Do you believe in some superstitions?
Growing up with a large family of relatives from New Orleans that were involved in all types of magical adventures made life very interesting for me. Many things were said that scared us children, but I realise now they were shared to protect us from some evil that existed or used just to get us to go to bed. Depending where you grew up, you may be able to share some of the stories or superstitions you may have been exposed to during your life. Quite often superstition is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and certain spiritual beings.
As a young boy, every summer and school holiday was spent in New Orleans or other parts of Louisiana with my mother's 12 brothers and sisters. I loved being with them, but I must tell you that every single one of them were involved in magical practices. As children we called them witches and warlocks. I never remembered them doing anything harmful to anyone, but they would perform many spells to protect us children from evilness. None of us really understood what or who evilness was, but we listened and paid close attention, especially me, the very curious one. They spent much of their time providing readings or fortune telling for people in the town. It included tarot card and tea leaf readings, palm reading and talking to spirits that had passed on with messages for their loved ones. Often I watched them help people to find peace and eliminate negativity from their lives, whether it was a bad situation or negative people wishing to cause them harm. Often, I didn't want to go home to return to school after a long summer of magic and fun, not to mention all the good food, especially german chocolate cake, 7-up pound cake, Gumbo, and waking up to a warm bowl of grits and shrimp. Don't get me started. Now I am hungry.
They were also keen on throwing out many superstitions at us children. I am still not sure if they were designed to protect us or to scare us. Nevertheless, I still remember most, if not all of the things they would simply say in passing or while we were walking on the path to visit a client.
Some of the things that we were taught or warned about were:
Knocking on Wood. We've all probably knocked on wood to avoid jinxing yourself at some point in your life without knowing why. This widely-known superstition is a modern take from medieval times, where European churchgoers would touch wood the churches claimed was from the cross, according to Yahoo. Touching the wood supposedly gave a connection to divinity and thus good luck.
Black Cats. Black cats have always had a bad rap, especially around Halloween, given their perceived allegiance to witches. Black cats are just as avoided any day of the year; and it's common superstition that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck.
Sitting Your Purse on the Ground. As a young boy I was always taught by my family members that woman should never put their purse down on the ground or floor of a restaurant, office or even at home because it would lead to horrible financial luck.
Mirrors. Another widely-known superstition is that breaking a mirror will result in seven years of bad luck. But what if it was an accident, would it still be 7 years of bad fortune?
Birds Flying into Your Home. An old wives tale says that a bird flying into your home is a bad sign, especially if the bird circles the room and lands on the back of someone's chair and then leaves. That supposedly means the person whose chair the bird chose would die. Frankly, I think the bird flew in by accident and is trying to figure out how to get the hell out of this human infected place.
Friday the 13th. Bad Luck. So many people get nervous when the media reports over and over again that Friday the 13th is happening soon. Fear of the number 13 is one of the most common superstitions in the world. Many office buildings and hotels refuse to have a 13th floor. To my surprise, many airlines don't have a row 13. Rumour has it that Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Put that together and you have one unlucky day of the year. Absolute rubbish.
Itchy Right Palm vs. Left Palm. As a boy, I was taught the differences between the two hands. If your right palm is itching, it was a good sign because it meant a nice sum of money would be coming your way very soon. Now, the left palm wasn't so great. It meant that if the left palm is itching, money would be leaving your pockets very soon. As crazy as it sounds, even today when my palm is itching, I get a little anxious.
Walking Under a Ladder. It’s common sense to avoid walking under an open ladder for fear of something falling on you, but there are superstitious reasons for avoiding ladders too. The shape of an open ladder is a triangle, which signifies life in some mythologies. When you walk through the triangle, it’s thought that you tempt the fates. You also run the risk of awakening spirits that live within the triangle, including evil spirits who may not be happy with the disturbance. If you do accidentally walk under a ladder, you can counteract the bad luck by placing your thumb between your index and middle fingers and holding it for at least 5 seconds, or cross the fingers of both hands while calling upon the sign of the cross to protect you from evil. If you believe in such things it would be easier to take another path instead of risking a can of paint falling on your head or Ron the window washer.
Opening an Umbrella Inside the House. You may ask why would anyone open an umbrella inside the house because there is a risk of breaking valuable items and poking someone or yourself in the eye. That should be enough bad luck. One common superstition holds that because umbrellas shade us from the sun they’re somehow magical. If opened inside, out of the sunshine, it offends the sun god. Supposedly, it is said to signify death or ill fortune for both the person who opened it and the people who live within the home. How do they make this stuff up?
Throwing Salt Over Your Shoulder for Good Luck. Throughout human history, salt has been considered very valuable. Many would say that it's worth its weight in gold. One common superstition held that it could purify the soul and ward off evil spirits. It has been suggested that if you spill any amount of salt, you should take a pinch and toss it over your left shoulder, preferably if no one is standing behind you and it goes in their eyes. By doing this, the superstition says, you drive away any evil spirits attracted to the spill who may want to cause misfortune for the unlucky spiller. I usually spill the salt on my hand for licking before each shot of tequila. Cheers!
Saying God Bless You. Most people believe that it’s good manners to say "bless you" to others when they sneeze. Did you know that blessing someone after they sneeze is actually a common superstition? In Europe during the 6th century, people congratulated anyone who sneezed because it was believed that the person was expelling evil spirits. Early Romans believed that a strong sneeze could release your soul into the world and a “bless you” would keep it safely at home. To be honest, I never knew why we were taught to say "bless you" to everyone who sneezes whether you knew them or not. Even today, people usually smile and say thank you after being blessed. Many people sneeze without covering their mouths and everyone gives them the look of death for their rudeness. So the next time you feel the need to be blessed, cover your mouth before you sneeze on a crowded bus or elevator.
And my favourite one is during a celebration with the cake comes out with the candles. From childhood right thru adulthood, everyone says, you must make a wish and blow out the candles. Also, you must cut the first piece and make a wish so it will come true. It all makes me laugh because I don't know where any of this comes from, do you?
So, how superstitious are you? Are you very careful with mirrors? Do you refuse to walk under a ladder? Do black cats frighten you? Here is a fun Quiz to find out where you fall on the superstitious scale. If it makes you feel better before taking the quiz, go ahead and rub your good luck charm before you begin or knock on wood two times. Have fun and share any superstitions you may remember from your childhood or adulthood.
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