Are you superstitious?

Are You Superstitious?

Yes, I am a very superstitious person. A lot of people don’t believe in superstitions but I do. It’s not necessarily the fact that I believe in them, it’s the fact that I don’t want the incorrect outcome to be due to my disbelief and superstitions. If that makes any sense.

What is a superstition?

According to Wikipedia, superstition is a term commonly used to refer to a religion that may not typically be practiced by the majority of the given society. A superstition is also stated to be any belief or practice considered to be irrational, supernatural, or attributed to fate or magic. It can also be proceeded by supernatural influence or fear of that which is unknown.

10 Superstitions You Have Probably Already Heard

1. Don’t Split The Pole.

The one superstition that I do not break is the one where you are not supposed to split the pole. Splitting the pole is an event in which two or more people are walking together in one direction. This superstition requires a pole to be nearby in which they will need to walk around. Splitting the pole happens when one or more people in the group walk in opposite directions of the pole. It’s supposed to be the bearer of bad news splitting the pole. We will go do some more research on the meaning of this.

2. Step on a crack and break your mother’s back.

This superstition was intended to prevent you from stepping on cracks in the street or pavement. Upon further research, I came across an article that stated that the original saying was “Step on a crack and your mother will turn black”. I don’t have any ideas as to why this saying came about and what it may actually mean. I have heard this superstition plenty of times growing up as a child but never understood it. It could be a pregnancy saying. Meaning childbirth and labor pains. That’s the only explanation I can give without going too much into detail about conception and labor.

3. If your palm is itching that means you are coming into money.

It said that when your right palm itches that are a sign of gain and if your left palm is itching that is a sign of loss. An itchy palm can mean that you are coming into some money but it could also be an itch. I’m not so sure about the truth of this superstition because there may be plenty of wealthy people in the world who never noted an itchy palm.

4. If you put your purse on the floor you’ll stay broke.

This would mean that putting your purse on the floor could signal that there’s nothing valuable in it. This also goes without saying. I don’t usually put my purse on the floor because I kinda believe this superstition. I also think that it could be a great way to keep the thieves away. Having your purse on the floor could indicate that you don’t really care about it. Basically, this saying in my opinion means that you like throwing your money in the trash. It could signal that you are irresponsible and don’t take care of your things. You may also be wasteful with money and careless with your possessions.

5. If you break a mirror you will have 7 years of bad luck.

This superstition is pretty much self-explanatory but we will go more in detail about this. If you break a mirror it could mean that you will start to look ugly. This is especially true if it was the only mirror that you had. Most people use a mirror to perfect their appearance so not having it could mean you may look less attractive. The mirror may have been an heirloom so not having it could be very disappointing. Perhaps it was a very expensive item and replacing it will cost you a fortune. That could seem like a bit of bad luck having to replace it.

Breaking a mirror depending on the type size and location can also cause injury. Getting a cut, a bruise, or being pierced by the broken glass is never a good thing. Many people would equate that with bad luck as well. While this is a known superstition it’s more likely common sense in my opinion. I still try my best not to break a mirror.

6. Find a penny and pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.

This is another one of my favorite superstitions. I don’t think this is much of a superstition but more of a old wives tale so to speak. Many people loose change on a daily basis. So dropping a penny would constitute bad luck since you are essentially losing money. But picking it up could bring you good luck since you actually realized you dropped it. In the same way, a person finding a penny or other loose change on the ground can indicate an increase in funds. Even if it’s only a penny it’s more than you started out with.

This saying also has an additional twist. It is alleged that when you do find the penny you are only supposed to pick it up when it’s on heads. If you pick it up when it’s on tails it is also a signal of bad luck. I make sure that I always flip the penny over to heads before I pick it up.

7. If you let people play in your hair, your hair will fall out.

I have heard this superstition a number of times. It is partially true to my knowledge. It is basically stating that you shouldn’t have a lot of people doing your hair. If you do it may begin to fall out. This is true because nobody knows your hair better than you do. And many hair stylists care for your hair differently. One stylist may care about the health of your hair and another may just be trying to rush through to get a paycheck. Some stylists may actually damage your hair intentionally to ensure that you will return for additional services.

8. If you let someone sweep your feet you’ll never get married.

This is basically someone sweeping you off your feet. Once you get swept off your feet I’m pretty sure you’ll never get married. That is pretty much all the information that I have on that superstition. I just assumed that much since they say that once you are married your spouse should carry you through or across the threshold.

If you read the Bible it states that a woman should never divorce her husband and vice versa. So after being carried over the threshold, similar to being “swept off your feet” you wouldn’t get married after that. I could go into more detail about my thoughts on the subject but I rather not get too deep into religion and things that matter in this article.

Some other common superstitions include suspicions tied to specific animals such as black cats not crossing your path. If one does cross your path or walk across your feet it is supposed to give you bad luck. Other superstitions include certain numbers such as the number six and Friday 13th bringing you bad luck. Walking under a ladder, throwing salt over one shoulder, or opening an umbrella indoors is also believed to bring bad luck. This could also include wearing a hat indoors.

If you’re getting your hair done it said that counting the number of braids you have on your head can also be a sign of bad luck. Superstitions that aren’t as extreme can include knocking on wood to prevent bad luck when two people say the same thing at the same time. Crossing your fingers will bring you good luck.

For example, let’s say you split the pole earlier in the day. Then you realize that you left your lunch at home when it comes time for you to take your break. Now the “bad luck actually occurred before you split the pole. Your subconscious mind will tell you that the reason you left your lunch at home was due to you splitting the pole earlier that day.

After creating this post I realized that I may be a bit more superstitious than I originally thought I was. Superstitions are not actual factual events that are known to occur. They are more likely instances that could trigger other events if you believe in those types of things.