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10 Ways Most People Are Superstitious

10 Ways Most People Are Superstitious

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Next time you feel you have to hide the fact that you throw salt over your shoulder for good luck, or that you won’t open an umbrella indoors, just know that most of the world is a little superstitious. Here are the top 10 ways most people are superstitious.

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johannarain.wordpress.com

A horseshoe for good luck

You’ve probably been given a charm or piece of jewelry depicting a horseshoe. Around the world, people hang horseshoes up in their bedrooms or on doorknobs, always with the ends pointing upwards, to ward off bad dreams or bad luck. The superstition stems from the fact that a horseshoe has seven holes, and seven is supposed to be a lucky number, and most horseshoes are made of iron, which is said to keep evil away.

newsone.com
newsone.com

 

Friday the 13th

Admit it: a little chill goes up your spine when somebody points out that it’s Friday the 13th. While you may not believe a mother and daughter can switch bodies like in the popular movie “Freaky Friday,” many people will not schedule any event of importance on this day — like a wedding or important presentation — fearing that the day is cursed.

archive.longislandpress.com
archive.longislandpress.com

Black cats bring bad luck

Black cats can look pretty spooky when they arch their backs in the moonlight. The furry creatures got this reputation for bringing bad luck in the Middle Ages, when single women were sometimes suspected of being witches if they happened to have cats. The idea was that black cats were sometimes actually the witches, transformed into the bodies of felines.

dailymail.co.uk
dailymail.co.uk

Mirrors steal your soul

You might be afraid of your own reflection because you’ve got a pimple, but many people around the world believe mirrors can steal your soul. The idea has been perpetuated by many popular lines of mythology including vampires; vampires have no reflection because their souls have already been taken. There’s also the story of the evil queen who tried to harm Snow White using a mirror.

lifeaftercubes.com
lifeaftercubes.com

 

Crossing your fingers when telling a lie

During the time of Christian persecution, believers would cross their fingers to show other believers their devotion. From that, crossing one’s fingers became a symbol of good luck but today people sometimes cross fingers when telling lies. The idea is that the power of the Christian cross might save a liar from being condemned.

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bsideblog.com

Wishing upon a star

The origins of this superstition aren’t pinned down, but many believe that when God moves the sky, he is looking down at Earth, and sometimes a star falls out of place while the sky shifts. The idea is that since God is probably looking at you at that time, it could pay off to make a wish.

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cooltvprops.com

Opening an umbrella indoors

The superstition behind this action is that by opening an umbrella indoors, you’re inviting bad luck to “rain on you.” Some say this stems back to the times when umbrellas were primarily used to protect a person against the sun, and opening one indoors was an insult to the sun god. Another idea is that the symbol of the umbrella protects a person against the storms of life, but that we’re supposed to have enough trust in guardian spirits to protect our houses against those, so opening an umbrella indoors is an insult to them, and they may abandon their protective post.

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auburn.edu

Knock on wood

Have you ever spent several minutes searching the room for a wooden surface to knock on before uttering the first word of a hopeful sentence? You’re not the only one. Many people believe that good spirits live inside of trees; when you say you believe something good will happen, you’re tempting fate to let you down, and so you knock on wood to call those good spirits to protect you.

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domtesta.com

Saying, “bless you”

Have you ever sat near somebody who had to say “bless you” for each sneeze you let out, even if you let out eight in a row? For them, the saying may not be just out of politeness: it could stem from the superstition that one’s soul escapes the body during a sneeze, and that the heart stops for a moment. Saying “God bless you” wills the person back to life, and the soul back to the body.

movingal.com
movingal.com

Itchy palms

Thought the dry weather was causing your palms to itch? Maybe. Or maybe you’ve been a little greedy. Many people believe that an itchy palm is the sign of someone being insatiable in their desire for money. The superstition goes that if your right palm itches, you’re going to lose money, but if your left palm itches, you’re going to earn money.