Ever wonder where superstitions originate? I did, and today seems appropriate for sharing some of my findings with you.

Superstition, by the way, is defined as a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck; or a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck. (The Britannica Dictionary)

Today is Friday the 13th, which some believe to be an unlucky day. Why? One finding about the number thirteen traces the origin to the bible and the thirteen attendees at the Last Supper. Another cites Norse myth, when Loki the trickster god crashed a dinner party of twelve and then proceeded to shoot Balder, the god of joy and happiness. To connect the fear of the number thirteen with Friday we bring in King Philip IV of France. He arrested hundreds of Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307, a date considered to be the beginning of the end of the Knights. More recent Friday the 13th events include the Germans bombing Buckingham Palace, a cyclone killing more than 300,000 in Bangladesh, a Chilean Air Force plane disappearing in the Andes and a cruise ship crash off the coast of Italy. By the way, the fear of the number thirteen is called triskaidekaphobia and the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Mirrors are believed to reflect not just the physical being but to also reflect the soul. Breaking a mirror, according to the Romans, amounted to breaking the soul. The Romans also believed it took seven years to completely regenerate the soul, and thus breaking a mirror resulted in seven years of bad luck.

Walking under a ladder is a universal superstition. In medieval times, some thought that ladders resembled the gallows, and if you walked under the ladder you were then destined for the gallows yourself. Another theory comes from Egypt, where the Egyptians left ladders leaning against tomb walls to aid the dead with their ascent to the afterlife. They believed that the space between the ladder, wall and floor was filled with spirits both good and evil. Someone walking under the ladder might disturb the spirits and end up incurring their wrath.

We return to medieval times for the black cat superstition. It was believed that witches would take the form of a black cat in order to wander about without attracting notice. Thus if a black cat crossed your path it was considered a sign that you had met with a witch who was out on a mission. My own feelings about black cats align with Welsh folklore, which says that black cats bring luck into a home.

I’ll wrap this up by mentioning the rabbit’s foot and the tradition of wishing on a turkey wishbone, to which I can only point out that these are most certainly not lucky for either the rabbit or the turkey.

On a positive note, I like knocking on wood for good luck. Why do it? The Celts and other ancient pagan cultures believed that spirits lived in trees and knocking on a tree trunk summoned their protection.

These are just a few of the superstitions that abound. Hoping to hear about more of them? Well then, cross your fingers and see if that brings the results you want.