Itchy nose
An itchy nose meant guests on the way in old English belief: in Thomas Dekker's play The Honest Whore, a character is sure of visitors because her nose itches so. Rather than waiting for company, you could be the one who invites.
This page only describes folk beliefs. If the sensation keeps coming back or worries you, please see a doctor.
What it may mean
"We shall ha guests to day... my nose itcheth so," says a character in Thomas Dekker's old English play The Honest Whore, and the antiquary Brand added that he had often heard the itch read the same way. The itchy nose as a herald of visitors is one of the friendliest body superstitions. It imagines your home about to fill with people. You do not have to wait for the itch to make that happen. Plenty of us long for company and still wait to be asked: for the call, the invitation, the friend who drops by. The tickle on your nose can be your cue to reverse the direction, to be the one who sends the message or sets the extra plate.
Depending on how you saw it
On a day when guests are expected anyway
If your nose itches on a day when visitors are already coming, the old sign wins an easy point. Expected guests come with their own nerves: the cleaning, the menu, the worry about what they will think. What would make hosting lighter this time: fewer dishes, an earlier start, a helper?
During a long day alone
On a quiet day indoors, an itchy nose and the old saying about company can sting a little. Company rarely arrives while you wait in silence. Who would be glad to hear from you today if you reached out first?
An itch while you are out running errands
If your nose itches while you are out, the old reading can turn around: maybe you are the visitor someone is hoping for. Which friend or relative along your route would love a short visit?
Why it happens in nature
A tickle in the nose comes and goes for most people, often set off by dry air, dust or a sharp smell. The inside of the nose is very sensitive, which is why the feeling is so hard to ignore.
What folk beliefs say
England
Brand wrote that he had often heard an itching nose interpreted as the expectation of seeing a stranger, and quotes Dekker's The Honest Whore, where a character expects guests that day because her nose itches.
Source: John Brand; Henry Ellis (ed.), Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. 3 (1849), vol. 3, p. 174. View the page
To reflect on
Who would be glad of a visit or a message from you this week?