It’s Friday The 13th – Here’s How Five Common Superstitions Got Started
I have never been too superstitious but I am someone that "knocks on wood". Wait. Does that mean I am? Are we all?
I know many people that knock on wood all the time and they would say they aren't superstitious. Confused? I was until I did a little research. I wondered how did that whole "knock on wood" thing start. It is Friday the 13th today so let's deep dive into some other superstitions as well.
1. Why Friday The 13th Is Considered Unlucky
There isn't an exact reason why Friday the 13th gets a bad rap, but there is a lot of speculation. First, some people relate it to Biblical times when Judas, the 13th person at the Last Supper, betrayed Jesus. Others think that it is just a combination of the number 13 being considered bad luck and Friday being the least lucky day of the week. And some think that it might have been because on Friday the 13th of October 1307, the Knights Templar were arrested by Philip IV of France.
2. Breaking A Mirror Gives You Bad Luck
It was a commonly held belief in Roman times that mirrors actually held a part of your soul, so breaking them was bad luck. And the whole "7 years bad luck" that attached itself to the myth was from the belief in ancient times that the body renews itself every seven years.
3. Black Cats Crossing Your Path Are Bad Luck
This superstition goes back to the Middle Ages when black cats were associated with witchcraft and demons. That belief slowly morphed over time and people began to believe that if one of these black cats crossed your path, it was blocking your path to heaven and God.
4. Knocking On Wood
When you talk about something going wrong, you might "knock on wood" to make sure that it doesn't come true. That belief finds its origins in several different ancient civilizations where people believed that trees held spirits and if you touched them, those spirits would give you a blessing and you would gain protection from them.
5. White Lighters Are Bad Luck
This is the most recent superstition on the list and it comes from the "27 Club". The 27 Club is a group of musicians who all died at the age of 27 (Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, etc.). There is a belief that many of those musicians happened to be holding a white lighter when they died, giving that color of lighter bad luck.
But, we all know that superstitions aren't real. Right? So, don't worry about more bad things happening to you today than any other day, because its really just a Friday in August and nothing more than that. Or is it?