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S U P E R S T I T I O N S

            Are you superstitious? Each country or culture has its own superstitions, because everybody wants to be lucky. Many of them are the same or similar.

NUMBERS

            Everybody has lucky or unlucky number. 3 and 7 are typical lucky numbers and 13 is the most common unlucky number.

In English speaking countries, people don’t like to live in a house or flat that is number 13, they don’t like to have parties with 13 guests and don’t like to do important things on the 13^th of the month. Also hotels don’t have a room number 13. When the 13^th is on Friday, the danger is bigger. Friday has always been considered unlucky. It comes from the Bible. Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden on Friday. Jesus Christ died on Friday and there were 13 people at his last supper.

In Japan, the numbers 4 and 9 are unlucky. This is because the Japanese word “four” is the same as the old Japanese word “death” and “nine” means “sorrow” and “darkness”. They never decide to plan wedding on 4^th September.

ANIMALS

            In Britain, black cats bring good luck, but in our country, when the black cat crosses the road, you’ll have misfortune.

Birds are usually unlucky but eagles are lucky. The Romans had  the eagle as their symbol. Sailors are happy when the gulls follow their ship. Owls are crows are unhappy, because they bring death. 

In our country, superstitious man never kills a spider. In Britain, there is one very small spider and nobody kills him because it is a money spider.

THE BODY

            In the old days most people believed in good and bad spirits. The Devil was the name for all the bad spirits and all the bad things happened because of him. In England they say “Speak of the Devil and he will appear”. That means that when you are speaking unpleasantly about somebody, that person will suddenly arrive and if you talk about bad illness, you will become ill.

Some people want to know their future and they visit palmists – they read the lines on your palm.

Some people have got white dots on their nails. The white dots tell the future and are lucky. But the black dot is for death. Itching palms men money. If your right hand itches, you will receive money. If the left, you will lose money. If you feet itch, you will soon be travelling. When you hit your elbow, a guest will come.

CLOTHES

            A long tome ago, the glove was a symbol of love. When lady dropped the glove, a gentleman  picked it up, not the lady. The idea of love changed  from the glove to the handkerchief.

If someone dies, nobody will wear his clothes, although  they are new. They are afraid they will also die.

Some people don’t put new shoes on the table, because they think they will lose their job, family or money.

SOME OTHER SUPERTSTITIONS

If you break a mirror, you will have 7 years bad luck.

Walking under ladders is unlucky.

Picking up scissors that you dropped is unlucky.

Spilt salt brings bad luck.

In England, some people touch wood, when they want something good to continue, but in Slovakia, people knock on    the wood.

Some people believe in dreams. They often take a book of dreams but many people do it only for pleasure.

            As we can see,  the superstitions are part of our life. Maybe, there’s something true about them.