9 Superstitions That Maybe You Did Not Know
All of us, to a greater or lesser extent, sometimes present a magical thought or believe in things that cannot be scientifically (or rationally) proven. Superstitions have a lot to do with this, which are, according to the RAE, ‘beliefs strange to religious faith and contrary to reason’ or ‘an excessive faith or excessive valuation of something’.
In colloquial language, we understand by superstitions all those stories or beliefs that have not been proven, but that would explain the reason for some customs or actions. They are usually actions or rituals that we perform to avoid bad luck, to avoid harm or to obtain some kind of benefit.
An example of superstition would be the belief that if we come across a black cat, we will have bad luck. This is one of the best known, but here we bring you some that perhaps you have never been told, along with a small explanation about its origin, provenance and meaning.
Superstitions that maybe you did not know
We bring you 9 superstitions that perhaps you did not know, from different countries, themes, origin and meaning. We will see gastronomic superstitions, related to the wedding, with numbers, with actions … Some attract bad luck, others repel it and others attract other elements … Discover its origin and its meaning!
1. Number 4: bad luck?
In China the number 4 is considered a number that attracts bad luck. And because? Because its pronunciation is very similar to that of the word “death” in Mandarin. For this reason, the numbers that contain this number (including 13) are not incorporated in buildings or hotels.
2. Sleeping with a fan
In South Korea there is a belief that if you sleep in a closed room with a fan on, it could kill you. That is why the fans always have automatic shutdown, just in case …
3. The windows of the witches
More superstitions around the world; this time we bring you one from the United States. Did you know that in this country, in different farms built during the 19th century, inclined windows were placed , since it was believed that if witches appeared, they could not go out with their brooms due to the inclination of the window ? In addition, they received the curious name of “witch windows”.
4. Whistling indoors
Another superstition, this time from Lithuania. It is believed that if you whistle indoors, you could be summoning demons that can terrify us at night. That is why they avoid performing this action.
5. Throwing coins into a pot
Throwing coins into a well or fountain has been linked to good luck. This superstition comes from the ancient divinatory rite of throwing pins or stones into a well, with the aim of knowing if a fact was going to be fulfilled or not. It was assumed that if bubbles appeared when falling, that meant that what had been asked would be fulfilled.
6. Chopsticks
In China they have endless superstitions related to gastronomy. One of them has to do with the placement of the chopsticks; it is believed that leaving the chopsticks in the bowl is to invoke or augur an untimely death, and therefore should never be done. Why is it related to death? Because this position is reminiscent of the incense that is put to watch over deceased loved ones.
7. Tea superstitions
Another superstition, also from China and also gastronomic, specifically related to tea, is the following: if you leave the kettle resting without a lid, this will attract bad news or a visit from a stranger.
But there are more superstitions about tea! They have the belief that if the tea is spilled, some event will be known, and another; If there are traces of sugar in the bottom of the cup, that is an omen of love.
8. Wedding superstitions
The fact that it rains on your wedding day is also superstition. In some cultures, this symbolizes fertility and purification.
More wedding superstitions: according to folklore, a knife represents a broken relationship and therefore it is thought that it can bring misfortune to whoever receives it as a gift. To “save” us from it, if someone intends to give us one on our wedding day, we must give them a coin in return; in this way, we turn the gift into a purchase, thus breaking superstition.
9. The veil on the wedding day
Wearing a veil on our wedding day is a custom that has its origins in ancient Rome. It is believed that it protects the bride and allows her to hide from evil spirits jealous of her happiness.
Magical thinking
And you, do you believe in superstitions? Do you change the sidewalk if you must go under a ladder, or does your day cross you if you get up on the left foot? Be that as it may, magical thinking is something that influences us all (or almost all), to a greater or lesser extent, either through superstitions or other types of beliefs and thoughts.
The reality is that many times we “need” it to disconnect from our rigid and sometimes rational mind. It is interesting to know the origin of these stories, since many times they hide the most curious and interesting stories. And, perhaps science cannot always explain everything. ..
