Three On a Match

The idea that it is unlucky to light three cigarettes from the same match did not arise spontaneously, but was purposely created as an advertising gimmick in the early 1900s.

Early in the twentieth century, Ivar Kreuger, a match manufacturer, cornered the match market. Through various deals, he ended up with the exclusive rights to sell matches in many countries, including most of Europe, but this monopoly was not enough for him. Back then, it was a common practice for two or three people to light their cigarettes from the same match. Ivar realized that if he could somehow keep that third person from using the match, he could greatly increase his sales, so he had his advertising department start the rumor that it was unlucky to light three cigarettes from the same match. Tales were told of dreadful things happening to the third person who used a match, like the bride who had been left at the altar and the soldier who was killed after each had lit a cigarette from a match which two others had already used. Even today, though most people use lighters, the superstition that it's unlucky to light three cigarettes from the same match still persists.