A bridge over a beautiful waterfall

A bridge over a beautiful waterfall
Nature brings magic

Friday, June 13, 2014

Superstitions

Friday the 13th has a negative connotation as a day of ill fortune. People will avoid having major events (business meetings, socials, banquets) because of the fear that they'll go badly. For other days of the year, there's the good luck horseshoe. If it's put over a door, on a wall, or on a door with the legs pointed up it brings good luck to the person living in the house.

Superstitions are somewhat funny to us now, but in medieval times they were very serious. You didn't want to miss saying bless you to someone who sneezed, for instance, because a sneeze opened them up to the devil. How many of us say bless you to someone who sneezes today? It's become a habit for most people and there aren't many who know where the saying originated.

A black cat crossing your path brings you bad luck. This is another one that originated a long time ago. It's given black cats a bad rep that follows them even to this day. Black cats are less likely to be adopted, they're more likely to be euthanized because people won't adopt them, and there are still people are rumored to use them for satanic rites.

What about bells? Why do we hear wedding bells? Bells were thought to keep devils away from important events. This tradition started in Queen Elizabeth I's reign. They were used to drive off evil spirits and to ask prayers for the departed soul.

There are so many superstitions. Some people believe in them and some don't. Here is a list of the 25 most popular superstitions around the world. It's interesting to read about the different ones.

What are some superstitions you've heard of?

2 comments:

  1. I know in China, white cats are considered bad luck because white is the color of death. Plus instead of thirteen, they have there own number that they hate (nineteen, but I'm not sure, but it sounds like the word death) and make buildings with that floor "skipped". I'm surprised those didn't make the top 25 list :)

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    1. Now that is interesting. I didn't know that. It's cool what we can find out about other cultures based on their superstitions.

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