20 Superstitions That Once Governed Our Lives

The fear of Friday the 13th has become one of the most widespread beliefs about bad luck in the Western world, blending the ancient apprehension associated with the number 13 with even older ideas that Friday is an unlucky day. Even today, this date still makes some people uneasy, which speaks volumes about the persistence of old superstitions. 

Black cats earned their bad reputation in medieval Europe and early modern times, when they were often associated with witchcraft and the devil. This long-standing mistrust persisted for centuries, which explains why, in the past, simply crossing paths with a cat on the road could lead people to interpret it as an omen. 

That seems logical today, since it’s true that it’s better not to walk under a ladder. But this belief also had a symbolic dimension, since the triangle formed by a ladder leaning against a wall was considered, in certain traditions, to be a sacred figure that should not be disturbed.

For a long time, it was believed that mirrors reflected more than just a face. In some parts of Europe, they were associated with the soul or the inner self; thus, breaking one was not only costly, but it was also believed to bring bad luck for years to come. 

In the past, salt was much more important than it is today. It was a precious commodity used to preserve food and held religious and symbolic significance, which explains why spilling it was seen as a minor disaster with spiritual connotations.

As soon as salt fell on the table, people would often try to remedy the problem immediately by tossing a pinch over their left shoulder. The idea was that the devil was hiding there, and that the salt would blind him or drive him away before he could take advantage of your misfortune. 

Touching wood still fits so naturally into conversation that it’s hardly perceived as a superstition anymore. Its exact origin is a matter of debate, but this custom has long been associated with the idea that wood possessed protective powers, or that touching it could prevent fate from hearing your boasts. 

Opening an umbrella inside the house was considered a way to invite misfortune—and not just a nuisance. Some historians point to ancient Egyptian beliefs about shadows and sacred protection, while others note that early rigid umbrellas were bulky enough indoors that people felt tempting fate was part of the offense. 

The rabbit-foot talisman combined folk magic, symbolism of good luck, and certain rather dark ancient beliefs about how it had to be obtained in order to work. For years, people kept one in their pocket or purse, much as one might carry a good-luck charm today, but with a much stronger belief in its power. 

The evil eye was not a fringe belief relegated to some remote corner of the world. It can be found in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as in Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and many other traditions, all of which are based on the fear that a hostile gaze can cause real harm. 

In an era when people believed that evil could be transmitted through a glance, a curse, or a bad omen, protective objects took on paramount importance. People wore amulets, beads, symbols, and small talismans not for aesthetic reasons, but because they sincerely believed that these items served as a barrier between themselves and misfortune. 

The number 13 was already considered unlucky long before it became associated with Friday. In Western tradition, it was often seen as a sign of disorder or excess following the orderly perfection of 12, which contributed to it being a number that people avoided at the dinner table, while traveling, and in their daily lives.

Beliefs about unlucky numbers are not unique to the West. In China and Japan, the number 4 has long been considered unlucky because its pronunciation sounds like the word for “death,” which has influenced choices regarding room numbers, floor numbers, and gifts. 

“Stepping on a crack” seems like child’s play today, but the superstitions of the past often regarded ordinary lines, thresholds, and cracks in the ground as places imbued with a special energy. The idea that a careless step could bring about misfortune fit perfectly into a world that saw hidden dangers in everyday actions. 

In the past, people interpreted animals in the same way we check weather apps today. A bird spotted at the wrong moment, a strange cry in the night, or an animal crossing the road could all be seen as omens of an upcoming event, since folklore often portrayed animals as messengers of good luck or warning. 

Before astronomy explained this phenomenon, an eclipse could seem terribly personal. A darkened sun or a moon that looked as if it had been bitten evoked less the laws of orbital mechanics than a sign that the heavens were angry and that the inhabitants of Earth had reason to worry. 

Comets were spectacular, rare, and hard to ignore, which made them perfect catalysts for superstition. For centuries, many interpreted them as omens of war, plague, or the death of rulers, since a strange light in the sky never seemed to be without meaning.

In the folk beliefs of the past, doorways were not merely functional spaces. They marked the boundary between a safe world and a dangerous one, which explains why so many customs revolved around thresholds—whether they involved blessings, amulets, or rules governing how and when to cross them. 

On the first day of the month, the first guest to walk through the door—or even the first word spoken that morning—could hold special significance in old folk beliefs. This custom of attaching special meaning to the first moment of the day still persists today in more modest forms, such as saying “rabbit, rabbit” for good luck. 

This may be the most important factor of all. Superstitions have endured because they gave people something to do when life seemed uncertain—whether it was knocking on wood, carrying a good-luck charm, or avoiding a date on the calendar that simply seemed ominous to them.