| A superstition is an unfounded belief that is not based on proven facts.
Superstitions are different from the belief in a religion that advocates belief in God.
How did Superstitions start?
The prevalent theory is that people began to believe in superstitions when they encountered mysterious and incomprehensible natural phenomena. For example, before the development of science, people didn’t understand why the sun disappeared every day and reappeared every morning, and why shadows appear only when the sun is out. Prehistoric man believed that natural phenomena were caused by the forces of good or evil. This led to the creation of all sorts of beliefs in strange powers, and these are precisely what superstitions are.
Some people believe that superstitions are liable to come true, and this belief dictates how they behave, even though facts and knowledge have proved that these are nothing but superstitions.
Examples of Superstitions
- Knocking on wood keeps the evil spirits away
- A black cat crossing a pedestrian’s path is a sign of impending bad luck. According to the superstition, if this happens to the pedestrian, he should spit at the cat three times.
- After her wedding, a bride must enter the house only by the front door and she must not fall. Therefore, carrying her over the threshold is recommended.
- Throwing eggs around a new car prevents it from having accidents.
- If you make a wish on a falling star, your wish will come true.
- If a child is lying on the ground and someone walks over him, he won’t grow anymore, unless they walk back over him.
- On Friday the 13th you should expect a calamity. (Only among Christians. This superstition stems from the fact that 13 people participated in the Last Supper, and it was held on a Friday).
- If someone coughs, it’s a sign that at that very moment someone elsewhere is saying bad things about him.
- If a vessel or object is broken by a child unintentionally, it’s a sign of good luck.
- If a person sneezes in mid-speech, it’s a sign that he was speaking the truth.
- If a rainbow appears on your wedding day, it’s a sign that you’ll have a successful and happy marriage.
- If you baked bread and it cracked while being baked, you can expect an addition to the family soon!
- If you sneezed and made a wish, it will come true!
- Take one gold coin wherever you go. It will bring you lots of money.
- A sign of bad luck – if you sneezed three times before breakfast
- Never put your shoes on the table. If you do, you are guaranteed bad luck for the rest of the day.
- Saying “salt water salt water” keeps bees and wasps away.
- If a person sits at the corner of the table, he won’t get married for the next seven years.
- If a person happens to look at the clock and the hour hand and minute hand are both pointing to the same number, it’s a sign that somebody elsewhere is thinking about him.
- If an eyelash falls and sticks to the face, you can put it on your finger, make a wish and blow on it until it falls off your finger. Lots of people believe that your wish will come true.
- When you play cards, make sure you don’t drop a card and let it fall to the ground, since this will bring you bad luck in the game.
- If a bride throws her bouquet and a single woman catches it, she’ll be the next one to get married!
- In order to change your luck in a card game, change your seat.
- If your door is open and you see a white cat and a black cat crossing the threshold together, it’s a sign that you’ll have good luck. If you are scratched by a cat, you can expect a disappointment in the near future.
Mirrors and widespread Superstitions among Various Peoples around the World
The Greeks – the Greeks believed that the gods could see the future in the mirror. Therefore, if someone broke a mirror accidentally, it was because the gods didn’t want him to see the future, which had unpleasant things in store for him.
The Chinese – the Chinese believe that mirrors have powers against demons and evil spirits.
To this day you can see mirrors above the entrance to homes, hospitals and train stations in China. The Chinese hang this mirror, which is known as a pakua, in the belief that it will ward off the demons. The demons are afraid of seeing themselves in the mirror, and when they approach a building with a pakua above the entrance they won’t go inside.
The Romans – the Romans believed that breaking a mirror would lead to seven years of bad luck.
This superstition stemmed from their (erroneous) belief that life is renewed every seven years.
If a mirror breaks, it will take a person seven years to recover from a disease. This grim fate can be warded off by burying the fragments of the mirror deep in the ground.
The Russians – the Russians believe that if a person is eating and looks in the mirror at the same time, he is liable to “eat his luck.” And if a person is drinking and looks in the mirror at the same time, he will “drink up his luck until he’s drunk.”
They believe that if a person leaves the house and must return to it, he will have bad luck; but if he looks at the mirror in his house, his luck will improve. The Russians also believe that the mirror is the invention of the devil, and draws the soul out of the body.
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