10 Common Superstitions and Where They Come From
Superstitions are just silly, right? There's a good chance that you may actually believe some and practice these rituals to thwart evil. See the list.
Common Superstitions at a Glance
- Most repeated: Knock on wood, cross your fingers, say “bless you”
- Bad-luck signs: Walking under a ladder, a black cat crossing your path, an umbrella opened indoors
- Where they come from: Early Christian, Druid, Pagan, and ancient Egyptian belief
- The honest part: None is backed by science, yet most of us still do them
Being superstitious is just silly, right? Maybe. But there is a good chance you practice more than a few of these common superstitions without thinking twice, knocking on wood or tossing a pinch of spilled salt over your shoulder out of pure habit. Here are 10 of the most popular, where each one came from, and a plain look at whether there is anything to it. We will tell the folklore straight and let you decide what to keep.
10 Superstitions You Might Still Believe
1. Walking Under a Ladder Brings Bad Luck
It is genuinely risky to walk under a ladder in case it slips, but the superstition runs deeper than safety. A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle with the ground, and to early Christians the triangle was sacred, a symbol of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stepping through it was thought to break that symbol, weaken God’s power, and let evil into the world. There is a grimmer root, too. Before gallows were built, murderers were hanged from the top rungs of ladders, and people believed their ghosts lingered underneath, so a wise person simply walked around.
2. Black Cats Are Bad Luck
Whether a black cat crossing your path is lucky or unlucky depends on where you live. In Egypt, cats of every color were lucky, held so sacred that killing one, even by accident, could cost a person their life. Cat cemeteries were common, and mummified cats were buried alongside their owners. Black cats lost that high standing in the Middle Ages, when people believed a witch could take a black cat’s form. One English tale tells of a father and son who stoned a black cat they suspected was a witch, then met a bandaged, ailing woman the next day who soon died. That story seems to be where the bad-luck belief began. Of course, a black cat is just a cat, and its coat color is simply genetics.
3. Beginner’s Luck Is a “Thing”
“Beginner’s luck” is the idea that someone new to a game or sport tends to win on the first try. The likelier explanation is plain enough: beginners are not yet wound up about winning, and experts agree that too much anxiety can drag down performance. Sometimes a steady hand beats a practiced one.
4. If You Spill Salt, Throw Some Over Your Left Shoulder
You have to wonder how much salt ends up on kitchen floors over this one. Salt has long been prized as a purifier and a ward against evil spirits. The tradition says that tossing a pinch over your left shoulder with your right hand throws a barrier across the path of any bad luck sneaking up behind you. In truth, the broom you use to sweep it up probably does more good than the toss.
5. Bad Luck Comes in 3s
First your best friend has a fender bender. Then you spill coffee into your laptop. Now you are bracing for the other shoe to drop, because everyone has heard that bad luck comes in threes. A few theories explain why. One ties back to the Holy Trinity again, the sense that important things, good and bad, arrive in threes. Another is simpler arithmetic of the mind: once is random, twice is chance, but three times feels like a pattern worth naming.
6. Knock on Wood (or “Touch Wood”) to Prevent Bad Luck
You have done this a thousand times. You say you never get sick, or your car never breaks down, then you scramble for the nearest scrap of wood to tap with your knuckles. Most accounts trace the habit to the Druids, whose gods lived in the trees. Knocking was a way to make contact and call on their good favor. Many Pagan cultures believed spirits dwelled in trees as well, so a knock on the bark was thought to rouse the spirit within. These days, knocking on wood mostly sends people to the front door to check for the pizza delivery.
7. Crossing Your Fingers Brings Good Luck
Ever hope hard for something and cross your fingers without deciding to? The old belief is that bad luck gets trapped at the point where the two fingers meet, so crossing them pins the bad luck in place and lets your wish slip through. Not likely, but nearly all of us still do it.
8. Opening an Umbrella Indoors Is Bad Luck
The umbrella superstition comes from early religions that worshiped the Sun god. Opening a sunshade indoors, away from the Sun’s rays, was read as an insult to him. The only real danger today is poking someone standing a little too close to the pointy ends.
9. Itchy Palms Means Money Is Coming
An old superstition holds that itchy palms mean money is on the move. An itchy left palm means money going out, while an itchy right palm means money coming in, since the left hand is the passive, receiving hand and the right is the active one. Folk wisdom even pairs it with knocking on wood (number 6 above) to release the buildup of unwanted energy. The plainer explanation is that itchy palms usually just mean dry skin.
10. Saying “God Bless You” When Someone Sneezes
This one is almost a reflex. Someone sneezes and out comes “bless you” before we think. In the sixth century it was customary to congratulate a sneezer, because a sneeze was believed to expel evil from the body. Later, when plague swept Europe, a sneeze was taken as a sign the person would soon die of it, so the blessing became a prayer for someone thought to be lost. The German gesundheit does the same job, translating literally to “good health.”
So, what do you think? Do you claim you are not superstitious and then catch yourself doing half of these anyway? Superstition is one of the oldest threads in human folklore, a way people have long tried to nudge luck in their favor, and you can read more about its long history at Britannica. Tell us in the comments below which ones you still do.
Common Superstitions FAQ
What are the most common superstitions?
Some of the most common superstitions are knocking on wood, crossing your fingers, avoiding walking under a ladder, worrying when a black cat crosses your path, throwing spilled salt over your left shoulder, and saying “bless you” after a sneeze. Most people practice at least a few without ever calling themselves superstitious.
Why is walking under a ladder considered bad luck?
A leaning ladder forms a triangle, a shape early Christians linked to the Holy Trinity. Passing through it was seen as breaking a sacred symbol. A darker root is that murderers were once hanged from ladders, and people feared their ghosts lingered underneath.
Why do people knock on wood?
The habit traces to the Druids and other Pagan cultures, who believed gods or spirits lived in trees. Knocking on wood was a way to make contact and ask for their protection or good fortune.
Are black cats really bad luck?
No. In ancient Egypt, cats of all colors were lucky and even sacred. The bad-luck belief grew in the Middle Ages from the idea that witches could take a black cat’s form. A black cat is simply a cat, and its color is genetics.
Is there any truth to common superstitions?
Not in a scientific sense. Beginner’s luck likely comes from being relaxed, “bad luck in threes” is our knack for spotting patterns, and itchy palms usually mean dry skin. The value of these traditions is cultural and personal, not predictive.
More Superstitions
- 7 Crazy Food Superstitions
- 10 Irish Superstitions
- Home-Buying Superstitions
- 13 Ways to Improve Your Luck on Friday the 13th
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
I don’t believe in luck. God’s got a plan for my life
Actually, the German word, “gesundheit,” doesn’t translate literally. Yes, “gesund,” is the word for “health,” however, “heit,” does not have a literal translation into English. But, you are correct in that the compound word “gesundheit,” basically means “good health to you.” But, it is more correct to say that it most closely translates to “good health to you.”
All of these was told to me as a child. And they stick with me. I do practice several of them almost all of them. Crazy I don’t know.😉😉
For many years, about a week before I get money; my left hand Will itch. The day before I get it, my right hand will itch. True story!!!
My grandparents came from Macedonia & have been teaching me about all kinds of superstitions my whole life.
A few major ones were:
– when you visit a cemetery, stop somewhere otw home to wash your hands, otherwise unwelcomed spirits could follow you home.
-Do not leave or enter your home or have windows open between 11:55 pm – 12:05 am or evil spirits could enter & bring bad luck. This 1 was VERY important & has proved true to me the very few times I didn’t follow..
– they also wore their underwear inside saying they’d learned that from many generations ago because it protects you from the evil eye & against any harm or jealousy or bad luck wished upon you. Lol
These are very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
If you spend money on New Year’s Day you will have financial problems all year / if you don’t, you will have a successful financial year – my mom’s ex boyfriend always said that one so we couldn’t spend any money on New Year’s Day. I still do this and I can’t say I’m rolling in the dough, but I’m okay, so I’m gonna say it works lol
If your right ear rings or itches someone is talking good about you / if your left ear rings or itches someone is talking bad about you
If your nose itches someone is thinking about you
One that I was taught was that if you are walking with your partner and there is a telephone pole or fire hydrant etc in your path, that both around it on the same side together. That splitting up to walk around means your relationship will break up
Kelly, me too!! I was also told that!! Not only your significant other but family, friends etc … And If you split the pole you are supposed to say “bread n butter”. Not sure why but was taught that. Kids and myself would switch up pairings like “peanut butter n jelly” ” cheese n crackers” to make it fun!!!
very interesting comments , its knowledge to start my day and to start a discussion at work about “superstitions”
My mother was from the old country and very superstitious. Here are a few that today I believe have some truth to them, if you were told to practice.
#1 Never sweep over your own feet with a broom, that will bring trouble in your marriage.
#2 Never take a picture with your boyfriend before you get married or it will bring a troubled marriage.
#3 Whenever you see a one lighted head light on a car in the night, lick your right thumb swipe it on your left palm and punch your palm with your right fist so it doesn’t bring bad luck to your marriage.
These 3 stuck in my mind for years and I preformed them until I got married for the first time then I stopped doing them as I thought they were silly, but I guess there’s some truth to it, I’m on marriage #3, maybe I should go back to practicing them.
Thanks mom for sticking this on me, ugh!
Oh, these are so fun! Thank you for sharing! Imagine #2 nowadays! LOL …:)
Maybe people not completing these or believing these superstitions is why there’s so many failed marriages & people who cheat nowadays 🤷♀️
My dad never would let us rock a rocking chair if it was empty , he said it was bad luck .
Interesting and so much fun to see these thanks for sharing!