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Superstitions

Written in: Grade 7 | Year: 2008

What would you think if a black cat crossed your path on your way to your soccer game? Or if you accidentally dropped your mirror and it shattered into a million pieces? I know what most of you would be thinking- I’m doomed!! That is because black cats and breaking a mirror are two very famous superstitions. “What are superstitions?” many of you may ask, “and how did they originate?” Well, today you are going to find out. Good evening judges, parents and students. How many of you ever heard that it is bad luck to spill salt or that it is good luck to say “Bless You” to a person after they have sneezed? I’m sure many of you have heard those superstitions, but did you ever wonder who made them up?

Many famous superstitions such as the one about black cats originated in early Christianity or in Ancient times. In Ancient Egypt, people believed in mythical gods. One of those gods was a black female cat named Bastet, and since Christians were trying to get rid of other religions, black cats and their owners were burned. After many years, black cats were thought to have another meaning - evil. They were believed to have supernatural powers of evil and be associated with witches and demons. People believed that if any black cat crossed your path, this was a sign that the devil was thinking about you and blocking your way to Heaven. Many years ago, it was proven that black cats weren’t evil, but to this day people still try to avoid having a black cat cross their path.

Although it seems unfair to have bad luck for a day just because a black cat crossed your path, did you know that you can have bad luck for seven years if a mirror is broken? The origin of this superstition is quite old. In Ancient times, it was believed that a mirror was a sign of the Egyptian gods. Mirrors were believed to hold a lot of power, therefore if one was broken; disaster would strike and would be with the person who broke the mirror. Misfortune would be with that person for seven years because centuries ago people believed that it took seven years for the human body to properly heal and cleanse itself of illnesses.

Speaking of illnesses, what do you say to someone after they have sneezed? “Bless you!” Believe it or not but saying “Bless you” is actually one of the most common superstitions in North America. It originated during the great plague in Europe in the middle ages. At this time people began to sneeze violently and this became known as a sign of death. As more and more people began to sneeze, the Pope made a law that all people must bless the sneezer by saying, “Bless you” so he or she will survive their terrible condition.

Another famous superstition is to hang a horseshoe over your doorstep with the open end facing up. Although the origin of this superstition is unknown, horseshoes are thought to be lucky because they were originally made of iron, which holds power over the evil eye. When the horseshoe is hung up, it is thought to collect good luck through the open end. However be careful that the horseshoe doesn’t turn upside down (with the open end facing downward) otherwise all the good luck that has been collected will simply drain and never return.

Now you know why it is bad luck to break a mirror and why it is good luck to say “Bless you” after someone has sneezed, but do you know why it is good luck to kiss a passion fruit on the first of February? I don’t, in fact nobody does! There are some existing superstitions which nobody knows the meanings or origins of! These superstitions are usually silly and rather pointless such as it is bad luck to kick a cat in a theatre or it is good luck to spit on a coin found in the middle of a highway! Also, it is bad luck to get married in May and it is good luck to have an itch at the top of your head! These are silly ways to try to have good luck and many people doubt that these superstitions were made up for any purpose.

Since you now know some of the most famous superstitions and their origins you will be able to decide whether superstitions are signs of fate or just coincidences that happen everyday. Even if you choose not to believe in superstitions, try to avoid black cats before you do anything important and remember Aa, Aa, Achoo!, to always say “Bless you” after someone has sneezed, it’s good luck! Thank you.