Origin of 5 superstitions associated with bad luck
Black cats, broken mirrors, throwing salt, Friday the 13th, avoiding going under ladders… All these facts or events are superstitions whose origin goes back thousands of years and have survived to our times. These actions have in common the need to avoid or ward off bad luck.
It is about beliefs that have no rational basis and from which a magical or supernatural character is attributed to certain events or facts. Next, we explain the origin of the 5 most common superstitions:
This superstition dates back to the late 16th century in Venice. Mirrors made of glass with a silver foil on the back were in vogue at that time. They were mirrors very expensive that the aristocrats of that time used to acquire. To ensure that their servants treated them with care they warned them that, if they broke them, they would have to work several years without receiving any salary and thus be able to compensate for the loss. The fear that something like this would happen was spreading, adding the magic number that has reached our days: seven.
This superstition has a religious origin . In the past, triangles and the number 3 were given a connotation of a sacred symbol. Both the pyramids and the Trilogy of the Holy Trinity formed by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. & nbsp; When a ladder leans against the wall it forms a triangle and the fact of going under it would be similar to breaking said Trinity and it was a sacrilege to go through that arch.
According to historians, the first umbrellas were made in ancient Egypt . They were made with papyrus and peacock feathers , and were designed like the goddess Nut , goddess of the sky. The shadow of the umbrella was therefore sacred and was strictly reserved for the Egyptian nobility. Opening an umbrella inside an establishment was considered to be a use against its natural purpose and, consequently, an insult to the Sun God Ra.
There are several superstitions that exist around salt and all of them have their origin in the value that this element had in the past. The origin of this superstition dates back to the Roman Empire . At that time, salt was a rare commodity and highly appreciated that was traded through barter . Being so difficult to obtain, it had a value similar to that of coins so the fact that it was accidentally spilled was considered a very unfortunate act.
Also, it is considered that a salt shaker should never be given from hand to hand, but should be deposited on the table or on some clear surface. This is because when used in bartering (for example, exchanging salt for meat), if the exchange was not done carefully the salt could spill. In that case, both people involved in the exchange could blame the other for the spill and this would end up causing big arguments. To avoid these situations, it was advisable to place the salt on flat surfaces in order to be able to barter without confusion. From this also arose the superstition that if you give the salt in hand you break the friendship.
Toasting is an ancient practice associated with ancient religious rites . In general, this fact is related to good wishes and positive things . However, in some countries toasting with water is considered an act of bad luck . According to Greek mythology , the dead punished with eternal suffering would have to drink from the River Lethe, where the deceased were believed to sail to the underworld. For this reason the Greeks used to honor and toast the dead with glasses filled with water to symbolize their journey into the depths of Hades. As a result of this myth, some cultures consider that making a toast with water it’s like you’re wishing other people death.
Another theory about the origin of this superstition goes back to the time of the czars of the Russian Romanov dynasty. & nbsp; They established the custom of indicating with a toast of water someone’s death sentence .
And… are you superstitious?
