Superstitions and the “Truth” Behind Them:
By Meagan McCallSuperstitions grow out of man’s attempts to explain the unknown. Do you consider yourself to be superstitious? Are you one of many who carry around a rabbit foot for good luck, avoid stepping on cracks in the sidewalk for fear of parental injury, search for defective four leaf clovers, change direction upon viewing a walking black cat, wait until already standing outside in the rain to open an umbrella, and walk around ladders instead of simply walking straight under them? What made you start believing that these superstitions should be obeyed? How did they begin on their journey into the consciousness of human beings?
Rabbit’s Foot:
Some people attempt to detect reasoning behind sudden success or a positive outcome. They say that it is because they are wearing their lucky underwear or they woke up on the right side of the bed that morning. Just because a few things went right that day, they will choose a particular object and call it “lucky.” This is how the carrying around a rabbit foot for good luck was likely started; ancient European Celts held the rabbit to be a sacred animal for its abilities in the field of reproduction. The Celts believed that rabbits were symbols of reproduction with high success rates, health, and prosperity, all qualities that humans desire. The good luck charm was therefore passed down through the generations.Ladder:
Many believers, from young children to house painters, avoid walking under a ladder for fear of receiving bad luck. There is, however, a logical reason behind this superstition. The person walking under the ladder could accidentally hit it or bump it with their arm by mistake, causing the nails, paint, or person using the ladder to be knocked off. Such an accident would be dangerous to their health and anyone on the ground within crushing distance.Mirrors:
The superstition of 7 years of bad luck following the breaking of a mirror can be traced to ancient Rome, where glass mirrors were first created. However, just because the Romans invented mirrors does not mean that they should spread irrational stories to make people use extra caution around the objects. The Romans and Greeks believed that mirrors reflected the user’s soul; therefore if the echoing image was destroyed or distorted, this could mean a corruption or breaking of the person. The most logical reason for why this myth is spread is that mirrors are expensive to replace and that the small shatters of glass may get into someone’s eye when they bounce off of the floor. The shattered pieces may even remain on the floor, waiting to stab an unsuspecting bare foot.Umbrella:
The superstition that it is bad luck to open an umbrella indoors is heard by many children in elementary school on rainy days and continues on by word of mouth. Teachers do not correct their students, who pass on these myths, because they know that an umbrella opened in close corders could accidentally hit someone in the eye. It can also knock over a nearby object (such as a fancy vase that would only be indoors, never outside), because the user did not realize the span of the umbrella.Wishbones:
Most people don’t like finding bones in the chicken they are about to eat, but one bone that is an exception to this rule is the wishbone. The superstition is that, to have a wish come true when breaking a wish bone, two people take hold of one end of the bone and pull until it separates; the person with the longer end gets to make a wish and have it come true.Pennies:
There is a superstition that finding a penny lying heads up is good luck. On the other hand, finding a penny tails up is bad luck; according to the superstition, it should be flipped over and left for someone else. This is rather economically unsound. It probably started when a person saw a penny on the floor, told their walking buddy “Look, I found money!” The friend might have then become jealous and made up a reason why the original finder should not take that money. When the locater went to pick up the coin, his friend claimed it would be bad luck, and then waited until his friend flipped the coin over before picking it up for himself.“I believe in signs, so I guess I’m superstitious.”-Senior Marissa Sturges.
Post Published: 22 March 2010
Author: admin
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