Superstitions are beliefs based on myth, magic or irrational thoughts, often steeped in tradition. They can involve animals, objects, or people and many cultures have superstitions about numbers and luck. Superstitions have an influence on people’s lives, whether believed by an entire culture or by a single person.
A superstition is anything people believe is based on myth, magic, or irrational thoughts. They are beliefs steeped in lore or tradition, and it is usually difficult to pinpoint the exact origin. Superstitions are also known as old wives’ tales, legends, and lore. They can involve animals, graveyards, ghosts, inanimate objects, or even other people.
Most superstitions start out in fact and then warp over years and years of use. Others formed by religious beliefs. For example, a popular superstition, that it is bad luck to walk under a ladder, came from the Christian religion. The staircase forms a triangle with the wall and the ground, representing the Holy Trinity. Walking through the triangle, under the ladder, meant you were in cahoots with the devil and could lead the other villagers to condemn you as a witch.
There are several superstitions from around the world. In Japan, for example, it is considered bad luck to stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice or to pass them from person to person. To prevent a baby from being born with a facial birthmark, pregnant women in India don’t go out during an eclipse. In Taiwan, there is a superstition that being a bridesmaid more than twice is considered bad luck.
Many cultures around the world have superstitions about numbers. The Western tradition is that the number thirteen is unlucky, but seven is lucky. In Japan, it is the numbers four and nine that are considered unlucky. The number four in both Chinese and Japanese is shi, which is very close to the Japanese word for death, and the number nine is similar to the word for suffering.
There are also many superstitions about luck. It’s bad luck in theater culture to wish someone good luck before a performance. The correct thing to say is “break your leg”. It is bad luck in Western cultures to spill salt, break a mirror, or see three butterflies together. Four-leaf clovers and horseshoes, after falling off a horse, considered lucky, like carrying around an acorn.
Superstition is an integral part of almost every culture in the world. Even people who don’t believe in superstition can still pause before walking under a ladder, or they can make a wish when they see a shooting star. People have a lucky charm, such as a rabbit’s foot or a lucky charm. Some men believe that wearing a particular hat or pair of socks will win their favorite sports team a game. Superstitions, whether believed by an entire culture or by a single person, still have some influence over people’s lives, with or without any actual power.
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