Do you know why you believe in some superstitions and not others? Do you know the origins of some of these superstitions? A lot, of course, is due to old religions.
We’ve got four-leaf clovers, Friday the 3th (fear of Friday the 13th is called Friggatriskaidekaphobia), lucky 7, 666 the number of the beast, throwing salt over your left shoulder, walking under a ladder and a host more.
Four-leaf clover: It is believed by some Christians that Eve brought a four-leaf clover from the Garden of Eden as a reminder of paradise. The Celts also regarded them as powerful objects.
Friday the 13th: Both Friday and the number 13 have long been considered untrustworthy. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, from the 14th century, is often credited with perpetuating the superstition surrounding Friday. The number 13 is considered unlucky, as people seem to prefer the number 12; for example, there are 12 apostles and 12 zodiac signs.
Lucky number 7: The belief that 7 is a lucky number may be linked to the seven gods of fortune in Japanese mythology or the seven days of creation in the book of Genesis.
666, the number of the beast: This is generally traced back to a biblical code for the Roman Emperor Nero, due to the numerical value of his name in Hebrew.
Throwing salt over your left shoulder: This is done to throw salt in the devil’s eye, who is believed to be standing over your left shoulder.
Walking under a ladder: A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle with the wall and the ground. To walk through it was seen as a sign of disrespect for the Holy Trinity.
Bad things come in threes: The number three is very prominent in many cultures. Examples include the Holy Trinity, the Three Little Pigs, and the Three Stooges, which may be why we have come to expect things in threes.
A black cat crossing your path: In the Middle Ages, many witches had black cats, and it was even believed that witches could transform into black cats.
Horseshoes: Since the 1800s, horseshoes have been used to ward off witches, who were believed to be afraid of horses.
Wishing on a shooting star: In the first century, Ptolemy theorised that shooting stars were a result of the gods peering down on the earth.
Opening an umbrella inside: Umbrellas were first used for protection from the sun, so opening one inside was seen as an insult to the Sun God.
Holding your breath when passing a cemetery: Ancient European, Egyptian and American Indian religions all connected the soul with the idea of breath. People hold their breath when passing a cemetery to prevent other spirits from entering their bodies.
Throwing a coin into a fountain: This dates back to the Celts and the Romans. An early example is Coventina’s Well in England, where thousands of coins were tossed to worship the Celtic water goddess Coventina.
A lucky rabbit’s foot: This superstition goes back to at least 600 BCE in Western Europe, thanks to the popularity of totemism, the belief that animals were the ancestors of humans. A rabbit’s foot was believed to improve fertility.
Finding a penny: In mythology, metals were believed to be gifts from the gods, which is why pennies are considered lucky.
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back: This rather odd and depressing superstition has been in print since at least 1907.
Saying “break a leg” to an actor: This is a more modern superstition, originating in the United States in the 1920s. It is an adaptation of an older phrase, “give birth to a bastard”, which had the same meaning.
Wishing on dandelions: According to Celtic mythology, dandelions could cure diseases brought by fairies.
Wishing on wishbones: Since at least 1455, wishbones have been considered powerful. Early Europeans believed that a goose’s wishbone could predict the weather.
Breaking a mirror: The Romans popularised the idea that breaking a mirror would result in seven years of bad luck. Before the Romans, many cultures believed that mirrors could capture people’s souls.
Saying “bless you” after someone sneezes: It was believed that a person’s soul could be ejected from their body through a sneeze. Another theory is that the custom started around the time of the Black Death, as sneezing was a symptom of the disease.
Knocking on wood: Traditionally, it was believed that good spirits lived in trees, so knocking on wood was a way to get their attention and ask for help.
Putting a hat on a bed: It was believed that bad spirits lived in people’s hair, so putting a hat on a bed could allow those spirits to get into the bed.
Crossing your fingers: This was popularised by early Christians because they associated it with the cross. It eventually became a general symbol of good luck.
A bird defecating on you: This is seen as good luck delivered directly from heaven.
Killing a ladybug: Due to their pest-eating habits, ladybugs are very important to farmers and the protection of crops. Christians also connect ladybugs with the Virgin Mary, so a legend was developed that it was bad luck to kill one.
Candles on a birthday cake: The ancient Greeks used to bake a cake and put candles on it for the goddess of the moon, Artemis. The candles would light up the cake to make it look like the moon.
Chimney sweeps being lucky: In 1066, King William was about to be run over by a carriage when a chimney sweep saved his life. The King invited the chimney sweep to his daughter’s wedding, and chimney sweeps are still considered to be lucky, particularly at weddings.
The groom seeing the bride on their wedding day: This was seen as bad luck because it was feared that if the groom saw the bride, she might get cold feet.
Something old, new, borrowed, and blue: The tradition of a bride needing old, new, borrowed, and blue objects dates back to English writings from the 1800s.
Carrying the bride over the threshold: In Western Europe, it was considered bad luck for a bride to trip when entering the couple’s new home, so the groom would carry her. In Greek mythology, the groom was protecting her from evil spirits below.
Dropping the wedding ring: Dropping the wedding ring during the ceremony is considered a bad omen, and whoever drops it will supposedly be the first to die.
In Pure Spirit
Are you superstitious? Which superstitions do you pay the most attention to?
Two of these explanations are not what I was taught. Friday the 13th is considered unlucky because the Knights Templar were arrested on Friday, the 13th of October, 1307. The hat-on-the-bed thing goes like this: when laying out a corpse on a bed after preparing the body, the hat was placed on his/her stomach. Therefore, putting a hat on the bed is inviting death in.