What is a superstition? According to Oxford Languages there are two answers; 1. “Excessively credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural beings.” 2. “A widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based such on belief.” Superstitions have been around for centuries, some of the most popular come from ancient Babylonia.
With a questionnaire I asked my journalism class, some of us have the same superstitions. While some of us didn’t have an opinion or an answer, spilling salt was a popular one. I know that whenever I spill salt I always throw it over my left shoulder. Another one was the black cat superstition, even though this one is not as common to see everyday, I still cringe when I see it cross my path, and so do others.
The number 13 is one of the most believed superstitions. Rather that be Friday the 13th or Tuesday the 13th, around the world it is considered to be an unlucky number. In fact, some buildings skip over the 13th floor when they build an elevator. The thirteenth floor is never used in some cases. Some believe the 13th origin comes from when Judas was the 13th arrival at the Last Supper, or Norse God Loki was the 13th arrival at a diner party. Both caused turmoil and evil. Some also believe that it goes back even farther into ancient civilizations, where the number 12 was considered perfect against the number 13.
Some believe breaking a mirror causes 7 years of bad luck. The Romans believed your soul regenerates every 7 years. They also believed that a mirror could see souls so when damaging the mirror it damaged the soul of who broke the mirror. With mirrors some believe if two mirrors face each other, it causes spirits or even the Devil to enter your home because of the mirrors making a portal. Walking under a ladder originated in ancient Egypt, they believed in the trinity of Gods, so passing under a triangle desecrated the Gods, which invited misfortune.
Here are some famous superstitions from around the world:
- Knocking on Wood: Indo-European, Celtic, or possibly British
- Step on a Crack, Break your Mother’s back: African and European folklore
- Lucky Pennies: Ancient Roman, English, American
- Lucky Horseshoe: Ancient Roman, Celtic/British Isles, Europe
- Fingers Crossed: Western Europe, Pagan and Christian
- Chewing Gum at Night: Turkey
- The number 4: China
- Writing love letters to Juliet Capulet: Verona, Italy
- Curse of the Evil Eye: Mediterranean and Middle East
- Tucking Thumbs in Inside of a Cemetery: Japan
- Giving Yellow Flowers: Russia
- Sweeping Feet: South America
- Itchy Palms: Caribbean
