Do you avoid flying on Friday the 13th?

Are you the kind of person that throws a pinch

of salt over your shoulder if you’ve spilled it? Would you be alarmed if you broke a
mirror?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then you believe in superstitions – or perhaps
you abide by their rules “just in case.” Superstitions abound the world over, but vary
considerably from country to country. Here are some of the most common:

Friday the 13th

This is the daddy of all Western superstitions; up to 21 million Americans suffer from
Friggatriskaidekaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th). A common theory of its origins
suggests it is a combination of two superstitions: 13 has long been considered an unlucky
number. Friday was described as an unlucky day in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a line of
which reads: “And on a Friday fell all this mischance.” Another day-plus-date
superstition is Tuesday the 13th, an unlucky day in Spanish-speaking countries and
Greece because Constantinople was conquered on a Tuesday.

Unlucky Numbers

Thirteen is far from the only numerical superstition. Four is the ultimate unlucky number
in several Asian countries, including China, Japan and Korea. Chinese and Japanese
words for “four” sound similar to the word for “death.” However, 17 is the unluckiest
number in Italy. In Roman digits, 17 is written XVII, which can be rearranged to “VIXI.”
In Latin, this can mean, “I am dead.” In fact, during the 2006 Italian Winter Olympics,
turn number 17 on the bobsleigh track was called “Senza Nome” (without name).

Lucky Numbers

Seven is a lucky number in many cultures, partly for its importance in different religions,
including Christianity (God made the world in 7 days) and Islam (7 heavens and 7
articles of faith). It also appears throughout nature (7 seas, 7 colors of the rainbow, 7
continents). But in China, 8 is the luckiest number of all, as it sounds similar to the word
meaning “wealth.” Curiously, 8 has been very lucky for one particular person in China
who sold the telephone number 888-8888 for $270,000!

Evil Eye

Belief in an “Evil Eye” stretches back millennia and is thought to originate in ancient
Sumer (now Iraq). The idea that a malevolent look could cause misfortune for the
targeted person became a common superstition in the Middle East and Mediterranean
Europe, then traveled across the Atlantic with explorers. In Italian it is called malocchio,
in Portuguese mau-olhado, in Turkish Nazar, while in Hawaiian, it’s maka pilau (stink
eye). With this superstition came many talismans and charms, most featuring a blue eye
to bounce the evil eye back to its giver.

Breaking a Mirror

The superstition that breaking a mirror is bad luck stems from the Ancient Greeks’ belief
that one’s soul is reflected in a mirror. The Romans added the caveat that said the bad
luck would last for seven years, as they believed life is split into seven-year cycles. It has
become one of the world’s most common superstitions, except in the Arab world, where
breaking any kind of glass literally means breaking a spell of bad luck.

Sleeping Position

Sleeping takes up about a third of our lives, so it’s unsurprising to find many superstitions
around it. In Japan, it’s bad luck to sleep with your head pointing north, as that’s how the
dead are buried. In Africa, you shouldn’t sleep with your head pointing west for the same
reason. Don’t sleep with your feet facing the door in Italy because that’s how the dead are
carried out.

Black Cat

Confusingly, black cats are symbols of good AND bad luck. They’re evil omens in
Europe, historically associated with witchcraft, later a common belief in the US during
the Salem Witch Hunt. This superstition remains so prevalent that stray black kitties in
the US and UK take up to 40% longer to place in a home than do other colors. However,
in many Asian countries, particularly Japan, black cats are considered lucky. What to
believe? We’ll leave the final word to Groucho Marx: “A black cat crossing your path
signifies that the animal is going somewhere.”

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

The custom of having bridesmaids and groomsmen began with god-fearing Romans.
They required ten witnesses at a wedding, and they had to dress exactly like the happy
couple to confuse evil spirits wanting to ruin the couple’s happy day. Similar traditions
exist in Zulu and Egyptian histories, while in England, the bridesmaids and groomsmen
walk together behind the couple to protect them from evil spells. Choose carefully when
picking your bridal party members; are they up to the evil-busting job?

Whistling

Whistling is common in nearly all cultures, accompanied by many superstitions.

Whistling at night is taboo across much of Asia, as it’s thought to attract ghosts (China)
or snakes (Japan). Moving to Europe, the UK has its “Seven Whistlers” tradition. If you
hear them whistling, expect death or disaster. In Russia and Romania, whistling indoors
may bring poverty upon the house. Origins of whistling superstitions are unknown, but
cynics think it was a way of keeping annoying whistlers quiet at night or inside!

Spilling Salt

Until about 100 years ago, salt was a highly valued commodity, thus it’s unsurprising that
spilling salt has been considered bad luck for thousands of years in many cultures.
Folklore dictated negating this bad luck by throwing a pinch of salt over your left
shoulder and into the eye of the devil. Asian countries have contrasting salt superstitions:
Salt is thrown on the ground of a new home for good luck. In Japan, you should throw
salt over your shoulder before entering your home after attending a funeral.

Lucky Horseshoe

Nailing a horseshoe above a door for luck is a superstition found in pretty much every
culture that shoes horses, from Asia to Europe to the US. The European belief began with
the Greeks, who believed iron could ward off evil spirits. This filtered from the Greeks to
the Romans, and spread to Britain and beyond by the 1300s. Many believe that luck spills
out of the shoe when it is hung with the open side facing down, but there is no consensus
on whether this is good or bad!

Walking Under a Ladder

The belief that walking under a ladder will result in bad luck has lasted an impressive
5,000 years. In ancient Egypt, it was unlucky because a ladder leaning against a wall
creates a triangle, a shape Egyptians considered sacred (just look at their pyramids).
Later, Christianity said it was unlucky because the three points of the shape represented
the Holy Trinity. It also spread to Asia in another, more grisly, form, as criminals used to
be hung from the seventh rung of a leaning ladder.

Broom-lore

This humble cleaning implement (and witch’s steed) features in many superstitions.
Moving homes in the US? Be sure to leave your old broom behind, as it swept up all the
bad luck. If you’re in Sicily on Midsummer’s Eve, you should leave a broom outside to
ward off evil. Or if you’re in China on New Year’s Day, do not sweep as you will sweep
away all the upcoming year’s good luck. Finally, in England there’s even a rhyme to
accompany broom superstition: “Buy a broom in May, and you will sweep your friends
away.”
You have been warned…