Superstition

The word “superstition” means basically believing in something, or practicing something, out of ignorance. It is also a fear of the unknown or having an irrational attitude toward something. Everyone has been superstitious at some point in life, even if it isn’t something that most people will admit to.

[edit] Common superstitions

As a child, you have heard the phrase “step on a crack, break your mother’s back.” So you and your little friends would studiously avoid stepping on any sidewalk cracks, just in case your mother might come to harm if you did step on one. Or maybe you are one of those people who believe that carrying a rabbit’s foot or finding a four leaf clover is lucky. Some people will walk yards out of the way to avoid walking under a ladder. Breaking a mirror is really bad because it can bring you 7 years of bad luck, and who needs that?

The list of these common superstitions goes on and on. Some are still strongly believed among a large part of the population. They seem to have been passed down from generation to generation. Many don’t seem to have a point of origin.

[edit] Luck superstitions

As mentioned above, carrying a rabbit’s foot is believed to be lucky, especially if it is the back foot of the rabbit. However, in order for it to work the way it is supposed to, you must give away your rabbit’s foot to someone else. Once you do, that person will have good luck. If you decide to keep the rabbit’s foot, you will be bringing bad luck to yourself. You can probably understand why people concerned with the treatment or mistreatment of animals would like to see this particular superstition go away. It would not be seemly to go about chopping off the back foot of a little rabbit.

The four leaf clover is considered to be one of the good luck superstitions. It may have originated with the Druids, who believed that the shamrock helped them to see and ward off evil spirits. A three leaf clover is also considered lucky as it is associated with the Holy Trinity. Wearing either one of these clovers is said to bring good luck to the person wearing it.

[edit] Acting superstitions

Actors and actresses have many luck superstitions pertaining to their craft. This is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, when the performances were live in theaters. Among these was the belief that it was good luck to wear a wig, fall during a performance, tell someone to “break a leg,” before the performance, and a bad rehearsal meant a great performance. Actors appear to have been the most superstitious people on earth, as there are thousands of different superstitions they practiced.

Even you are not personally superstitious, it is still fun to look at the many things people have believed over the years, and still do practice. There are even many people who live by these common superstitions. If you happen to be among them, you are most likely in good company.