The world of superstitions

By PAULINA BEATRIZ

I grew up with a family who believed in all kinds of superstitions, some were really absurd such as ‘wearing a certain color of underwear during new year’ and there are some silly ones that don’t make sense like beware of black cats. However no matter what my opinion is; I still find myself being influenced by the beliefs that were made long ago.

The origin of superstitions can be traced to beliefs people held in the olden times. Fear about the unseen, less knowledge about the forces of nature and a lack of general awareness was the reason for the spread of certain beliefs in society. The most popular superstition was about Friday the 13th, which dates back to 1307- when multitudes of Knights Templar were captured and tortured in France.

Here are a list of superstitions that many people around the world believe:

Friday the 13th

The Romeo and Juliet of the superstition field. A classic. A fear of the number 13 is one of the most common superstitions around; it’s so widespread that many tall apartment buildings and hotels simply omit labeling their 13th floor. And have you noticed that some airlines don’t have a 13th row? Kinda crazy.

Itchy palm

Let's brighten the mood up with a good luck superstition. There are many variations of the itchy palm. Even being used in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Brutus says, “Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself are much condemned to have an itching palm.”

Some believe that if the right palm itches you will meet someone new, while an itchy left palm means that money is coming. Others say that an itchy right palm means money coming in and a left-handed itch foretells money going out.

The superstition warns people not to scratch their palm as to not counteract the effect.

Breaking a mirror

As dramatic as this sounds it is said to give you 7 years of bad luck. In a more superstitious time, mirrors were thought to be reflections of the soul. So breaking a mirror was believed to be harmful to the soul. To end the chain of bad luck, take the broken mirror outside and bury it in the moonlight. A way of giving the broken mirror a funeral and thanking it for its service.

Opening an umbrella indoors

This is a superstition that I had been told ever since I was a kid when I wanted to show off my new disney princess umbrella. I was slightly disappointed- okay nevermind; I was very disappointed. But one common superstition holds that because umbrellas shade us from the sun they’re somehow magical. When the umbrella is opened inside – out of the way of sun’s rays – it offends the sun god. This originated from early Egyptians.

It may even signify impending death or ill fortune for both the person who opened it and the people who live within the home.

“Knock on wood”

To knock on wood or to touch wood is also an apotropaic tradition of literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or merely stating that one is doing or intending to do so, in order to avoid " tempting fate " after making a favorable prediction or boast, or a declaration concerning one's own death or another unfavorable situation. Till this day I follow through with this superstition and I found myself sharing this habit with my friends too, it provides a sense of security knowing that I countered whatever bad spirits that might want to share their negative energy.

Many speculate that it could have come from rituals in early times where trees were considered sacred spirits. Others believe the phrase originated in Ireland.

“God Bless you”

It might be just good manners to say it to someone after they have sneezed but believe it or not it is also a superstition. I really thought that people just said it to acknowledge a sneeze but apparently it has a history behind it.

In 6th century Europe, people congratulated anyone who sneezed; they believed the person was expelling evil spirits. When scientifically we sneeze to clear the nose… of evil spirits; all jokes aside we sneeze as a reflex to clear the nose from foriegn particles such as dust or pollen that tickle our nose.

Early Romans believed that a strong sneeze could release your soul into the world and a “bless you” would keep it safely at home.

When the Black Plague hit Europe in 1665, the pope required everyone to be blessed when they sneezed. He believed that a sneeze was a sign the person would likely die soon. The blessing was usually followed up by making the sign of the cross, for good measure.

Shaking your legs

It is bad luck in South Korea to shake your legs, it is believed all your luck and wealth will fall out. In Korean culture, your legs symbolize wealth and prosperity, which explains why shaking the leg specifically means wealth and luck out.

Upside down bread.

In Italy bread placed upside down is considered bad luck, the most common explanation is that the bread represents the body of Christ and should be treated with respect. It is also said that you shouldn’t stick a knife into it. So remember to treat your bread right.

Bad luck comes in threes

To wrap up our list at number 9, the belief bad luck comes in threes but some even say death comes in threes. Three candles burning in a room is bad luck and three knocks in the room of a dying person is a harbinger of death.

Psychologists argue that this belief persists because people crave certainty. By creating a limit on the events, we feel comforted because we see an end to a run of bad luck or deaths. The number three is a familiar pattern and can be either good or bad.

That brings us to the end of our tour. Superstitions can benefit us and can most definitely harm us- be it physically or mentally. The paranoia and precaution it brings can be annoying to live with but despite that we still end up believing an old saying just to get at least a bit luckier.

So how superstitious are you? What superstitions from our list are you aware of and believe in? Be careful around your mirrors and don’t forget to pick up that lucky penny.

Good luck!