Exploring the Unknown…
The Outlandish World of Superstition
SUPERSTITION: A widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief.
Crazy, right? I mean, to believe that something bad will happen just because a black cat crosses our path? (She says as she tosses salt over her left shoulder, hitting the dog in the right eye.) Funny thing about the salt ritual—it is thought to stem from biblical times, when folks believed an angel sat on your right shoulder, the devil on your left. Throwing salt to the left would ‘blind’ the devil, leaving him powerless to do his wicked work. (See there? You learned something, didn’t ya?)
Indeed, we Americans have many rituals we perform based on our superstitious beliefs. We knock on wood, walk around a ladder rather than under it (more on that later) and genuflect whenever a funeral procession goes by. But, seriously, are we the only ones who are slaves to this madness? Are we the only country that correlates a broken mirror with 7 years of bad luck? (Which, going by the number of mirrors I’ve broken in my lifetime, I estimate my bad luck should end somewhere around midnight in the year 2084🙄)
But back to the question…no, we are not the only ones who follow these strange customs! Buckle up as we dive into the observances and rituals of our fellow humans all around the globe.
We begin this journey ‘round the world with a few superstitions that have found their way across all borders and boundaries. First up—the mysterious powers of the ordinary ladder. The belief that walking under a ladder brings a run of bad luck is first traced back to the Egyptians. They believed that a ladder was a tool used by the God’s to ascend or descend from the heavens. (Who knew?) So, walking under one would “interrupt” their travels.
(I’m just gonna spitball here and assume we all agree on this one; one of the top ten things in life you don’t wanna do is piss off a God😬)
During medieval times, the ladder symbolized the gallows, where naughty villagers who were caught breaking various (and sometimes really bizarre) laws would meet their ultimate fate. Therefore, most law-abiders were loathe to tempt fate and walk under those stepped structures, lest they find themselves on the business end of a noose.
Egads.
We also share with the world a deep phobia surrounding a full moon. People who work the night shift—to include law enforcement, firefighters, medical personal or even lycanthropes (aka werewolves) are aware of the propensity for chaos and havoc during this phase of the lunar cycle.
(But this may not be superstition at all! I’ve worked enough late nights to go on a little faith and deem that, in fact, the lunar phase stirs up the lunatics.)
Here’s a fun one involving our furry friends (I’m speaking here of dogs, not werewolves): In France, if you step in dog poop with your left foot, it’s good luck. With your right? Not so much. And while we are on the topic of putting your ‘best foot forward’, in Spain it is best not to walk into a room with your left foot first. (Although, I would imagine that if the sole of that left foot was covered in dog doo, you’d be good to go😁)
The following are more generalized superstitions that, while they don’t give you the warm and fuzzies, they don’t necessarily point to your immediate demise if you practice them:
Our friends in Mexico tell us not to put two mirrors opposite each other on a wall because, apparently, this can open a portal for the devil👿
In Russia, it is considered bad form to say ‘Happy Birthday’ before the blessed day arrives. So nyet… don’t do it.
You will never find a superstitious Englishman or woman to put their shoes on a table. It seems that, in days of yore, shoes on the table meant that someone in the family had passed on.
If you have a yo-yo in Syria, you’d best hide it. Yo-yo’s are taboo as it is believed they cause drought conditions (this one had me scratching my head. I mean, who doesn’t love a good yo-yo?)
Finally, in the category of ‘we have no clue where this originated, but whoomp, there it is’, giving knives as a gift without attaching a coin signifies a severing of the relationship between the gift giver and recipient. To circumvent this, we attach a coin to the knife (which is immediately returned to the gift giver, for you misers out there), thus ‘paying’ for the gift and erasing any bad juju.
Moving on, did you know that the beard some females are sporting in Rwanda is, in fact, not due to the hormonal changes that take place during menopause but because they have been eating goat meat? (Damn, if I told you once, I told you a hundred times, …..)
And speaking of hair, a trim on a Tuesday if you live in India is just begging for trouble, so on Tuesdays, go bowling instead.
Now on to the dire predictions, the dastardly consequences, if one crosses the superstitious line. Enter if you dare! (Cue evil laugh here.)
Filipinos will never return straight home after a funeral, as evil spirits lurk around grief and will follow you home. Instead, they trick the bastards and stop for coffee or a sandwich first.
In Lithuania, whistling while you work means you won’t be working alone for long—your tunes will summon a demon.
Germans love to toast each other. Just don’t do it with water. Toasting with water means you wish death upon the other person.
The Japanese are a fun group. When sleeping, they make sure their heads never point north, as that is how the dead are reposed. Similarly, in Africa, the dead face to the west, so they must not lay their heads in that direction. Combine these two and that leaves us sleeping with our heads pointed Southeast.
Which is groovy ‘cause it puts you somewhere around Orlando and Disneyworld.
Finally, we enter the truly dark side; the stuff that, if breached, will cause dire consequences. Maybe even death.
Gadzooks! (Note that I really have no reason to use the term ‘gadzooks’ here—I just feel like this word is totally underused😜)
Ever wonder why ‘Three on a Match’, or lighting three cigarettes from a single match, is considered bad luck? It seems this superstition got its origins from the Crimean War during the 1850’s and goes like this: the first soldier who strikes the match alerts the enemy while the second soldier who lights his cigarette from that match gives the opposing force time to aim their weapon. And the third soldier? Well, after having had the time to line up the shot, the third guy is, unfortunately, the recipient of the fatal bullet.
Another excellent reason to throw away those cigarettes!
When it comes to superstition, our feathered friends are a fowl lot. (See what I did there?😁) For instance, if a black crow hits your window, it is an omen that death will soon enter the household. The hooting of an owl means trouble’s abrewin’, but if that owl gets into your house, someone is going to die!
Whoooo will it be?🦉(Sorry, couldn’t resist that one😆)
There is no limit to the lengths we will go to in an effort to prevent some bad karma. We hold our breath when walking through a cemetery to avoid inhaling the spirits of the deceased and place coins on the lids of our departed to pay the ferryman for passage to the afterlife. In the Philippines, we never wear red during a storm as red attracts lightning and thus, death. And, in the room where our loved one departed, we stop the clocks to signal the spirit to move on rather than stay, haunting the house and its occupants forever.
Of course, no one I know does these things. And no one I know has died in my home( knock wood, hurl salt, drop to one knee). But, as Francis Bacon once said, “Who questions much shall learn much,” or something like that.
Last, but certainly not least, I must pay homage to my ancestors from The Emerald Isle and tell you that, in Ireland, wearing bells on your wedding dress is said to ward off evil spirits. Thankfully, it does nothing to hamper all the other spirits that flow during an Irish celebration!🍺
And there you have it. You’ve explored the unknown and come out a better, more enlightened, person. Now, go forth and hide your yo-yo’s, invest in more salt, and stay the hell away from goat meat.
So, what are your superstitions? And are they actually superstitions, or just behaviors handed down from generation to generation? Or, perhaps, following certain rituals is merely a form of OCD? What say you? Drop your comments below!
Next time on Exploring the Unknown…
Mysterious Locations, Part One: One if by Land.
Weird.