Seeing as 2020 feels like one great-big run of bad luck it got me to thinking about all the silly things that I believed as a kid would bring me luck or curse me. I chased ALL the ladybugs I could because somewhere I had been told they were good luck, I sat and counted clover for hours in search of the 4-leaf variety, whereas I avoided even making eye contact with a black cat…I got over that one – ALL cats are awesome!
I delved into this idea of superstitions a bit – for blogging purposes, not because I am gullible…Here are some of the cool things I learned and some ODD things we have come to believe.
When our brains can’t explain something, we make stuff up – seems very childish but kinda cool that our brain fills in the blanks for us!! In fact, a study found that superstitions can sometimes work, because believing in something can improve performance on a task. This is basically positive thinking, and I agree it can work!
Here are my top 7 superstitions:
- Beginner’s luck
Usually grumbled by an expert who just lost a game to a novice, “beginner’s luck” is the idea that newbies are unusually likely to win when they try out a sport, game or activity for the first time.
2. Find a penny, pick it up
And all day long, you’ll have good luck! This one is likely because finding money is lucky in and of itself.
3. Don’t walk under that ladder!
Frankly, this superstition is pretty practical. Who wants to be responsible for stumbling and knocking someone off their ladder?
4. Black cats crossing your path
Most likely, this superstition arises from old beliefs in witches and their animal familiars, which were often said to take the form of domestic animals like cats.
5. A rabbit’s foot will bring you luck
Talismans and amulets are a time-honored way of fending off evil; consider the crosses and garlic that are supposed to keep vampires at bay. Rabbit feet as talismans may go back to early Celtic tribes in Britain.
6. Bad luck comes in threes
A couple of things go wrong, and believers may start to look for the next bit of bad luck – we call this anxiety!
7. Careful with that mirror
According to folklore, breaking a mirror is a surefire way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. The superstition seems to arise from the belief that mirrors don’t just reflect your image; they hold bits of your soul.