Cover Photo: closeup photograph of a bird with red, white, and brown markings sitting on a ledge, with strands of hair in its beak
Photograph by Aiko Van Hulsen/Flickr

Can a Bird and Its Nest Really Bring Bad Luck?

Some think good luck or bad luck is with us from birth—though our luck might change if a winged creature steals a strand of our hair.

This is A Modern Guide to Superstition, a column by Dorothy Bendel on folk belief and ritual in chaotic times.

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Dorothy Bendel's writing has appeared in The Threepenny Review, The Believer, Literary Hub, Catapult, The New York Times, and additional publications. Find her at dorothybendel.com or @DorothyBendel.