I have never been a superstitious person. I don’t cringe when a black cat crosses my path, and I have never worried about 7 years of bad luck post breaking a mirror (and I have broken many). Sure, you may see me avoid walking under a ladder, but that’s just common sense, not superstition.
Most of us are familiar with these popular beliefs, but in a world as big as ours, there are bound to be some weird superstitions out there we haven’t heard of. Read more about them below and in the gallery.
So I say I’m not superstitious, but lets get real for a sec about what superstition is described as. According to Wikipedia:
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the two events, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, etc., that contradicts natural science.
I am totally down with astrology. I find it interesting and not totally bunk; However, I am aware that over time the planets shift, making astrology partially inaccurate. Yes, I check my horoscope. No, I dont live my life by it. And as far as omens go, I definitely believe that life WILL give you signs if you watch for them. So by this definition… Yeah, I guess I am kind of superstitious. I just don’t believe in luck. I believe everything happens because you make it happen or because it’s meant to happen, not because I broke a mirror or found a four-leaf clover. [via Buzzfeed]
Check out some weird superstitions in the gallery!
Are you superstitious?
guest
Superstitions shouldn’t be taken so seriously and are done in good fun. However, I’m the type who’ll think of something and quickly knock on wood so I won’t jinx myself. Silly, I know.
guest
I’m superstitious. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m also not afraid to admit that there are superstitions that I don’t follow, and some that I do. I have a thing for omens and signs. I take them seriously. I also believe in the 7 years bad luck thing if you break a mirror and that it’s bad luck to walk under a ladder. That’s just how I am. I don’t live my life in fear this way, I just live my life in observation and deference.
magnolia / 1027 posts
The Fantasia thumbnail and baby with an X & lettuce leaf (I assume) doesn’t have a description to it…
I’m pretty superstitious, but not too much. A lot of my “superstitions” comes from my mom. She’s pretty superstitious. We have a lot of “rituals” we do for New Year’s Eve/Day. We place a coin path from door entries in our house to bring in wealth and prosperity into our lives for the new year. We also have a plate with cotton balls, a quarter, salt, sugar, rice, and a little figurine of a Saint. They’re all supposed to mean something, but I can’t remember right now. Instead of eating 12 grapes, we hang up a small bundle of grapes in front of every room (except the bathroom) in the house to welcome good luck into the new year. We wear stripes for long life and polka dots for wealth on NYE; I used to look uber tacky when I was younger, but now I learned to incorporate both prints together without looking like a clown lol. We also jump when we ring in the new year to welcome the “new” year with happiness and new beginnings… That’s all just for New Year’s Eve/Day lol.
Another superstition I know my family does is I have to eat at least one spoonful or forkful of noodles on my birthday to promote a long life.
I believe superstition is very common in the Philippines (hence why my family born and raised over there are pretty superstitious), so one example I remember when I visited the Philippines back in ’93 & ’95 for the death of my grandparents, they carried me and the rest of the young kids related to my grandparents over the coffin right before they would get buried so that their spirit won’t “haunt” or “follow” us.
Those are just a few I know, and follow (most).
guest
I kind of understand how superstitions were important back in the past. Everything a person did was symbolic, and the gods communicated by symbols. As a theatre technician, we have our own superstitions, and I’ve actually seen people trying to pray to Dionysus before a show. Kinda creepy.