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Friday the 13th [War and Peas] (files.mastodon.social)
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[-] LowtierComputer@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

There's a really weird thing in the Southeastern US where people will hand you pocketknives with the blade out always and you can't hand it back closed. I don't understand it.

[-] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 months ago

One explanation ties this to a belief that closing a knife someone else opened can bring bad luck, or is considered bad manners. There’s also the practical side: if someone hands you an open blade, they’re entrusting you with a dangerous tool, and closing it before handing it back could suggest you don’t trust them to handle it properly.

[-] LowtierComputer@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

I get the bad luck superstition, but handing someone a closed knife is just safer. The idea that handing someone an open knife shows more respect is stupid.
I've had someone hand me an open knife and accidentally stab me with it. The whole point of it closing is to reduce the risk of getting cut.

[-] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 months ago

Agreed with you. In Europe, there’s a superstition that gifting a knife can "cut" or sever a relationship. To avoid this, the person receiving the knife must give a coin—usually just a small one—back to the giver. This act symbolically "pays" for the knife, turning it into a purchase rather than a gift, and preventing any bad luck or harm to the friendship or relationship.

It’s blend of practicality, tradition, and superstition.

[-] Rubanski@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I also know about this superstition. It's apparently pretty widespread

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this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2024
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