•Before leaving on a journey, sit down and remain quiet for a minute to ensure good luck. Also, never leave on a Friday.

•If you have to return home to pick up something you forgot, such as car keys, you need to look in the mirror before leaving again. To do otherwise is bad luck.

•To avoid jinxing something, spit three times over your left shoulder or knock on wood.

•It’s bad luck to leave an empty alcohol bottle standing on a table. Lay it flat or put it on the floor.

•Do not shake hands across a threshold. Instead, make sure both parties are on one side or the other.

•Spilling salt is bad luck and will lead to a quarrel.

•It’s bad luck to take the garbage out after dark.

•Don’t whistle inside your house, unless you want to lose all your money.

•Single young women should never sit at the corner of a table. Doing so means they risk not getting married for seven years.

•It’s bad luck to give a Russian a watch, knife or wallet as a present. If you absolutely must give a Russian a knife, take a small coin in return. That way it will not be a present.

This is just a few of the many Russian superstitions. There are hundreds more.