Superstitions

When it comes to luck or bad luck there are many superstitions that, consciously or even unconsciously, we practice in our day-to-day life.

Here is the reason for being of the most talked about superstitions:

Finding a black cat is unlucky and a sign of bad harbinger, the belief that black cats were unlucky began in the seventeenth century. King Charles I of England had a black cat. Apparently, he loved him so much that when the animal died, the king said that his fate had died with him, Ironically, he was arrested the next day, convicted and executed for treason. Combining this story with all the medieval beliefs that black cats were demonic and companions of witches, we have all the ingredients for this superstition to persist today.

Going under stairs will bring a wave of chance. Early Christians believed that number three was sacred to the Holy Trinity. By this order of idea, the triangle was also a sacred thing. Now when the ladder is leaning against the wall it forms a triangle, walking under that triangle is like 'tramping' the Holy Trinity, that is, it is like 'breaking' something sacred. Besides, doing it was blasphemy and attracting the devil, it was believed. Other historians have argued that a sloping ladder resembles the gallows, which use ladders so that the person being hung can climb high enough to reach the loop.

Finding a coin is good luck all day long. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the pins were incredibly more expensive than the coins. Finding one on the street was, therefore, a great stroke of luck (and fortune). At one point, the coins became more valuable and the roles reversed, becoming an act of luck to find an unowned one on the street.

 

Breaking a mirror is a passport for seven years of bad luck. It is common to speak in many ancient cultures that their reflection in the mirror is a representation of their soul. Therefore, breaking a mirror also harms you. The superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck is a Roman belief that the body regenerates every seven years. Breaking a mirror means, therefore, a break in the soul that is caught in a tide of chance until it regenerates again. Another plausible explanation goes back to the time of the Renaissance, when the mirrors had silver frames and were exorbitantly expensive. Splitting one (to someone) would lead, at best, seven years before paying the damage to the owner.

The 666, number of the devil, the number of chance. It is known as the number of the devil and is associated with Satan in the Christian tradition. The fear of combining the number 666 is grounded in Bible passages, although biblical scholars say that the devil in Revelation does not really refer to Satan. Was used to denote Rome, Roman emperors and Roman forms of worship. Be that as it may, the truth is that superstition persists. Ronald Regan, for example, even changed the street address from 666 to 668, then left the White House.

Cross your fingers for luck. Crossing your fingers is a powerful gesture and religious symbol, even outside of Christianity. Supposedly, the center point of a cross is where the powers are stronger, cross the fingers, forming crosses, served to ward off all evil from the path. It is also possible that crossing fingers was a gesture used to identify other Christians, when religion was still taboo and something 'outlawed'.

Pour salt, bad luck at the door. The most obvious explanation for this superstition is the fact that, for thousands of years, salt has been very expensive. Salt was synonymous with money and so spilling it was not good (for the wallet). It was like throwing money away, basically. Over time, it is possible that belief has evolved into the superstition we now know. In addition, there are other possible links to Christianity. In Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, the disciple who betrayed Jesus appears to pour salt, possibly symbolizing a portent of misfortune.