Superstition. Jinx. Curses. Handed down from generation to generation, marketers curse or spells or old wives’ tales. Superstitions are buried in our history no matter which culture you are from or what country you hail from. Don't allow the black cat to walk across your path. Don't walk under the ladder. If you smash a mirror, it's seven years of bad luck for you. All these things are superstitious. There are plenty of traditions out there that have been passed down from ancestors to your current generation and some of these may have changed over the years, but they're always rooted in possibility and worry and maybe.
Most people follow them no matter what as part of their instincts, and your family members may have taught you that knowing how to break these superstitious traditions can help you to protect yourself from black magic. But if you don't know if you're superstitious or following the letter of your family, then you need to look at the list below. If you believe in any of these so-called superstitions, you can count yourself as a superstitious member of your family!
- You wouldn't buy a black cat. Of course, we have already mentioned this one, but if you worry about a black cat crossing your path it's highly likely you wouldn't buy one. If you get those chills that Black Cats symbolize bad luck, it's because you would have heard the stories about them being related to witchcraft. Of course, this isn't a real superstition, it's just handed down from generation to generation because Black Cats represent darkness and shadows.
- No ladders, thank you! You could walk under the ladder on the scaffolding while building works are happening, but you walk around them to avoid walking under them. There's every chance you've avoided walking underneath the ladder more than three times in your life because people say that when you walk under a ladder, you're more likely to face your own death by falling from a ladder or being hung from one. Nice, huh?
- Seven years of bad luck. Yes, we have all heard of the mirrors. It's believed that breaking a mirror represents breaking your reflection. If you accidentally break a mirror your senses may tell you your life is in danger. Is it really, or have you just been taught that?
- Open the door at the stroke of midnight in the new year. We all celebrate with a glass of champagne and a song by Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve. You’re supposed to open the front door and open the back door at the same time. The reason for this is to allow the new year in and the old year out and then you close them quickly within one minute so that you can keep all the new year luck into the house.
- Throwing salt. You may have been taught not to pass salt from hand to hand, but have you been taught not to forget to throw salt over your left shoulder should you spill it? People believe that the devil will come to get you if you don't throw salt over your shoulder once it spills. Either that or just making your floor dirtier.
When it comes down to it you need to consider that all these superstitions have only got power when you believe in them. Remember that the next time you tip your hat to a magpie.
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