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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by slothrop@lemmy.ca to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world

the link was posted in a comment here:
https://lemmy.ca/comment/20493193

and it brought back a memory or two.

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[-] Manjushri@piefed.social 48 points 2 months ago

Others believe that lighting three or more cigarettes on the same match will bring on bad luck.

This started in World War I as a basic safety precaution. Some soldiers sitting in the dark on either side of the front decide to have a smoke. When the first one lights his cigarette, the enemy across the field sees the match light. While the second man lights his smoke, the enemy grabs their rifle and takes aim. When the third man lights his, the enemy fires.

[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 months ago

What if the first soldier has all three cigarettes in his mouth and lights them all at the same time? Haha checkmate, Athiests!

[-] ElysianBladeRunner@piefed.social 10 points 2 months ago

Fascinating. Thanks for the share. Lessons in everything.

[-] GlenRambo@jlai.lu 2 points 2 months ago

Wouldn't he aim and shoot the second (or first) one he can see. Instead of following the match to where the third is? The third could be either side of the first or second.

[-] Manjushri@piefed.social 5 points 2 months ago

I can't speak to the mindset of people who are superstitious. I'm just repeating what the alleged basis for the superstition was.

The belief was that when the first soldier lit his cigarette, the enemy would see the light; when the second soldier lit his cigarette from the same match, the enemy would take aim at the target; and when the third soldier lit his cigarette from the match, the enemy would fire, and that soldier would be shot.

[-] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

I could be missing something, but not getting shot sounds to me more like good than bad luck.

[-] Manjushri@piefed.social 3 points 2 months ago

It's being the third person on the match who gets shot, thus why three on a match is bad luck.

[-] arctanthrope@lemmy.world 28 points 2 months ago

I'll save you a read, nobody knows. a theory that connects it to the 27 club (various celebrity musicians who died at the age of 27) is debunked. it's proposed that a white lighter could be more easily stained by cannabis resin, and thus be a giveaway

[-] hateisreality@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

Thing is the bottom is always white and your caught if you smoke jazz cigarettes

[-] Flickerby@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 months ago

27 club is the "woah dude trippy" version, the white corner being stained green by using it to pack down your bowl is the actual reason.

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 months ago

My stoner friends back in high school wouldn’t let anyone get in their car with a white lighter for fear of being pulled over and caught with weed

[-] Grass@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

that's so dumb. I bet anyone worried about that is super obvious for multiple other reasons too.

[-] eneff@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 months ago

I have never heard of this, ever.

[-] Asidonhopo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Huh, wouldnt have guessed that. My theory was that people thought they might be older lighters that had printed wraps that weren't selling, so they were peeled off and relabeled for sale again, meaning they had lost some fluid over time.

[-] matchbook1498@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago
this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2025
66 points (88.4% liked)

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