There are many superstitions associated with doors … and a few with door furniture as well! One of these I have a personal interest in, as a breeding member of the species – but however strange and terrible giving birth might be, I’m not sure that I believe this one enough to make sure I follow it on D-Day!

This old superstition about doors is that you must unlock every door in the house when giving birth, to make an easier labour. The symbolism is pretty obvious … so obvious in fact, that it is better not too think about it for too long! But I just have a couple of questions about this:

- What if you give birth in a hospital? Does every door in the hospital have to be unlocked? Does that include the prescription drugs cabinets?
- Or, if you give birth in a hospital, do you still have to unlock every door in your own home, because that closely symbolizes yourself? Would the advantage of having an easier labour be swallowed up eventually by the fact that when you got your baby home, all of its things had been pinched by opportunists passing by?
- Finally, every lock in the house, or just the ones on doors (the ones that things come through…!)

This superstition might go some way to explaining people’s olden day fascination with having lions on their doors – they needed something to scare away thieves while the doors were unlocked, while they were away giving birth so often!

Photo credits: Lil Sport by Angela Marvel

          

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