Old Superstitions: Which Ones Do You Live By?

The day I am writing this it is Friday the 13th. I got to thinking about superstitions, where they started, and how many of us, whether we realize it or not, live by any of them. I can't imagine how many superstitions there must be spanning the globe.

A superstition is the belief that events are influenced by specific behaviors without having a casual relationship. Another way to define superstition is an irrational or nonscientific belief in the existence of certain powers operant in the world with positive or negative effects. How many of us avoid walking under a ladder? How many of us cross our fingers for good luck? Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? Dating back to ancient times, the sixth day of the week and the number 13 have had bad reputations. Put them together and we have the most widespread superstition in the U.S. People avoid doing all kinds of things on this day since they view it as unlucky. The Scandinavian's belief that the number 13 was unlucky was due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune to humans. It was also said that Christ was crucified on a Friday and the number of guests that attended the Last Supper was 13, with number 13 being Judas, the traitor.

For those who believe in luck, it's important to know what to avoid in order to steer clear of bad luck. Walking under a ladder is supposed to be bad luck. It's because a leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and it's a direct violation of the Trinity if you walk through it. This would put you in league with the devil. If you walk under the ladder, you might not suffer bad luck if you had your fingers crossed while doing so.