FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 - SUPERSTITIONS

 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024 - SUPERSTITIONS 

From a bumper sticker. 

“I’m not superstitious, just a little stitious.” 

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So, today is Friday the 13th - big deal.  

There will be at least one Friday the 13th each year and as many as three in some years.  

So, why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?

First - At the Last Supper were the twelve disciples and Jesus - thirteen people.  One of those (Judas) betrayed Jesus.  

Second - Jesus was killed on a Friday.

So, together, it makes Friday the 13th a lousy day.

Here are some common superstitions:

Knock on wood
A verbal talisman to ward off bad luck after tempting fate. The association with wood may come from old myths about good spirits in trees or from the Christian cross. 

No umbrellas inside
Opening an umbrella indoors is supposed to bring bad luck. 

Walking under ladders
In medieval times, people believed a ladder leaning against a wall resembled the gallows. 

Broken mirrors
This superstition originates from ancient Romans who thought that mirrors held the reflection of the soul. 

Cross your fingers
Bad luck is believed to be trapped at the point where the two fingers meet. 

Black cats crossing your path
In some European folklore, black cats are considered familiar companions of witches and bringers of misfortune. 

Make a wish on a wishbone.
The Romans added the element of two people breaking the bone together, with whoever ended up with the longer piece earning good fortune or a granted wish. 

• Throwing salt over your shoulder
  It is thought that tossing salt over your shoulder “blinds,” the devil sitting on your left shoulder. 

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• Friday the 13th
  Considered unlucky in many Western cultures, stemming from various religious, mythological, and cultural traditions

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Superstitions can be considered "stupid" because they are based on beliefs lacking logical or scientific evidence. They often attribute cause and effect to random occurrences and rely on irrational thinking to explain the world around us, even when people may consciously know better. Thus, they believe things that cannot be proven true and act on those beliefs despite their lack of basis in reality.

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Karen adds:

Okay, as a twenty-first-century person, I don’t see superstitions as often anymore (thank goodness). There might be some reasons for some of the ideas above.

I don’t walk under ladders that have a painter on them.  I might get paint dripping on me.

I don’t open an umbrella instead (usually) - there just isn’t a need, too, and I’d have to lower it to get out the door.  I opened an umbrella inside to see if it was broken.

Black cats, brown cats, etc., are okay unless they are panthers, lions, or tigers.  I avoided riding my bike in a certain neighborhood with a bunch of barking chihuahuas who seemed interested in nipping at my feet as I pedaled through their neighborhood.  (No, they were roaming free on the street.)  

I avoid getting out of my car in Yellowstone Park when there are bison or bears (not because I’m superstitious about them, but because they are wild animals!).

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There are other adages, like getting married on a rainy day, which can be bad luck. 

Matthew 14:1 says, “Let not your heart be troubled.”  

(Okay, one time that I’ve never mentioned).  I was presenting at a conference in Atlanta.  I booked late; my hotel was three blocks north and three blocks west of the conference hotel.  Our flight was delayed, and when I got there, my directions were off (before having a compass on a smartphone).  So, I walked three blocks south and then started on three blocks east (thinking I was going in the right direction.  The neighborhood quickly deteriorated, and I was in a black neighborhood.  I’m walking down the street, pulling a suitcase with my computer bag over my shoulder.  I came to an area of bars, and there were some black men on the sidewalk gawking at me.  A couple of men started to follow me.  

I was praying!!  And half-a-block ahead was an old gas station with its lights on.  I headed for it.  And it was a community police station in an old gas station.  The two cops looked at me like what kind of a fool I was. They gave me a lift to my correct hotel.  (The hotel clerk remarked it was the first time an arriving lodger arrived in a squad car.) .

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So, worry, anxiety, and superstitions are negative thoughts. Being smart asking for directions or taking a cab) would have worked better.

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, December 13, 2024