Who's Afraid of Superstitions?

Superstitions have been around for thousands of years in some cases. Why do they get passed on from generation to generation? Why do human beings believe in such irrational behavior? Why do so many athletes, actors, performers and gamblers take them so seriously? There really is no logical answer but here is a list of some good and bad luck superstitions for your entertainment.

The story behind some good luck superstitions:

Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.

Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes. When the great plague swept Europe sufferers began sneezing violently which was a sign of death. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact. Sneezing 'into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Up until this time, the opposite was true. Those who sneezed were congratulated, as it was believed that a violent sneeze would expel evil from their bodies.

New Years Superstitions: Clocks should be wound up immediately after the New Year begins in order to endow the house with good fortune, while all daily cleaning and dusting should be completed early in the day of December 31 in order to avoid the danger of sweeping good luck from the house.

The story behind some bad luck superstitions:

Friday the Thirteenth - The Scandinavian's believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. It was also said that Christ was crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor.

Black Cats - In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.

Spilling Salt - Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs.


Some other superstitions thought to bring good luck:

Sneezing 3 times before breakfast
Sleeping facing south
Breaking clear and uncolored glass
Walking in the rain
New enterprises will be fortunate if begun at the time of the new moon.
See a penny, pick it up; all day long you will have good luck.
Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!
A butterfly inside the house is good luck.
Dreaming of white cat means good luck.
Seeing a lone fox is good luck.
A frog brings good luck to the house it enters.
A ladybird landing on you is very good luck.
A martin nesting in a house is good luck to the household.
Carrying an oyster shell is good luck.
Keeping a rabbit's foot is good luck.
Seeing a spider cross a wall is good luck.
It is good luck is to blow through the cards when they are being shuffled.
A baby's tooth, set in a ring or brooch, was sometimes worn in order to bring good luck.

Some other superstitions thought to bring bad luck:

A bat flying into the house I considered bad luck.
An owl hooting 3 times is bad luck.
3 butterflies seen together is bad luck.
Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder is bad luck.
Breaking a glass while proposing a toast is bad luck.
Cutting your nails on a Friday is bad luck.
Putting a hat on a bed is thought to be bad luck.
Getting out of bed left foot first is bad luck.
Breaking a mirror is 7 years bad luck.
Singing before breakfast is bad luck.
Opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck.
Stepping on cracks in the sidewalk is bad luck.
An itch inside your nose is considered bad luck.
If pepper is spilt, then you will have a serious argument with a friend.
Killing a frog is bad luck.
Killing a hare is also bad luck.