FREE ESSAY ON SUPERSTITIONS

SUPERSTITIONS

Superstitions. 
Dina Fagoth
Language Arts
P. 3 / 8th
Background
A superstition is a traditional belief that a certain action or event can 
cause or foretell an apparently unrelated event. Superstitions ensure that a person 
will pass safely from one stage of life to the next. Many of them involve 
someone taking deliberate action to cause something to happen or to prevent 
something from occurring.
Some superstitions go back almost to the very beginning of human life on 
Earth. Most of them come from ancient Europe and Egypt. There is no scientific 
basis for superstitions. Yet, they continually are being passed on from generation 
to generation. Almost everybody clings on to a few of them.
Before bad luck strikes, there are plenty of things, or good luck charms, 
that can be used to prevent the bad luck. One, which is probably the most 
common, is a rabbit's foot. This is because the fast reproduction of the rabbits is 
considered as wealth. Another good luck charm is the four-leaf clover. It is very 
unusual to find one in a field of clovers. So whoever found a four leaf clover 
was thought to be very lucky. 
The crossing of the fingers, which is probably familiar to all, is supposedly
good luck. This is because it is said to trap the evil inside where the fingers 
cross and prevent them from hurting you. Another sign is the circle by bringing 
the thumb and forefinger together. The enclosing of a circle with the forefinger 
and the thumb means everlasting life because a circle has no beginning or end and 
it is believed to enclose luck. For instance, the wedding ring stands for a long 
and happy marriage. 
Knocking on wood is something probably very well known but many 
people do not understand the meaning of it. Many don't know where it originated 
from. The idea of knocking on wood goes back to the early days when people 
thought gods lived in trees. Thus, when the person knocked on wood they were 
asking the god-spirit inside to see that luck stays with them. Iron is said to be 
even luckier than wood. Since it was used for various objects like tools, people 
thought it was 1endowed with magic. Bent nails and pins are also considered 
lucky like in the saying:
"See a pin, and pick it up, all the day, you'll have good luck.
"See a pin, and let it lie, you'll want a pin before you die."
II. Types 
Countless activities are involved in superstitions. For example, eating, 
sleeping, working, playing, marriage, children, sickness, and dying are all part of 
them. There are also numerous superstitions connected with animals. Sports also 
include many superstitions, baseball in particular. There are also many in basketball, 
tennis, golf, horseback riding, and various other sports.
Dates and holidays can also be very superstitious. Everybody does a little 
something to ensure luck when the clock strikes twelve o'clock on New Year's 
Day. There are also superstitions about the days of the week. Obviously, there are 
superstitions for everything in the world.
III. Marriage 
Nobody goes through a wedding day without superstitions. At weddings, 
shoes would be thrown at the bride and groom and great luck would be 
2bestowed upon them if their carriage were hit. Her groom, to establish his 
authority, would symbolically strike the bride. Brides would throw shoes at the 
bridesmaids to see who would marry next. The attire is also very important. The 
bride has many colors to pick from but some are better than others like in the 
saying:
" Married in White, you have chosen right.
" Married in Gray, you will go far away.
" Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.
" Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead.
" Married in Green, ashamed to be seen.
" Married in Blue, you will always be true.
" Married in Pearl, you will live in whirl.
" Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
" Married in Pink, your spirit will sink."
Flowers have always been big features in wedding. The groom is supposed 
to wear a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet. Each flower has it's own 
meaning . For example, an orange blossom signifies 3chastity, purity, and loveliness. 
The red chrysanthemum stands for " I love you". There are specific days for 
matrimony. Sunday was the most popular day for a wedding but many people 
thought it was improper to be festive on the Sabbath. Today, Saturdays are 
busiest despite the rhyme: 
" Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all,
" Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all." 
IV. People 
There are numerous superstitious connected with humans. Their bodies tell 
several things about that person. If you just finished combing your hair and you 
let it blow away and a bird used it to build it's nest, you will get sores on your 
head. Let the rain fall on your hair or cut it when the moon is getting bigger if 
you your hair to grow faster. You might have to be careful with people that are 
described by the following rhyme:
" Trust no man, even your own brother,
Whose hair is one color and beard another."
If eyebrows meet, you will be lucky in money matters but never marry. If your 
front teeth are set wide apart you are lucky in love and traveling. 
In many parts of the world it is thought that certain people can bring ill
luck to other people and animals just by looking at them. This power is called 
the having the "evil eye". It can cause people to die. The people with green 
eyes are mostly looked upon with the evil eye because green eyes are not 
common. To protect yourself from the power, you must never praise yourself or 
your family. It may also help to wear a blue bead on a string around your neck.
Next, come the hands. Count the number of whit specks on your 
fingernails to see how many lies you have told in the last seven weeks. When 
cutting your nails, never start with the small nails, go nail by nail to thumb or the 
other way around, from thumb to little finger. Now come the feet. Those born 
feet first have the power to heal all kinds of sprains and rheumatism by trampling 
on the affected part. Be careful with anyone that has a second toe larger than the 
big toe because people like that are bullies.
There are also left and right superstitions. Right ear itching mean someone 
is saying something nice about you and left ear itching means someone is speaking 
ill of you. Right ear itching also means you're going to have a pleasant surprise 
and left ear itching signifies you are going to have a disappointment. The right 
palm itching means you have money coming your way and your left palm itching 
means you will have to pay up money. If you have itchy feet, you are going on 
journey, and if you have an itchy nose that means you will have an argument. 
Food can also have several superstitions and some can be very unrealistic.
For instance, in order to stay young you have to eat one snake a month at the 
time of a full moon. " An apple a day keeps the doctor away," goes the famous 
saying, but if you don't rub it you will be challenging the devil. If you get a gift 
of food, you would return the container with some food in it, because if it is 
returned empty, you will bring hunger to your house and that of the gift giver.
Salt is something very significant. It should never be passed from one 
person to another. The chances of spilling salt are greater if the salt is passed 
from hand to hand. It should be placed on the table by one person and picked 
up by the one asking for it. If spilled, it will bring very bad luck.
Many human actions involve superstitions. One that is well known is 
walking under ladders. This is said to cause 4wretched luck because that would 
mean you were violating the unity of the family. This is because the ladder forms 
a triangle meaning the basic family unit: Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in the Christian 
faith. If you do happen to walk under it, you can change your luck by spitting 
three times between the rungs.
Stumbling or tripping can be very dangerous. It's a tradition for the 
grooms to carry their brides over the threshold of their new home because it is a 
sign that he or she will forget his or her cue or lines. Stage people never say 
"good luck" because that would mean bad luck. Instead they say "break a leg" for 
good luck.
Yawning and sneezing are also things that are very risky. People thought 
that yawning was caused by the devil whose favorite way of getting into the body 
was through the mouth. It was once thought that the breath was the soul and by 
sneezing it could escape the body. Therefore, people say "God bless you", or 
"health" to protect that person that sneezed. Sneezing was once the fashion in 
Europe during the 1600s. Men would inhale a little bit of ground-up tobacco 
through their nostrils to be able to sneeze because it was supposed to "clear the 
head". They kept their souls by wishing each other "Gesundheit". There is an old 
rhyme that tells us what days are safe to sneeze and which ones are not: 
" Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger;
" Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
" Sneeze on Wednesday, get a letter;
" Sneeze on Thursday, something better;
" Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow; 
" Sneeze on Saturday, see your true love tomorrow;
" Sneeze on Sunday, your safety seek;
" Or the devil will have you the rest of the week."
Friends and enemies are something very meaningful. Never say goodbye to 
a friend over a bridge because you will never see each other again. Never let an 
object come between you and a friend while walking together because you will 
have a quarrel. When three friends are photographed together, the one in the 
middle will be the first to die. You must always beware of people who never cry 
because a witch can cry only three tears from the left eye. People who look into 
their cup while drinking are thieves. 
Next come the children, babies in specific. A newborn should be held in 
the arms of the maiden before anyone else. At birth, an infant should be brushed 
with a rabbit's foot because it will avert the possibility of an accident to the 
child. To rock a cradle with the baby not in it is to prognosticate it's death. 
When the kids get older, they go to school. When going to school, they should 
never step on the last crack before you go in or you would fail lessons that day. 
You should always take a test with the same pencil you used for studying 
because the pencil will remember the answers. If people were counted, it would 
put the life of one of them in danger. Instead, you should always count the 
number of shoes and divide by two. 
Money is an item that should never be taken for granted. For that reason,
take the first money you get each day, kiss it, spit on it, and put it an empty 
pocket where it will draw more. Touch your money at the sight of a new moon 
and as moon grows, so will your fortune. Never refuse to give a beggar money, 
at least a penny, or the beggars misfortune will fall on you or a loved one. If 
you want to keep your money from being stolen, wash it in rainwater.
V. Animals 
Animals may bring good or back luck. Don't stand next to a dog during a 
thunderstorm because they attract lightning. It is good luck if a strange ca t visits 
your home, but bad luck if it stays. It is also ill luck to have your picture taken 
with a cat. It is also unlucky to meet a white horse at midday or midnight. In 
order to protect yourself from harm, you should carry a horse's hair in your 
right hand all day long. It is a sign of good fortune if a ladybug lands on a 
person's hand or dress, but it must not be brushed off, it must fly away on it's 
own. The deeper the ladybug's color or the more spots, the better the luck. 
Of course, cat superstitions are one thing everybody knows. Everyone 
knows that it is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path. On the other hand, 
in England black cats are considered lucky and white cats are feared. Cats are 
looked upon as supernatural creatures because people think they have nine lives. 
The truth is that they have a very flexible spine and are less likely to get hurt in 
falls or accidents.
VI. Sports
Many people love sports and there are a few things they can do for good 
luck. Tennis players shouldn't hold three balls in one hand while serving or it will 
bring bad luck. Golfers should only tee off when the ball is placed with trade 
name or number up or the hole will be lost. Basketball players believe that if you 
make the last basket during warm-ups, you will do well in the game but others 
think that you will not do good in a game if you make the last basket. People 
who fish don't count the number of fish they have caught because they don't 
catch anymore.
Baseball, out of the many sports, has the most superstitions. Players 
should stand in the batter's box for good luck because spirits cannot hurt you if 
you are standing in a circle and this comes from the days when the sun was 
worshipped. They will also spit on the end of a bat or stick a piece of gum on 
the lower end of the bat for good luck. A ballplayer coming off the field should 
always lay his glove in the same place for luck in hitting. There are many more 
but these are some of the most important ones. 
VII. Dates
Holidays, New Years in specific, have many superstitions. On New Years 
Eve when the clock strikes twelve midnight, people say what you are doing is 
very influential for the new year. Thus, you will find people walking up and down 
the street with a piece of luggage so their year brings traveling. One tradition 
that is very popular is the eating of twelve grapes. This is to ensure good luck 
for each of the twelve months in the upcoming year.
There are many things that will be lucky or unlucky, depending on the day 
that you do them. Friday the 13th is very known. It is unlucky because just 
Fridays are supposed to be unlucky and that plus the number 13, the unluckiest 
number of them all, make it even worse. For Saturday, it is the worse day to 
hire someone because they will not stay long. Thursdays are supposed to have 
one lucky hour, the hour before the sunrises.
There are some unlucky and lucky numbers. Three is considered one of 
the most luckiest numbers because many things come in threes. For instance, time 
is divided into past, present and future. A day is divided into morning, noon, and 
night. And as for the primary colors there are three: red, yellow, and blue. Even 
numbers are in general unlucky. All the odd numbers under ten are lucky. 
However, the number thirteen is said to have very bad luck, but there are some 
good things connected with it. The U.S flag has thirteen stripes and there are 
thirteen doughnuts, rolls, or cookies in a baker's dozen.
Superstitions have been for a very long time. They can help us move 
safely through life if we listen to them. Yet, some people think they are very 
silly and that they don't make sense. There are even anti-superstition committees 
trying to prove that they don't exist. Many are very unrealistic and sound like 
they are not true... or are they?
Bibliography
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Hardy, Phil and Dave Laing. Encyclopedia of Superstition. A division of Macmillan, Inc.
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