Whether you believe in them or not is solely a personal belief, but for some people, there are certain things they won’t do or a particular way they will do something. From cats, to ladders to athletes not washing uniforms, the list of superstitions is a mile long.
Are you superstitious? Tell me what superstitions you believe in and how you manage them in the comments or on Twitter.
Groom Not Seeing His Bride
It is uncertain where this superstition came from, but some believe it comes from when a father would offer money to a man to marry is daughter. The groom would not see his bride until the veil was lifted after they were married. Others believe misfortune comes if the groom sees his bride before they are married.
The Black Cat
You can’t talk about superstitions without mentioning the black cat. It is believed by some that if a black cat walks towards you, it brings good luck. But if it walks away from you, it takes the luck with it.
Fingers Crossed
Many years ago, crossing your fingers was believed to ward off evil spirits or witches. But today it has a different belief. People will cross their fingers as they wish for something. And if you cross your fingers behind your back, it is supposed to give you an out when you make a promise.
Slice of Bread
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This may be why I have a string of bad luck lately, I didn’t know about this superstition. Some believe that a loaf of bread should not be turned upside down after it has been sliced. Who knew?
God Bless You
When someone sneezes, it seems second nature to say, “God bless you”. In earlier times, people believed that a sneeze released evil spirits from the body. Because a sneeze was the first sign of the plague, Pope Gregory l suggested to offer the saying to protect them from certain death.
Leave the Broom
There are several superstitions regarding brooms. Like don’t carry one over your shoulder, it brings bad luck. Or, don’t sweep on on Mondays because it brings bad luck. How about if a broom falls while you walk by it, it will give you bad luck. How about just leaving brooms alone if they are so connected to bad luck!
White Butterfly
To show you the luck I have, I didn’t even know butterflies could be white. One superstition regarding white butterflies is if the first one you see in the new year is white, you will have good luck all year long.
Itchy Palms
Do your palms itch? If so, some believe this is as sign that you are coming into some money. We are friends, right? Others believe that an itchy palm is a sign of energy moving throughout your body.
An Acorn
If you have an extra acorn laying around the house, one superstition says if you set it in the window, it will keep the lightning out. I recommend doing anything to keep the lighting out!
Knock on Wood
This may be a superstition many people have submitted to. Have you ever said something and then knocked on wood? Pagans believed knocking on wood would get the fairies attention who lived in the trees and they could help you. In Christianity, some believe knocking on wood was symbolic of the wooden cross.
Exiting the Right Door
Have you ever paid any attention to which door you exit a building from? For those who believe in this superstition, they must exit a building from the same door they entered.
The Bird
One of the weirdest superstitions has to do with a bird pooping on you. Some believe if this happens, it is a sign of good luck. If you have to clean up after something has happened to you, good luck has nothing to do with it in my world.
Spilled Salt
Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, he depicts Judas Iscariot spilling the salt. Because of this, many believe spilling salt is unlucky.
Open the Windows
One superstition in the Scandinavian culture is to open a window when someone passes away to allow their spirit to leave the house. This same practice is done in Jewish culture.
Make A Wish
Sometimes in the night sky you can see a streak of light. What is actually happening is meteoroids are being burned by the earth’s atmosphere. But we call them “falling stars”. When Greek astronomer Ptolemy saw this, he believed the gods were looking down on earth and making a wish then would be better while we had their attention.
Broken Mirror
Possibly the most known superstition is the breaking of a mirror. Legend believes that when people first saw their reflection in water that they were seeing their soul. So when a mirror breaks, so is the soul.
The Four Leaf Clover
As a proud Irish guy, I find this hard to be a superstition, but it is. Because a four leaf clover is rare, many believe they are lucky. The four clovers are supposed to represent faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.
Find a Penny
It is amazing that the lowest coin in our money system is thought to bring good luck, but for many, if they see a penny on the ground heads up, they will pick it up. One thing I’ve never thought of until now is this. If you see a penny tails side up, flip it over the the next person will have good luck!
The Ladder
When a ladder is leaning up against a building, a triangle shape is formed. The ladder being one side, the building the second and the third being the ground. For some cultures like the Egyptians, this shape is sacred. Think of the pyramids. Breaking the triangle would mean bad luck.
The Umbrella
Don’t do it! This is one superstition I recall my mother telling me about. The belief is that the umbrella is also used to protect someone from the sun, and if it is opened indoors, it may offend the sun god.
What superstitions have you heard of that I did not list here? What superstitions do you believe in?