Opening an umbrella indoors. The superstition that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house has its origin in Catholic times; when the priest carried the viaticum to the dying person under a small canopy in the form of an umbrella; as is still done in Catholic countries to-day. Therefore; the open umbrella in the house became associated with the idea of a death. Illustration for one of a set of 25 cigarette cards on the subject of Popular Superstitions issued by Godfrey Phillips in 1930.