Shoe superstitions associated with Christmas: The weird things we (or rather I) stumble upon while browsing, surfing the net, or just simply dilly-dallying.

I’ve never been too big a fan of Christmas. I distinctly remember the intro of one of my articles last year which read: “Christmas. Too commercial, not enough heart.” Well, I stand by my statement… but I must admit to at least one “ritual” which I do enjoy immensely during this period of all things happy and fuzzy, red and shiny, is the shopping. I love buying gifts – roaming the streets, inspecting the stores for that something here, there or anywhere which will scream out the name of one of my loved ones. Yes, it’s a tedious task, but it gives me immense pleasure to see the look on the face of the person concerned when they unwrap the gift and find something unexpected yet hopefully desired or even better… coveted.

Which is perhaps the reason why I stopped to notice when I saw this strange statement staring out at me: “Never give shoes as Christmas gifts.” Why I ask?

But there is not one reason, but five of them. Apparently:

• Giving a new pair of shoes as Christmas gifts would make your friends walk away from you;
• Wearing new shoes on Christmas day brings bad luck.
• In Greece, burning old shoes during the Christmas season is said to prevent misfortunes in the coming year.
• According to English customs, however, “If you do not give a new pair of shoes to a poor person at least once in your lifetime, you will go barefoot in the next world”, so English people often gift shoes as Christmas presents to the poor.
• Unmarried girls may throw a shoe over their shoulders and towards the door. If the shoe lands with its toe pointing towards the door the girl will marry within a year.

Heard that girls? Well, I guess that applies to me too, not that I’m taking note however. I’m sceptical when it comes to superstitions. I mean we’re dealing with shoes here – SHOES – I’m no Carrie Bradshaw and neither do I spend half my monthly earnings on clothes and accessories but I do love my strappy sandals, suede boots or soft leather shoes which fit like a glove – the kind that make you stand tall and proud; the kind that enhance an outfit; the kind that make you feel a cut (or a heel) above the rest...

So, to heck with superstitions... as long as the size is right, and the shoe suits the individual’s sense of style, it shouldn’t matter.

A girl never has enough pairs of shoes after all. As for the guys... they’re catching up.