CENTRE COUNTY — Friday the 13th can mean different things to different people. To some, it’s watching the film “Friday the 13th” or other horror movies. To others, it’s visiting a haunted place. However, to many, the “holiday” can be a fear itself.
“Triskaidekaphobia” is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the “fear of the number 13.” This can lead people to be afraid when Friday the 13th rolls around.
Let’s look at 13 superstitions and their origins around the superstitious holiday.
BLACK CATS CROSSING YOUR PATH
One of the more popular superstitions has to do with black cats. The story goes, if a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck.
This superstition was created by early Christians, who often believed that black cats and witches had a connection of some sort. This was carried on throughout medieval Europe and European folklore, where black cats were often depicted as witches’ companions.
“Cats, like the women accused of witchcraft, tend to exhibit a healthy disrespect for authority,” Cerridwen Fallingstar, author of “Broth from the Cauldron: A Wisdom Journey through Everyday Magic,” said in an article on History.com.
WALKING UNDER LADDERS
Besides being dangerous, walking under ladders has another meaning to some. There is a superstition that walking underneath a ladder can give you bad luck.
This superstition also originates from early Christianity. The Holy Trinity, which stands for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is a large part of Christianity. Since the triangle has three points, it is often considered sacred in religion.
Walking through the triangle that forms when a ladder is placed against the wall was seen as “breaking” the triangle of the Holy Trinity to some Christians.
Some other origins of the superstition suggest that the ladder against the wall resembles the gallows.
BROKEN MIRRORS
Another common superstition, that breaking mirrors brings seven years of bad luck, is a dangerous and messy superstition.
This superstition originates from ancient Rome. Ancient Romans believed that a mirror holds the reflection of a person’s soul. So, when a mirror was broken, this was believed to be damaging to the person’s soul.
KNOCK ON WOOD
Many people believe that knocking on wood will bring someone good luck, as opposed to the bad luck other superstitions on this list supposedly bring. This superstition has a few different origins from various points in time and all over the world.
The first origin traces back to ancient pagan times, when some people believed that spirits lived in trees. By knocking on a tree or wood the person would be able to trust that the spirit would protect them from bad luck.
The second origin comes from Turkey, where people will pull on an earlobe and knock on wood twice to ward off jinxes and bad luck.
PLACING A HAT ON THE BED
Placing a hat on a bed is a lesser-known superstition. However, doing so is said to have brought people bad luck.
The origins of the superstition have been a little bit lost over the years, but most people believe it started when people believed that evil spirits lived in people’s hair. People now believe this could have been what we now know as static buildup in our hair.
Some people still do believe that the spirits from their hair will get onto their bed and it is not right to have evil spirits near where you sleep.
NO UMBRELLAS INSIDE
This superstition says that opening umbrellas inside of a building will bring a person bad luck.
This belief comes from ancient Egypt. More specifically, Ra, the Egyptian sun god. Since umbrellas were used to block out the sun, it was disrespectful to the sun god to open an umbrella inside.
It was said that if someone did this, then Ra would seek vengeance upon the individual.
BAD LUCK COMES IN THREES
The superstition that bad luck appears in threes originated during the Crimean War. The war lasted two years among Russia, Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia.
Soldiers did not light three cigarettes at once because the amount of light that would come from lighting them would cause the enemy to see them.
TOSSING SALT OVER YOUR SHOULDER
Tossing salt over your left shoulder is said to ward off bad luck. This is another superstition that has a few origins.
The first origin comes from Christianity. In Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper,” it is portrayed that Judas Iscariot knocked salt onto the table. Since Judas then went on to betray Jesus, spilling salt was known as bad luck. People started throwing the spilt salt over their shoulders to ward off bad luck.
The second origin comes from the Greeks. They associated salt with trust and said, “No one should trust a man without first eating a peck of salt with him.”
THE CURSE OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY/THE CURSE OF MACBETH
This superstition is closer to the theater world. It is believed that it is bad luck to say the name of the production aloud in the theater.
This superstition comes from Macbeth because it is said that Shakespeare used elements of spells in Macbeth and some scenes feature witches.
CROSSING FINGERS
Crossing your fingers is said to help you when you are hoping for something to go your way or wishing for good luck.
This superstition comes from pre-Christianity and has to do with the symbolism of the cross. People would cross fingers with each other to show support for one another.
666
This superstition claims that the number “666” is a very unlucky number. This is one of the more popular superstitions.
People often believe that the number is associated with the devil. So, seeing this number can be viewed as bad luck because of the association.
MAKE A WISH ON A WISHBONE
The wishbone tradition and superstition come from early practices. It is said that if you break the bigger part of a wishbone your wish will come true.
This tradition is usually practiced during Thanksgiving, when two people pull on each end of a wishbone to hopefully make their wish come true.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
The origins of the superstitious holiday can be difficult to pinpoint. There are a few different speculations as to how the unlucky day started.
One of the origins is from Norse mythology. Twelve gods had a dinner party in Valhalla. Loki, another god, crashed the party. So, it is said that the number 13 brings bad luck.
Another origin is in Christianity, since Judas Iscariot is the 13th guest at the Last Supper and since he betrayed Jesus, it gives the number 13 an unlucky context.
