Include a Penny When You Gift a Knife?

In life, some things just get by me. OK, a lot of things get by me in life.

Recently, someone showed me a birthday gift she had received. It was a three pack of kitchen knives. The knives were still in the package. Also in the package, there were three pennies.

That seemed odd, I thought. Was it an inside joke between the gifter and the giftee? Curiosity reared its ugly head, so I bit. What's the significance of the three pennies in the package, if any, I asked. The reply was that if someone gifts you a knife, it needs to be accompanied by a penny. One for each knife given.

I'd never heard that before. Am I the only one? Most people I asked knew of this superstition. According to Krudo Knives, long, long ago, people thought that if you gave someone a knife, it could be bad luck for a relationship. It could 'cut' the ties between two persons in a relationship such as a marriage, and that relationship could fail, or something like that.

I've given knifes to people in the past as a gift. Oh boy, I better check on any possible relationship breakups. I didn't add any pennies.

As for that penny, they are considered good luck, so maybe the reason for including it in the gift giving, negates any bad luck? Apparently so. It's superstition at its best, but why mess with it? I'm not superstitious, but am reminded of a quote from 'The Office's' Michael Scott - "I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious."

via Krudo Knives