THE ORIGINS OF SUPERSTITIONS

SIGN OF THE HORNS

The sign of the horns is a hand gesture with a variety of meanings

and uses but most of us know it through Hard Rock and Heavy

Metal music.  However, its earliest use can be seen in India, as

a gesture very commonly used by Gautama Buddha as Karana Mudra

which is synonymous with expulsion of demons and the

removal of obstacles like sickness or negative thoughts.

SHOES ON A TABLE

An uncommon superstition is that bad luck will come to a person

who places shoes on a table, whether in the form of a family argument,

or risking death to a family member. It is believed that the superstition

originates from new shoes originally having the soles affixed by

hobnails, and that these would cause scratches on a new table if

they had not already been worn down.

LUCKY RABBIT'S FOOT

It is not uncommon for someone to carry around a rabbit’s foot for luck

and these can frequently be found in bins at the drugstore checkout

or dispensed from gumball machines. The tradition made its way to the

States with African slaves, and it is thought to be among the oldest

traditions in the world, dating from around 600 BC.

UNLUCKY FRIDAY THE 13^TH

This superstition might appear to be related to the number 13

superstition but Paraskevidekatriaphobia as Friday 13^th’s official term

is inspired by Christianity not Norse mythology. It is believed that

Jesus was crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party

of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor.

ITCHY PALM

According to the old time radio presentation from the 1930’s, 

The Origin of Popular Superstition, this belief originated from

the Saxons, who felt that rubbing diseased skin with silver

would cure it.

WISHING UPON A SHOOTING STAR

First century Ptolemy theorized that shooting stars resulted from

gods peering down on the Earth. Consequently, whenever someone

saw a shooting star in the sky, they made a wish.

CROSSING YOUR FINGERS

This is probably the superstition that is most widely used today.

Crossing two fingers (the middle and pointing fingers) on one

hand as a sign of hopefulness or desire for a particular outcome

comes from the Christian faith. It’s believed that when one

crosses his/her fingers, evil spirits are prevented from

destroying the chances of good fortune.

THE CURSE OF 39

In some parts of Afghanistan, the number 39 is associated with

a curse or a badge of shame as it is purportedly linked with

prostitution. The origin of the number’s undesirability is unclear

but it’s widely claimed to have been associated with a pimp,

allegedly living in the western city of Herat, who was nicknamed

“39” after the registration plate of his expensive car and the

number of his apartment.