Superstition

COMMON SUPERSTITIONS

The origins of avoiding walking under ladders has a sinister air, with the two strongest theories both pointing to places of execution. The ladder used to remove Christ's body from the cross was said to have the devil himself lurking beneath it. And the scaffold on which criminals were hung was always pictured with a ladder leaned against it, associated with bad luck. 

Knocking on wood (in Britain and Australia the phrase is touch wood) is so common that many of its numerous practitioners do not consider it a superstitious practice at all. The most likely explanation is a popular 19th century children's game, Tig-Touch-Wood, in which touching wood makes you safe from being tagged: shouting out the phrase "touch wood" was even a part of the game itself.

Knocking on wood in the Oval Office

In the US in the late 19th Century it was briefly fashionable for people to form "13 Clubs" where they would dine in groups of 13, walk under ladders, spill salt at the table, etc. to demonstrate their lack of superstition. Several future US Presidents participated.

FRIDAY THE 13th 

The superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th stem from Jesus' crucifixion, which occurred on a Friday. 

Anglo-Saxons thought Friday so unlucky that any child born on that day was killed rather than be allowed to grow up to a life of misfortune.

The most likely reason for 13 being considered unlucky is it being the number after 12. From ancient cultures onwards, 12 has been seen as a number of completion. There are 12 hours on the clock face, 12 months in a year and 12 signs of the zodiac. So number 13 ventures into the unknown.

Another theory for 13's bad name is it was said that a hangman would ensure his noose had at least 13 turns of the rope to be certain of breaking a neck. 

According to the National Geographic  the fear of the number of 13 was fueled by Judas, the 13th apostle at the Last Supper, who betrayed Jesus.

Medieval Christians thought Friday unlucky as the day of the crucifixion, and 13 has been thought unlucky since pre-Christian times, but the two were not linked until the 19th century.

The first reference to an unlucky Friday the 13th came in an 1869 biography of the composer Gioachino Rossini who died on Friday November 13, 1868.

On Friday January 13, 2017 Finn Air's flight 666 left for HEL (Helsinki) at 13:00 on a 13-year-old aircraft. They arrived safely.

Fear of the number 13 is triskaidekaphobia; fear of Friday the 13th is friggatriskaidekaphobia (after Frigga, the goddess who gave her name to Friday).

Fear of the number of 13 is something suffered by both Napoleon Bonaparte and President Franklin D. Roosevelt — even though the latter is famous for his statement that: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Sholom Aleichem, the Yiddish author and playwright had a fear of the number 13. His manuscripts never had a page 13; he numbered them 12a.

In 1962, the Anti-Superstition Society of Chicago awarded John Glenn (occupant of the 13th capsule in space) with a gold watch with each number replaced with the number 13. There were 13 senators attending, each paid $13.13 to be there, and it was held on Friday the 13th.

SUPERSTITIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

In Russia if a bird poops on you or your property, it's a sign of good luck.

In Mexico if your palm itches, it's because money is coming your way. However, if you scratch your palm, the money won't come. 

In Chinese culture, 3 is a lucky number because it sounds similar to the word ‘alive'. However, in Vietnam it is considered bad luck to take a photo with three people in it, because there is a superstition that the person in the middle will die first.

The number 8 is such a lucky number in China that the Chinese government scheduled the 2008 Beijing Olympics to begin 8 seconds after 8:08 on 8/8/2008.

The number four is pronounced the same as the word death in Japan, thus the number is considered unlucky.

In Japan if you lie down after eating, you will become a cow.

In Indonesia staying in the bathroom too long makes you look old.

When babies are born in Thailand, it is common for people to say the tot is ugly. There is a superstition that attractive babies will be taken by evil spirits. It is impolite to say positive things about the baby.

Most homes in Bolivia have a dried llama fetus buried under their foundations for good luck and protection.

SUPERSTITIONS IN SPORT

Many Australian cricketers are superstitious about a score of 87 and call it the Devil's number — because it is an unlucky 13 short of a century.

One of Test cricket's best-known umpires, David Shepherd, used to stand on one leg and hop whenever the score hit 222. He said he was "tremendously superstitious" and did the same for any multiple of 111. On Friday 13th, he would tie a matchstick to a finger so he would be touching wood to bring good luck all day.

Baseball players often have specific routines or rituals they perform before a game, such as a batter tapping the plate with their bat a certain number of times before hitting or a pitcher having a specific pattern of warm-up throws.

In soccer, some players have superstitions about what they wear or do before a game, such as putting on their left sock before their right or always eating the same meal before a match.

Many athletes believe in the power of lucky charms, such as wearing a specific piece of jewelry or carrying an object with them.

In basketball, some players have superstitions about their pre-game routine, such as always shooting a certain number of free throws or layups before the game starts

Some football players have superstitions about the order they dress or gear they wear, and they may not change it even if it is uncomfortable or ill-fitting.

Source Daily Express