Superstitious much?

When was the last time you crossed your fingers or said "Knock on wood?’’ Have you ever avoided a black cat or felt lousy when you’ve broken a mirror or a piece of glass? Do you own a rabbit’s foot? If any of the above rings a bell, then join the over 50% of the population who admit 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 fates. We derive comfort from thinking we can either avoid n undesirable result or bring about a desired result. Superstitions reduce tension and give is 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 behaviours people practice in the hope they will bring them luck. Throughout history, around the globe, strange rituals live on.

Courtesy: Kachee Goliyan.

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 likes. 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 on either the left or right or add some 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 beside overnight and there are bubble in the glass next morning, you are surrounded by good spirits.

Women tend to be more superstitious than men, or at least they admit to it in more studies and less educated people have more superstitious than better educated. Being superstitious is often a family tradition that is passed from one generation to another. If your parents are, chances are you will be too.

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. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky habitually tucked the right side of his jersey behind his hip pads for luck before game. Michael Jordan, the famous Basketball player admitted he tied up his laces in a certain way 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. The good news is the full moon lasts only one day. Weddings are awash in superstitions 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. Similarly, 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 theatre  Fear of change is usually at heart of actors’ superstitions. If he has a success on opening night, he hesitates to change anything during the run.

So superstitions are rooted in the profound lack of self-control we feel, especially in anxious times. Our minds create explanations for phenomena beyond our comprehension. So rub a rabbit’s foot and pluck some daisies. Especially in today’s world, it can’t hurt!



(Note: The above criteria contains research on referred examples.)