I have another multi-part blog for you. This week is part 1 of 2 presenting a look at superstitions and their origins. I was going to save this for a Friday the thirteenth blog, but that next date dedicated to superstitions isn't until October. I'm sharing six of the superstitions this week and will conclude next with the remaining seven.
Some people are very superstitious and believe the ancient myths about good and bad luck. However, for the most part those who really worry about broken mirrors and stepping on cracks don't know where those beliefs come from.
Let's take a look at the wild explanations behind these commonly held superstitions.
1. Opening an umbrella indoors:
This superstition has somewhat recent origins. Umbrellas
were much more cumbersome objects than they are now. People in the 19th and
early 20th centuries viewed opening the bulky, sharp-pointed objects indoors as
a safety hazard to everybody in the room. Over time, this evolved from a safety
concern to a more general sign of bad luck.
2. Walking under a ladder:
The suspicion about walking under ladders goes all the way
back to ancient Egypt. In that culture, triangles had magical symbolism and
supposedly supernatural properties. The triangle shape that formed by leaning a
ladder against a wall allegedly created an area that would trap both living and
dead souls. Passing through that triangle had to be avoided. Bits of this
belief continued throughout history. It eventually became considered bad luck
rather than soul-stealing.
3. Breaking a mirror:
We can thank the ancient Greeks for the superstition about
breaking a mirror causing seven years of bad luck. Like Narcissus, many Greeks
looked at their reflections in the water. Over time, a superstition developed
that distortions in the water reflecting their image were symbolic of
distortions of the soul. The distortions in the water became equated to cracks
in a mirror. As mirrors became more widely used, this superstition evolved and
eventually became associated with the number seven, which has numerological
significance in Judaism and Christianity.
4. A black cat crossing your path:
This is another superstition that goes back to ancient
Egypt, where cats had religious significance and were thought to have
supernatural powers. The interesting thing about the black cat superstition is
that it represents different things in different places. In the U.S., a black
cat crossing your path is bad luck. In England, black cats are considered good
luck—a belief given some validity when King Charles I was charged with high
treason the day after his favorite black cat died.
5. Hanging a horseshoe:
An old Irish legend tells of St. Dunstan, a blacksmith who
was visited by the devil in search of horseshoes. Dunstan decided to nail a
searing hot horseshoe to his hoof, removing it only when the devil agreed to
avoid any place marked with one. A more grounded explanation comes from the
ancient Greeks, as they believed iron's flame-resistant properties made the
metal magical. They also shaped the horseshoes to resemble the crescent moon, a
symbol of good luck and fertility.
6. Saying "God Bless You" when someone sneezes:
Saying "God bless you" has its origins in the
Middle Ages and is associated with the black plague. Since sneezes often
foretold much more serious illness, people thought a sneeze was a sign that the
soul was trying to escape the body. By offering a blessing, they hoped God
would spare the person the illness and their soul could remain with their body
just a little bit longer.
Be sure to check back next week when I present the remaining seven superstitions and their origins in part 2 of my 2-part blog.
