

New Jersey - Good luck ladybug

New Mexico - Lucky prime numbers

New York - Black cat crosses your path

North Carolina - Black cat crosses your path

North Dakota - Throwing salt over shoulder

Ohio - Throwing salt over shoulder

Oklahoma - Owls are a bad omen

Oregon - Owls are a bad omen

Pennsylvania - Good luck ladybug

Rhode Island - Throwing salt over shoulder

South Carolina - Black cat crosses your path

South Dakota - Bad luck comes in threes

Tennessee - Friday the 13th

Texas - Lucky pennies

Utah - Throwing salt over shoulder

Vermont - Bad luck comes in threes

Virginia - Friday the 13th

Washington - Lucky rabbit's foot

West Virginia - Throwing salt over shoulder

Wisconsin - Bad luck comes in threes

Wyoming - Throwing salt over shoulder

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

I think I would choose Wisconsin if I had to live somewhere based on old husbands' tales, because I don't like odd numbers of anything. When I was on the radio, I didn't like to play records by the Three Degrees. I thought they should either add another singer or talk one into quitting.