Don't walk under ladders! Place a star on top of your Christmas tree. Ancient, entertaining and sometimes-quirky folklore enriches all cultures. But what of the uniquely Canadian superstitiosn and traditions practiced across the country?

• According to Canadian prairie etiquette, if a neighbour brings you a plate of food, you must return the plate dirty; washing it will bring bad luck

• In Alberta, picking blackberries after October 11 is bad luck because by this time in the year, the devil has surely laid claim to the remaining berries

• A First Nations ritual advises blessing a new home by taking smouldering sage from room to room and saying prayers; this will banish evil spirits and ill feelings

• The first to celebrate Thanksgiving in North America was actually explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew in 1578 and not the Massachusetts pilgrims

• In dustbowl Depression-era Saskatchewan, it was believed that a red sky at night in the springtime meant that the next day would be a windy one, too windy for farmers to seed

• According to one old folktale, a schooner captain off the coast of Nova Scotia turned back to port when he discovered one of his crewmen had grey mittens; undertakers wore grey mittens, so it was like asking for death on the journey.

And so much more…