11 Superstitions That Are Still Very Popular and Their Origins

Often, almost mechanically, we seek to attract good luck (or remove bad luck) based on superstitions, small acts in which we place some faith. This desire to influence facts is not new, it has accompanied man through the centuries and, although it is about beliefs without scientific or religious support, they tend to give us a vague tranquility.

O awesome.club invites you to discover different superstitions and their origins.

Salt, in addition to its usefulness in the kitchen, is surrounded by various superstitions. Spilling it is synonymous with bad luck, and when that happens, many take some and throw it over their shoulders to avoid bad luck. This is a custom started by the ancient Greeks and Sumerians. On the other hand, giving salt is wishing for prosperity. And in cultures like Japan, the effects of this product change to protect, as you throw salt on yourself when you go to a funeral. It is also true that in ancient Rome civil servants were paid with this spice (hence the term salary). That is why it is a symbol of prosperity and the salt shaker is not passed from hand to hand to avoid conflict. In order not to generate arguments for dropping the salt, the ancient Romans placed it on the table for someone to pick up. In some countries, like Argentina, when someone is unlucky, they say that person is “salty”.

The stories of cats as mystical animals go back to the time of ancient Egypt, where they were revered and it was forbidden to kill them. His love for these creatures was such that, at the death of one of them, the Egyptians would shave their eyebrows in mourning. In different cultures, the cat was not only venerated but also considered sacred (as in ancient Mexico). In England, fishermen were convinced that having a cat on board was good luck. The belief of the black cat as a bringer of bad luck dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was associated with witches. It was assumed that, in those years, witches used them to perform secret rituals. Such was the persecution and death of these felines that some argue that their decline contributed to the spread of the black rat and the bubonic plague, a disease that killed more than 50 million people.

Many consider that knocking on wood is a way to ward off bad omens. This belief originated centuries ago, possibly in the year 2000 BC. C. At that time, the oak was considered a worshiped tree and received numerous offerings. Contact with wood was believed to prevent disease. At first, the habit was centered on this tree, but later it took effect with any wood. Even in some cultures two soft strokes are given, one to give thanks and the other to convey desire. There were civilizations that considered that fairies and different gods lived in trees.

There are many superstitions around marriage. The bride does not wear pearls to avoid tears, the groom cannot have a crooked tie if he wants a harmonious life, the bouquet is thrown to find out who will be the next woman to marry… being able to see the bride in the dress until she reached the altar. This superstition has its origins in the times when marriages were organized for economic purposes. To prevent this agreement from not being fulfilled, the boyfriends were forbidden to meet in order to avoid rejection.

Number 13 is inevitably related to bad luck. According to some countries, the combination of this number with Tuesday or Friday can be catastrophic. Hammurabi, king of Babylon, already omitted this number in his edicts, considering it a bad omen. However, many argue that he did mention the number and that the bad luck linked to 13 was a translation problem. The fear of this number is called triscaidekaphobia. However, many cultures claim this number. For example, the United States, as the eagle on its flag holds 13 arrows in its talon. The Japanese hate another number, 4, which sounds like the word “death” when pronounced. Therefore, in hospitals in Japan, this number does not appear in rooms or phone numbers. This belief was born in China, in whose buildings there is no fourth floor (called 3A or ignored). The same thing happens with the number 14.

Until the end of the 15th century, mirrors were not made of glass, but of metal. Then, a sheet of silver began to be placed behind the glass until arriving at the ones we use now. In Venice, perhaps the birthplace of this superstition, it was customary for the rich to use very large mirrors. The value of one corresponded to several months of employees’ wages, so they were warned to be careful when cleaning them, because breaking would be equivalent to working a long time for free. But the mirror carries other superstitions. For a while it was believed to reflect the soul, so breaking it would harm us. There is a European belief that seeing candlelight in a mirror brings bad luck. In some countries, they are usually covered during funerals.

There are those who are able to go a long way around, if necessary, so as not to go under a ladder. Some believe this superstition has its origins in Egypt, where pyramids were sacred places, and a ladder leaning against a wall has this pyramidal shape. Other theories place their eyes on the Middle Ages, when the gallows was widely used. Here the analysis has two views. On the one hand, it is argued that going under the stairs was the path that the future hanged should take, while others say that the belief is linked to accidents with stairs through the fall of the executed. For the Christian faith, a staircase leaning against the wall forms, close to the floor, a triangle, symbol of the Holy Trinity, and to go through it, this dogma is challenged. However, it’s always risky to run into one when someone is running errands on it. This has little to do with superstition, but it is the pure truth.

The belief about the bad luck that the act of opening an umbrella in the house brings is a few centuries old, but not as many as in previous cases. Recall that this object was invented about 2,600 years ago in China. Although the way to protect oneself from rain or sun was always sought after, it began to be used in France at the end of the 15th century, linked only to women. According to scholars, the fashion for using umbrellas was imposed by Jonas Hanway, who arrived from France and had no problems using it in the London rains. Now, the superstition has its origins in the fact that many came from the street with an open umbrella and closed it inside the house, without seeing if anyone was around. Which resulted in several domestic accidents, especially related to the eyes. Perhaps, this myth grew so that people would be careful when handling the umbrella and not harm others.

For this belief, one of the most popular and common, its origin is not clear. Some argue that crossing the fingers represents a cross and that this, before Catholicism, was considered good luck. And in times of Catholic persecution, a covert way of demonstrating faith. There is another theory that tells us about archers during the confrontation between France and England, known as the “Hundred Years War”. In it, to extend the strings of the bow, the fingers were crossed to tighten it more tightly. Either way, no one can deny that this gesture symbolizes one of the most universal superstitions.

There are two versions of the origin of the good luck that comes from keeping a horseshoe stuck in a door. This object appeared in Greece, where it was made of iron. This metal was related to fertility and, having a crescent shape, conferred fertility and good luck. Its origin is also linked to Italy, where it was identified with the horse’s workforce and the enormous collaboration it gave to the farmer at work. The second version is linked to Saint Dunstan, who before being Archbishop of Canterbury was a blacksmith. According to legend, a strange creature appeared to Dunstan, half man, half animal, who asked him to be shod. In doing so, the blacksmith discovered that this being was the Devil and hurt him painfully, so he had to ask for mercy and flee. Hence the fame of the good luck of these objects.

Four-leaf clovers owe their reputation for good luck to a story that dates back to 200 BC, when the Druids of the British Isles considered them a sacred symbol. With them it was possible to see and drive away evil spirits. Some cultures take advantage of this good luck considering that each leaf of the clover has a meaning: health, money, love and prosperity. Others identify it with the cardinal points or with the climatic seasons. Some say that the clover must have been found by chance to make a fortune.

Theater is one of the areas where superstitions are very strong. Centuries have passed since they emerged, but some beliefs are still held today:

Yellow color: it is common for no actor to use this shade on stage (in some countries, this happens with purple). The origin would be the premiere of the play The Imaginary Sickby Molière, as the playwright died on stage dressed in yellow.
Good luck: this sentence is never said on opening day. One of the ways to replace it is “break a leg”, whose story is related to the fact that, at the end of the theatrical performance in the Elizabethan period, coins were thrown to the actors. They crouched down to pick them up and thus broke the straight leg formation. It is also replaced by the word “m…”, since in antiquity, the more successful the work, the more carriages were drawn by horses that generated dirt at the doors of theaters.
Whistling prohibited: whistling in the theater is not well regarded. This idea comes from the old days, when technicians would whistle instructions. If someone were to make a similar sound, it could cause errors and even catastrophe in the scene.
without carnations: this belief originated in the 15th century, when directors used to give a
or several roses when the actor’s contract was extended. But when it was cancelled, they sent him carnations.
suse a light: in the scenarios there is always a light on. This is to scare away the ghosts that haunt these places.