HISTORY91 - Thirteen Bad Luck Superstitions

My previous blog article discussed good luck superstitions.  This article will cover bad luck superstitions.

Most of us probably don’t know why we give a little shudder when we see Friday the 13^th looming on the calendar, or why we say “bless you” when someone sneezes.  But these and other common bad luck superstitions typically have a colorful history that dates back centuries.  And while some superstitions may be just for fun, others might affect you enough to influence the choices you make.  None, though, is based in fact, though many have deep roots in a culture’s tradition and history.

 

This article will focus on 13 bad luck superstitions, i.e., those thought to cause bad luck or provide protection from bad luck.  My objective is to document the back story of these superstitions.  As with good luck superstitions, the reader will find that most bad luck superstitions arise from a variety of sources, including cultural beliefs, religion, and personal experiences.  The origins of superstitions are difficult to trace and can be complex and varied.

I will list my sources at the end of the article.

 

1.       Breaking a Mirror

The Greeks believed that one’s reflection on the surface of a pool of water revealed one’s soul. 

But it was Roman artisans who learned to manufacture mirrors from polished metal surfaces, and believed their gods observed souls through these devices.  To damage a mirror was considered so disrespectful that people thought it compelled the gods to rain bad luck on anyone so careless. 

Around the third century, mirrors were being made from glass, and breakage became a lot more commonplace.  Breaking a mirror was believed to be harmful to the soul.  But the Romans did not believe that the ensuing bad luck would last forever. The Romans believed that the body renewed itself every seven years.  After each seven-year cycle, the body would renew itself, and any broken or ill pieces of the body would be healed.  Hence the belief that breaking a mirror, a reflection of your soul, was bad luck for seven years.

Later, people believed that mirrors don't just reflect your image; they hold bits of your soul.  That belief led people in the old days of the American South to cover mirrors in a house when someone died, lest their soul be trapped inside.

Breaking a mirror brings seven years bad luck.

  

Seven years is a long time to be unlucky, which may be why people have come up with countermeasures to free themselves after breaking a mirror.  These include touching a piece of the broken mirror to a tombstone, grinding the mirror shards into powder, or taking the broken mirror outside and burying it in the moonlight.

 

2.       Knocking on Wood

There are several theories of the source of this superstition to ward off bad luck.

A common explanation traces the phenomenon to ancient Celtic peoples, who believed that there were spirits living in trees, and that knocking on tree trunks summoned them for protection from bad luck.

In Irish folklore, touching trees was a way of thanking leprechauns for good luck.

Later, Christians tied the practice to the wood of the cross, remembering Jesus’ crucifixion on a wooden cross. 

Another origin of knocking on wood is on old English sailing boats.  Carved wooden sailors heads would be seen on the main deck.  This was thought to protect the sailors from ghosts believed to be living within the rigging.

A more modern theory, from the 17^th century Britain suggests that this superstition derives from a form of tag called "Tiggy Touchwood" in which players are safe from being tagged if they are touching wood.

Similar superstitions about wood abound in multiple countries, suggesting that the desire not to upset a spiteful universe, is very common.

Knocking on wood is supposed to ward off bad luck.

 

Today, the common phrase “knock on wood” is almost like a verbal talisman, designed to ward off bad luck after tempting fate by making a favorable prediction or boast, or a declaration concerning one's own death.

 

3.       Black Cat Crossing Your Path

As companion animals for humans for thousands of years, cats play all sorts of mythological roles. 

Among superstitions, one of the oldest and most enduring is that crossing paths with a black cat will bring bad luck.  Black cats have typically been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens and associated with witches. The dark-colored felines have been folded into folklore about Satan and witches, and modern Halloween symbols, giving them the reputation of being spooky.

Cats appear in Greek mythology, specifically Hecate - goddess of magic, sorcery, the Moon, and witchcraft - who was described as having a cat as a supernatural creature that assisted witches.

Written records link black cats to Satan and witchcraft as far back as the 13^th century when an official church document called “Vox in Rama” was issued by Pope Gregory IX on June 13, 1233.  Black cats were declared an incarnation of Satan. 

In Medieval Europe, a black cat crossing your path might very well be on a mission from a witch or it could be the devil in disguise - a very bad omen.

But the idea that black cats are bad luck isn’t universal.  In fact, some cultures believe that black cats bring good luck. 

Their resemblance to the cat-goddess Bastet led black cats to be honored in ancient Egypt. 

In Scotland and Japan, they have been known to represent prosperity. 

British sailors welcomed black cats aboard boats as they were thought to bring luck and ensure a safe return.

In Britain, Ireland, Japan, and Germany, it is believed that encountering a black cat on your travels is lucky.

According to Japanese superstition, black cats can also spice up your love life if you’re single, and unmarried women are said to attract more suitors if they own one.

However, in America, black cats are said to bring misfortune.

In America, a black cat crossing your path is considered bad luck.

 

Thus, whether a black cat is viewed as a benevolent creature or an evil supernatural force, is based on whichever folklore one embraces.

Note:  While many look similar, there are currently 22 different breeds of black cats, with purely black coats, according to the Cat Fancier’s Association.

4.       Walking Under a Ladder

Walking under a ladder is almost universally considered to be bad luck.  The superstition is thought to be based on the ancient Egyptian practice of leaving ladders in tombs so that the dead could ascend upwards if they wanted.  Egyptians believed that the triangular space between the ladder, the floor, and the wall was filled with good and evil spirits, and that they should not be disturbed.  It was therefore, forbidden to walk underneath any leaning ladder for fear of disturbing the spirits and incurring their wrath. 

The triangle is also sacred to Christians as it represents the Holy Trinity.  In the Middle Ages, under Christianity, it was considered bad luck to walk under a ladder as it broke the Holy Trinity, supposedly inviting the devil into your life. 

Also in Medieval times, the ladder was associated with gallows where criminals were hung.  Walking under a ladder was said to be inviting your own death.  There was also the belief that because people were hanged from the top of the ladder, the area underneath was haunted.

Whatever the reason, walking under a ladder has been considered to be bad luck throughout human history. 

Walking under a ladder has been bad luck throughout human history.

  

There have been various ways of breaking the bad luck curse if you are forced to step under a ladder for any reason.  Walking backwards under the ladder and crossing your fingers until you see a dog works.  Spitting three times was a popular penance in Medieval times.  Additional actions to break the under-ladder curse include placing your thumb between your index and middle fingers, and holding it for at least five seconds, or crossing the fingers of both hands while calling upon the sign of the cross to protect you from evil.

Of course, it’s common sense to avoid walking under an open ladder.  Someone up on the ladder could drop something or, in the worst-case, fall off the ladder and land on you.  There's a chance that someone could be descending the ladder as you pass underneath, kicking you in the head as they come down, and if you're glued to your phone, not paying attention to where you are going, you could hit your head on it.  Stumbling into the ladder could send it crashing to the ground, bringing down whoever is unlucky enough to be on it at the time.  So, in a sense, walking under a ladder can bring bad luck even if it's nothing to do with the original superstitions, but as a direct consequence of the action. 

 

5.       Stepping on a Crack

European and Early American folk tales spread the notion that the empty space in cracks (whether in the ground, roads, sidewalks, etc.) were connections from Earth to the spirit world, and messing with them in any way would cause misfortune and bad luck. 

This eventually gave way to the popular nursery rhyme, “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back.”  The complete lyrics of the rhyme are:

“Step on a crack,
You’ll break your mother’s back.
Step on a line,
You’ll break your father’s spine.
Step in a ditch,
Your mother’s nose will itch.
Step in the dirt,
You’ll tear your father’s shirt.”

Some people claim that this superstition comes from the late 19^th and early 20^th century, when racism was prevalent in society, and the original unkind verse is believed to be either Step on a crack and your mother’s baby will be black, or Step on a crack and your mother will turn black.  Since inter-racial marriages were frowned upon by some, it was also common then to say that stepping on the pavement lines meant you would marry a black person and have a black baby.  (To me, it seems likely that these versions of the superstition are a few (nasty as they are) of the countless variations of the rhyme that have come up over the years.)

In the mid-20^th century, it was common to tell children that if they stepped on any cracks in the pavement, they would be eaten for lunch by bears waiting for them around the corner.

Another belief surrounding this superstition is that the number of cracks stepped on indicates the number of bones your mother would break.  Also, it foretold the amount of china dishes that you would break.

Stepping on a crack is supposed to bring bad luck.

 

6.       Opening an Umbrella Indoors

You can thank the ancient Egyptians for this bad omen.  They used umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun; opening them indoors was considered an insult to the sun god.  Breaking this superstition could signify impending death or ill fortune for both the person who opened the umbrella and the people who lived within the home.

It was equally as offensive to open an umbrella in an area that wasn’t sunny. 

Another theory traces back to 18^th century England when the first modern umbrellas were invented and were not all that safe.  Built with hard metal spokes and spring triggers, they could be dangerous to open. In fact, opening one in close quarters indoors, could pose a danger to people and fragile objects nearby.  (It seems like a no-brainer that opening an umbrella inside brings bad luck, since it presents a risk of breaking valuable items and poking someone in the eye.)

Interestingly, some people believe that it's not always bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.  They believe it's only bad luck if the umbrella is black, was a gift, has never been used outdoors, or there's a sick person in the house!

Opening an umbrella indoors is supposed to be bad luck.

 

7.       Spilling Salt

There are several reasons why spilled salt is supposedly bad luck. 

For most of human history, salt has been very valuable; in some places and times, it was worth its weight in gold, primarily because it was hard to procure, making it very costly.  Salt was used as an expensive trading commodity, so spilling it was just plain wasteful.

Another theory is that it was considered a magical substance in ancient times, where it was used to perform rituals and could purify the soul and ward off evil spirits.  Spilling it meant you were inviting the devil in.

Spilling salt is supposedly bad luck.

 

Some people believe that ‘spilling salt brings bad luck’ is believed to have originated with the overturned salt cellar in front of Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, an incident immortalized in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting.

According to an old Norwegian superstition, a person will shed as many tears as will be necessary to dissolve the salt spilled. 

An old English belief has it that every grain of salt spilled represents future tears.

The folk tale remedy to recover from spilled salt is to take a pinch of the spilled salt and toss it over your left shoulder to cancel the bad luck.  The left shoulder is where the devil is supposed to be sitting and tossing salt in the devil’s eyes keeps the devil away. 

 

8.       Unlucky 13

Fear of the number 13 is one of the most common superstitions around, but the source of 13’s bad reputation - “triskaidekaphobia” - is murky and speculative.

The number 13 may be associated with some famous but undesirable dinner guests.  In Norse mythology, the god Loki was 13^th to arrive at a feast in Valhalla, where he tricked another attendee into killing the god Baldur.  In Christianity, Judas Iscariot - the apostle who betrayed Jesus - was the 13^th guest at the Last Supper.

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, more than 80% of hi-rise buildings in the United States do not have a 13^th floor, and most hotels, hospitals and airports avoid using the number 13 for rooms and gates as well.  Some airlines don’t have a 13^th row.

Researchers estimate that as many as 10% of the U.S. population has a fear of the number 13.

Add to this the fact that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and the superstition expands to a fear of Friday the 13^th.  Many of us can’t help feeling a bit of trepidation when we realize another Friday the 13^th is coming up.  If anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13^th, it will be forever associated in your mind.  All those uneventful days in which the 13^th fell on a Friday will be ignored.

Fear of Friday the 13^th is common in the Western world.

  

Note:  Today, the fear of Friday the 13th, known as “paraskevidekatriaphobia,” results in financial losses in excess of $800 million annually, as people avoid marrying, traveling, or in the most severe cases, even working.

 

9.       Chain Letters

According to NPR, the world’s first chain letter was sent hundreds of years ago and the falsely credited author was Jesus.  The letter was supposedly sent down to earth 55 years after he ascended to heaven and included the line, “He that copieth this letter shall be blessed of me.  He that does not shall be cursed.”

From there, the note was copied and circulated. 

Copies of the letter survive from the mid-1700s, proof that people have always had an innate curiosity - and superstition - about chain letters.  In the decades that followed, hundreds of thousands of people have received and forwarded letters that promise charity, prosperity, or religious enlightenment.

The price for not being on board? Usually awful luck.  Or death.

Today, electronic chain “letters” still use scare tactics.

 

Chain letters still exist today, primarily as social media threads that solicit money or gifts from  people in the hopes a person’s “turn” will eventually come.”  It’s always a losing proposition.

 

10.     Bad Things Happen in Threes

The belief that bad luck comes in threes is not limited to specific events but extends to various aspects of life.  For example, the superstition suggests that deaths, accidents, or even personal misfortunes tend to occur in threes.

This superstition suggests that deaths, accidents, or even personal misfortunes tend to occur in threes.

 

The origins of the belief in bad luck coming in threes are difficult to trace definitively.  One theory suggests that the superstition emerged during the Crimean War, where soldiers were warned against lighting three cigarettes from the same match to avoid being spotted by the enemy (or burning your hand).  Another theory connects the belief to Russian funeral rituals, where three altar candles were lit by the same taper. 

Based on statistical analysis, there is no evidence to support the claim that bad luck occurs more frequently in groups of three.

In the absence of empirical evidence, psychologists offer insights into why people tend to embrace the notion of bad luck in threes.  One explanation lies in our innate desire for certainty and pattern recognition.  By attributing a limit of three to a string of bad luck, we create a sense of closure and control.  It provides a psychological comfort, allowing us to believe that the streak of misfortune will soon come to an end.

Also, we tend to seek out information that confirms our preexisting beliefs; this can contribute to the perpetuation of the belief in bad luck coming in threes.  When we experience three consecutive negative events, our minds selectively remember and reinforce the pattern, disregarding the numerous times when bad luck did not occur in threes.

The belief in bad luck coming in threes has been perpetuated throughout history by cultural traditions and popular media.  Films, novels, and other art forms often incorporate this superstition, reinforcing its presence in our collective consciousness.  As a result, individuals may be more likely to notice and remember instances that align with the belief, further solidifying its perceived validity.

 

11.      Dead Man’s Hand

It’s considered bad luck in five - stud poker to be dealt a two - pair hand consisting of black eights and black aces (regardless of the hole card.)  The dead man’s hand got its name because, according to legend, they were cards held by Wild Bill Hickok (James Butler Hickock) when he was murdered in the Old West in 1876.

Wild Bill Hickock’s fame was well-deserved, because he was a celebrated veteran of the Civil War, and a respected lawman and gunfighter in the American West.  He earned respect through his involvement in multiple shoot-outs, the iron hand by which he ruled the lawlessness of his day, and his skill as a professional gambler.  The papers followed him closely, telling stories of his many gun fights and conquests.

On August 1, 1876, Hickok was playing poker in a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota.  Wild Bill raked in the money as he had done so often throughout his life.  On this occasion, one of the unfortunate losers was a drunken buffalo hunter named Jack McCall.

The next day Wild Bill again headed to the saloon for some more poker.  Only one seat was free at the poker table, and Hickock repeatedly but unsuccessfully, asked to switch seats with another player, since his preference was for a chair with his back to the wall, giving him a full view of the saloon and its entrance. So it was that Wild Bill was taken by surprise when Jack McCall stepped into the saloon, yelled "Damn you! Take that!” and shot him from behind at point-blank range.  Wild Bill was killed instantly, and fell from his seat, with his cards clutched in his hand: a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights.

The Dead Man’s Hand - a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights.

 

McCall was tried for murder, convicted, and hanged.  But the story of Wild Bill's final hand would live on as the legend of the Dead Man's Hand and the bad luck it brings.

 

12.     The Ides of March

In the ancient Roman calendar ides refers to days falling roughly in the middle of each month.  Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC.  Since then, March 15^th, the ides of March, has always been considered unlucky. 

Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC.

 

The superstition was popularized in William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar,” when a prophet warns Caesar to beware of the Ides of March.

Here’s a selection of other “bad luck” events occurring on March 15.

A cyclone destroyed six warships - three U.S. and three German ships - and killed more than 200 sailors in the waters of Apia, Samoa, on March 15, 1889.

Adolf Hitler ignored the Munich Pact - an agreement between Germany, Great Britain and France that gave Germany the Sudetenland, in western Czechoslovakia - and invaded other parts of Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939. That marked the end of appeasement and further escalated tension leading toward World War II.

Without warning, the most severe blizzard in modern history ripped through North Dakota and Minnesota, killing 71 people on March 15, 1941.

On March 15, 1988, the world was horrified to learn from NASA that the ozone layer was depleting three times faster than we previously thought due to our use of harmful chemicals, like chlorofluorocarbons.

The World Health Organization issued a heightened global health alert on March 15, 2003 about the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus.  Between November 2002 and July 2003, it infected over 8,000 people with a death rate of 9.6 per cent.

The Syrian Civil War began on March 15, 2011, when protesters took to the streets of Daraa after a group of teens and children were arrested for writing political graffiti.  This led to an estimated 400,000 Syrians being killed and more than 6.1 million internally displaced.

 

13.   Saying “God Bless You” After Someone Sneezes

For some, it’s good manners, pure and simple; but blessing someone after he or she sneezes is actually a common superstition. 

Early Romans believed that a strong sneeze could release your soul into the world and so “God bless you,” or “Bless you,” was used as a protection against the devil snatching your soul.

It was once thought that sneezing was an omen of death, since many dying people fell into sneezing fits. In AD 600, when the bubonic plague was at its height in Europe, Pope Gregory the Great decreed the response of “God bless you” to someone who sneezed, hoping that the quick prayer would protect the sneezer from sickness and death.  The blessing was usually followed up by making the sign of the cross, for good measure.

In AD 600, during the bubonic plague, Pope Gregory the Great decreed the response of “God bless you” to someone who sneezed.

 

Note:  At the time the decree was issued, the bubonic plague was spreading across Europe.  During this period the plague killed between 25 and 50 million people.

The “God Bless You” superstition survives in America today.  In place of “Bless you,” some Americans also say “Gesundheit,” the German word for “health.”  The appearance of this phrase was due to the numerous German immigrants who moved to the United States.  Many Americans do not even realize this is a German word and usually are unaware of the true meaning). 

International versions of the superstitious phrase include:

In Arabic, it is “Alhamdulillah,” which means “praise be to God.” 

Hindus say, “Live!” or “Live well!” 

In Russia, “bud zdorov” means “be healthy,” children are also told, “rosti Bolshoi” (“grow big”).

In China, a child hears “bai sui,” which means, “may you live 100 years.”

 

Sources

Primary sources include: “30 Weird Superstitions Explained,“ popularmechanics.com; “Ten Common Superstitions,” everydayheat.com; “Thirteen common (but silly) superstitions to savor,” nbcnews.com; “How did the superstition that broken mirrors cause bad luck start and why does it still exist?” sc.edu; “Knocking on wood,” wikipeda.com; “Why Black Cats Are Associated With Halloween and Bad Luck,” and “What’s So Unlucky About the Number 13?”; history.com; “Is waking under a ladder really bad luck?” midlandladders.com; “Step on a Crack Superstition,” psychiclibrary.com; “Is It Bad Luck to Open an Umbrella Indoors?” wonderopolis.org; “ Salt History,” mortonsalt.com; “A Brief History of the Chain Letter,” mentalfloss.com; “Bad Luck Comes in Threes: Separating Superstition from Reality,” people.howstuffworks.com; “The Legend of the Dead Man’s Hand,” playingcarddecks.com; “Why the Ides of March is considered bad luck,” cnn.com; “Today In History: 16 Feb 600 AD - ‘God Bless You’ Declared During Bubonic Plague,” samoaglobalnews.com; plus numerous other online sources.

 

 

Thought for the day:

I don't believe in superstition; I think it's bad luck.

Dan Henderson