10 Superstitions That Are Actually Spot-on (2023)

FAQs

What are 10 superstitions? ›

Knocking on wood; carrying a good luck charm such as a four-leaf clover, lucky dice or a special gemstone; making a wish on a stray eyelash, falling star, wishing well, rainbow or when blowing out birthday candles are all ways to make good fortune come your way.

A mirror which is broken may bring bad luck; it is said, house where mirror was broken cannot get well for a period of seven years. Thirteenth day of a Month is considered as ill-omen; nothing is done on this day. One cannot pass in front of a car. It is considered as ill-omen that a rabbit may pass in front of a car.

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

Usually grumbled by an expert who just lost a game to a novice, "beginner's luck" is the idea that newbies are unusually likely to win when they try out a sport, game or activity for the first time. Beginners might come out ahead in some cases because the novice is less stressed out about winning.

A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown.

What are the two types of superstition? ›

Negative superstitions involve behaviors or omens that are associated with negative (unlucky or harmful) consequences; whereas positive superstitions are associated with the desire to bring luck or preferable consequences (Fluke et al., 2014; Wiseman & Watt, 2004).

This item can be classified as a “negative” superstitious belief; that is, it reflects the notion that certain behaviors or omens are magically associated with bad luck and have potentially harmful consequences(Wiseman & Watt, 2004).

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition.

But the number four is considered unlucky because it sounds a lot like the word for “death,” and as a result Chinese buildings often lack a fourth floor (just as American buildings sometimes skip the 13th). Likewise, Chinese drivers avoid license plates ending in four.

Every religious system tends to accumulate superstitions as peripheral beliefs—a Christian, for example, may believe that in time of trouble he will be guided by the Bible if he opens it at random and reads the text that first strikes his eye.

Salt is believed to ward off evil spirits in Mahayana Buddhist tradition, and after a funeral, salt is thrown over the left shoulder to prevent evil spirits from entering the house.

Perhaps part of the answer lies in a seminal paper published in 1956 by the psychologist George A Miller called “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two”. Miller claims that it is more than just coincidence that the number 7 seems to be all around us.

Seven can also be considered an unlucky number since the 7th month (July) is a "ghost month". It also sounds like "to deceive" (欺, pinyin: qī) in Mandarin.

luckless, unfortunate, hapless or ill-fated.

What is the superstition that bad luck comes in threes? ›

The superstition goes that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed or that the man who was third on the match would be shot. Since then, it has been considered bad luck for three people to share a light from the same match.

#3: The Rule of 3

Outside of the theater world, the number three typically denotes good fortune. Those on the other side of the curtain believe that having three lit candles onstage brings bad luck to the performers.

One common explanation traces the phenomenon to ancient pagan cultures such as the Celts, who believed that spirits and gods resided in trees. Knocking on tree trunks may have served to rouse the spirits and call on their protection, but it could have also been a way of showing gratitude for a stroke of good luck.

Money number 6 in numerology

Considered to be the money attracting number, people falling under this will have the most luck when it comes to monetary wealth.

Rosenthal describes random luck as events that are outside of our control or knowledge — you can't predict it, but you can notice it in hindsight.

Hang Your Clothes Outside To Dry

A wandering ghost may “try on” your clothes at night. Thus, it is best to avoid hanging them out late at night. These ghosts may even enter your house after trying on your clothes!

What is the superstition about spilling sugar? ›

John: In Russia, if you spill some sugar by accident, it means love will come to you. Karina: Sugar is sometimes thought to be opposite of salt. John: This superstition probably came about because sugar is sweet, so people associate it with good things.

Phobic (fearful) superstitions can also interfere with our lives, and cause a lot of anxiety, says Vyse. For example, people who are afraid of Friday the 13th might change travel arrangements or skip an appointment because of unnecessary anxiety.

1. an irrational belief in the significance or magical efficacy of certain objects or events (e.g., omens, lucky charms) or a custom or act based on such belief. 2. any unscientific belief accepted without question.

First thing to know is there is nothing wrong with you – superstitions are a natural part of how we think about the world around us, Graef says.

What are the unluckiest numbers? According to global superstitions, the unluckiest numbers are 12, 17, 13 and 666. The Japanese culture also believes some ages to be unlucky including 25, 42 and 60.

Superstitions are repeated patterns of behavior that follow no logic or reason. Taboos are behaviors that are strongly frowned upon by a culture. A given person's behaviors can be understood if their combined beliefs, rituals, superstitions, and taboos are known.

According to folklore as well as ancient Roman tradition, the title of unluckiest month to get married goes to May. While July weddings promise some troubles in the future, May weddings are sure to end in regret! “Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day.”

Colobraro, an ancient hilltop town in Italy's southern region of Basilicata, is reputed to be the nation's unluckiest village.

The word for Tuesday, martes, comes from the planet Mars, named after the Roman God of War. So, for many Spaniards, Tuesday is associated with war, death, destruction, blood and violence. In addition to this, historically, Tuesday can be considered as an unlucky day.

What numbers represent evil? ›

sum to 666 is known as an evil number (Pegg and Lomont 2004). However, the term "evil" is also used to denote nonnegative integers that have an even number of 1s in their binary expansions, the first few of which are 0, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 20, ...

Traditionally, 4 is unlucky because it is sometimes pronounced shi, which is the word for death. Sometimes levels or rooms with 4 don't exist in hospitals or hotels.

It is often considered lucky in Western culture and is often seen as highly symbolic. Unlike Western culture, in Vietnamese culture, the number seven is sometimes considered unlucky. In English, it is the first natural number whose pronunciation contains more than one syllable.

- Seeing a snake is considered good luck. - Seeing a partridge is considered bad luck.

An omen (also called portent) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages from the gods.

A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown.

: a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck : a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck. [count] It is a common superstition that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck.

Superstitions are long-held beliefs that appear to be rooted in coincidence or cultural tradition rather than logic or facts. Superstitions are often connected to pagan beliefs or religious practices that were widespread in the past.

What is a superstition ritual? ›

a specific pattern of behavior that is believed to control one's performance and its outcome when there is no rational reason for this belief. Failure to follow the ritual is believed to have negative effects on performance and outcome.

Boar. A Chinese astrology sign as well as a Feng Shui animal, a boar, also known as the pig, activates the wealth area of the house, which is usually in the southeast corner. This animal is often used to collect money and that is why money is usually saved in piggy banks.

Bulls are known for bringing luck to a variety of cultures. Greek, Celtic, Egyptian and East Indian people all see the animal as a powerful force. The bull is said to be a sign of positive things from good health to wealth. The Greeks looked upon the bull as a master of love and fertility.