Old Wives Tale

As if some of us don’t have enough bad luck as it, there are those who believe that some of our own actions cause ever worse luck. Superstitions or "old wives tales" go from one extreme to the next. They are beliefs or notions that are not based upon reason or knowledge. The most widely spread superstition in America and in other parts of the world are of Friday the 13th. It is said to be bad luck when the 13th of the month lands on a Friday. Bad luck is also believed to be brought when you put a hat on a bed. If a black cat walks away from you, it takes the luck with it. If you say goodbye to a friend on a bridge, it is believed you will never see each other again. If someone sweeps across your feet, you will never get married. It is a belief that you shouldn’t walk on the crack of a sidewalk, walk under a ladder or to open an umbrella inside. A picture falling or getting out of bed with the left foot first is said to be bad luck. It is also bad luck when a bat flies into the house, an owl hoots 3 times, three butterflies together or hearing a rooster crowing at night. When you break a mirror, it will bring 7 years of bad luck. Bad luck will follow the spilling of salt or placing shoes on the table. There are also many old wives tales and superstitions within dreams, regarding weddings and many more other than the ones I’ve mentioned above. The only thing I wonder is where they started from. Where did the origin of a broken mirror foreshadowing 7 years of bad luck stem from? I won’t be able to get the answer for all of the superstitions in the world but perhaps some of them were researched by someone else with the same wonderings and questions.