Superstition: When You Believe In Things You Don't Understand

You may have guessed from the title that today's blog is about superstitions. I thought it was a very fitting topic since today is none other than the much hated FRIDAY THE 13TH! Let's start with the fear of Friday the 13th.  Paraskevidekatriaphobia. The Fear of Friday the 13th. But is it logical? No one really knows where the fear first began. I think many of us that work a Monday to Friday schedule would disagree. But Friday has long been associated as a "Bad Day"...partly for religious reasons. Though it was before days of the week had names, it is believed that Adam was tempted by Eve with the forbidden fruit on a Friday. And, let's not forget that Jesus was killed on a Friday. The Temple of Solomon fell on a Friday. And back in the day, England use to carry-out hangings on Fridays. 

The number 13 is more commonly associated with bad luck than are Fridays. 12 is a divine number. 12 hours. 12 months. 12 apostles. Adding another number is said to cause disarray. Judas (whom actually betrayed Jesus) was the last guest to arrive at the Last Supper, making the number of attendees 13. Look how that turned out for Jesus. To the Norse Vikings, as well, having 13 guests is frowned upon. Loki was the 13th guest at a banquet, where he killed the hero Balder. 

However, the fear of Friday the 13TH, is a fairly new phenomenon that has only been occurring in the past century or so. And now, psychologists say, confirmation bias (a belief in something that makes a person look for reasons to justify it) has led us to believe it. As children, we grow up hearing that Friday the 13th is bad. Then, if something bad happens on that day, it is much more memorable than all the other good things that have happened, or even bad things that happened on other days. And let's not forget, Jason Voorhees has undoubtedly helped to manifest this fear, or superstition. 

What are some other superstitions? 

~Black cats have long been believed to be a supernatural omen since the witch hunts of the middle ages when cats were thought to be connected to evil. Since then, it is considered bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

~Broken Mirrors

An ancient myth our ancestors believed was that the image in a mirror is our actual soul. A broken mirror represented the soul being astray from your body. To break the spell of misfortune, you must wait seven hours (one for each year of bad luck) before picking up the broken pieces, and bury them outside in the moonlight.

~Ladders

In the days before the gallows, criminals were hung from the top rung of a ladder and their spirits were believed to linger underneath. Common folklore has it to be bad luck to walk beneath an open ladder and pass through the triangle of evil ghosts and spirits.

~666

This superstition comes from Christianity and the Biblical Book of Revelations. It is associated as the sign of the Beast, or Satan. However, it might be that everyone's got it wrong all this time - in 2005, a group of scholars announced that they discovered evidence that the number was originally supposed to be 616, not 666...

Good Luck Superstitions

Horseshoes

To bring good luck, the horseshoe must be lost by a horse (isnt that unlucky for the horse?) and be found by you, with the open end facing your way. You must hang it over the door with the open end up, so the good fortune doesn't spill out.

Another origin of the 'lucky horseshoe' is the belief that they ward off witches. Witches, it was once believed, were opposed to horses, which is why they rode brooms and pitchforks instead. By placing a horseshoe over a door, the witch would be reluctant to enter. 

Four Leaf Clover

Clover is believed to protect humans and animals from evil spells and is thought to be good luck to find a four leaf clover, particularly for the Irish.

Rabbit's Foot

These lucky charms are thought to ward off bad luck and bring good luck. You mush carry the rabbit's foot on a chain around your neck, or in your left back pocket. The older it gets, the more good luck it brings. (Again...I'm thinking unlucky for the rabbit)

Wishbones

Two people are to pull apart a dried breastbone of a turkey or chicken and the one who is left with the longer end will have their wish come true.

So...now that you know more about all of the superstitions, tell me. Would you take this flight?

I hope you had a safe day!!!!