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  Itchy palms indicate you will receive money

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  A crow cawing loudly means guests are about to arrive

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  Black cat crossing your path brings bad luck and misfortune

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  If a strange woman enters your house first at Christmas, all the women in the family will be sick that year

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  If you talk about someone before they enter, they’ll live a long and rich life

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  Licking food off a knife makes you cruel

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  Never hand someone a knife—it signals future conflict

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  Never walk under a ladder—bad luck (though this is more Western, some Russians believe it)

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  Dead birds in the house are a bad omen

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  Never let drafts or breezes in—Russians believe drafts can make you ill