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13 is considered an unlucky number. Freitag der 13. image by Andreas Reer from Fotolia.com
Superstitions are so ingrained in culture that many people toss salt over their shoulders or refuse to walk under a ladder without knowing why. Superstitions lead to acting out small rituals or avoiding specific scenarios to prevent bad luck. Every superstition has its own origin and comes from centuries ago.
Walking Under a Ladder
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Walking under a ladder can certainly be unsafe but its considered bad luck for an entirely different reason. An open ladder forms a triangle which was once seen as a symbol of life. By walking under it, you are tempting your fate. Later the superstition morphed into Christian myth by being akin to blaspheming. Instead of forming a symbol of life, Christian believers saw triangles as symbols of the holy trinity. By walking under the ladder, you are committing the unforgivable sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, making the sinner in league with the Devil.
Spilling Salt
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Spilling salt is considered bad luck and the only way to stop the bad luck is to quickly throw a pinch of the spilled salt over your left shoulder. In ancient times salt was an expensive commodity that was traded among many different cultures. Because it was such bad form, some believe the idea of spilling salt being bad luck was a way to keep careless people from constantly knocking over the salt bowl. The idea of tossing the spilled salt over the left shoulder comes from Christian origins. The left side of the body is considered the sinister side where the Devil lurks in an attempt to bring the body to sin. Spilling salt invites the Devil to sin and by throwing the salt over the left shoulder you're actually throwing it right in the Devil's eyes, stopping him in his tracks.
Black Cats
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Depending on the time period and culture, cats can bring either horrible luck or good luck. A common Western superstition is that seeing a black cat is bad luck but having that black cat cross your path is an omen of doom. In the Middle Ages people believed that witches could take the form of black cats or that the cats were simply evil "familiars," with the ability to transfer power to their witch masters. The black cat's power went so far that people believed the cat severed your access to heaven by crossing in front of you.
The Number 13
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The bad luck of the number 13 is so ingrained in Western culture that many hotels don't label a 13th floor and airplanes skip the 13th row. The fear is so common that there's a psychological label for it: Triskaidekaphobia. Although its one of the most common superstitions, the origins are difficult to pinpoint. Norse mythology associates 13 with Loki, the killer murderer of Baldur. Loki is the 13th god and was the 13th guest at Baldur's funeral. The negative associations to 13 litter Christian theology. There were 13 guests at the last supper and some argue that Jesus was the 13th guest. Others believe that Judas was the 13th. Another Christian association is that Lucifer was the 13th angel created. The origin of Friday the 13th being bad luck is debated because it is a concept that spans across cultures. The Christian explanation is simply that 13 is unlucky and Jesus was crucified on a Friday, making it even more unlucky.
Breaking a Mirror
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Breaking a mirror is supposed to bring the unfortunate stumbler seven years of bad luck. Mirrors were often attributed supernatural powers by their ability to reflect the natural truth. Cultures throughout China, India, Africa and Greece believed that a mirror had the power to possess one's soul and if a mirror was broken it would trap the soul inside. Other origins are similar to the origins of the salt superstition. Mirrors were an expensive, prized possession and the superstition may have evolved out of a scare tactic to save household mirrors. The only way to stop the seven years of bad luck is to bury the mirror under the moonlight, possibly stemming from mischievous methods of hiding the evidence.
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