Are you superstitious?
When was the last time you crossed your fingers or said, "Bless you" to someone who sneezed? Have you ever avoided a black cat or felt lousy when you've broken a mirror? Do you own a rabbit's foot? Do you get the heebie jeebies on Friday the 13th? If any of the above rings a bell, then join the over 50% of the population who admit to being a bit superstitious.Superstitions are activities that have no effect on events but exist because of coincidental rewards and society's prejudices. They are rooted in the philosophy that a symbolic act will bring about a physical reality. In a world where we face so many important and uncertain challenges, superstitions provide the illusion that we can somehow control our fates. We derive comfort from thinking we can either avoid an undesirable result or bring about a desired result. Superstitions reduce tension and give us a sense that what we're doing can help us out. In this way, they can be extremely useful tools.
Even if you're not a believer we think you'll get a kick out of some of the behaviors people practice in the hope they will bring them luck. Throughout history, around the globe, strange rituals live on.
- In China consumers are willing to pay huge sums of money for the right phone number and will shun others. One businessman paid $20,000 for a number he liked. The worst possible combination is one ending in 54-74-24, because in Chinese it sounds like, "I die, my wife dies, my child dies."
- In the Philippines, if you're taking a picture with two friends, don't stay in the middle as something bad might happen to you. Position yourself in either the left or right, or better yet add a few more people to the photo. Oh, and never take a bath on the day of your birthday... it brings bad luck.
- In Cuba if you leave a glass of water at your bedside overnight and there are bubbles in the glass the next morning, you are surrounded by good spirits.
- Women tend to be significantly more superstitious than men- or at least they admit to it in more studies- and less educated people have more superstitions than better educated.
- Superstitions help out with the performance anxiety that is an occupational hazard for lots of athletes. Baseball player Wade Boggs has eaten chicken before each game for over twenty years. Basketball player Michael Jordan admits he has to lace up his shoes a certain way before every game. Babe Ruth took a swat at butterflies on the diamond because he was sure they were bad luck. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky habitually tucked the right side of his jersey behind his hip pads for luck before every game.
- Emergency room physicians often try to avoid taking calls when there is a full moon. Psychiatrists are also vulnerable to the lunar orbit. (Hence the word, lunatic) The good news is that the full moon only lasts one day.
- Weddings are awash in superstitious ritual. A bride wears "something borrowed" from a previous bride who has a happy marriage; she wears "something blue" because it signifies virtue. A Chinese bride is never supposed to look in a mirror to insure there will only be one bride.
- Actors are considered to be in one of the most superstitious professions. Everyone knows you never wish an actor good luck. Instead you say, "break a leg." By wishing someone good luck, you're supposed to give your own luck away.
- The play Macbeth, although recognized as one of the world's greatest tragedies, has been followed by trouble since its opening night in 1606. Many actors have been injured or have died doing the play. Today quoting from it is bad luck. Even saying the name aloud is risky. Many actors refer to it as "the Scottish play" or simply "that play."
- Real flowers, jewels, money, mirrors and coffins are considered bad luck onstage.It's good luck if an actor's shoes squeak on his entrance, or if a cat makes its home
- in the theater.Fear of change is usually at the heart of actors' superstitions. If he has a success on opening night, he hesitates to change anything during the run.
- In Roman times menstruating women, it was warned, could cause a man's death if she prepared a meal for him. They were said to sour wine and were not allowed in church.
Info from BeingGirl.com
