Superstitions, Bad Luck and Friday the 13th

Today is one of those days that some people still dread. Many claim the number 13 has brought them bad luck. And when it is combined with a Friday--they just will not take chances.

Triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13. It is said on Friday the 13^th the bad luck this number brings is tripled.

Superstitions are based in the belief that something terrible will happen if they are not observed or followed. Unfortunately, some in history proved to be harmful. But most were not.

Today most are no longer believed.

Here are just a few superstitions that were passed down from one generation to the next.

Did you know?

If you go to bed on one side of the bed and get up on the other side, it is considered bad luck. Through history many have taken this belief seriously--it is where the phrase: “He or she got up on the wrong side of the bed” came from.

Did you know?

Superstitions like black cats crossing your path, breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, and opening an umbrella inside a building all bring bad luck. This last superstition is useful for it is challenging to get an opened umbrella through a doorway.

Did you know?

You should never vow your love for another under a full moon. It dooms it. Hundreds of years ago humankind felt that the moon was erratic at best. It changes size throughout the month and completely disappears during eclipses.

Did you know?

When you yawn, you must always cover your mouth. After all, this is just good manners.

But this belief actually came about because people felt the devil makes people yawn so he can enter and possess them. So people would make the sign of the cross over their mouth initially--this evolved into covering the mouth.

Did you know?

On Friday the 13^th, or on any day, you should never cross a knife and fork on the dinner table. This is why many traditional place settings place the knife and fork on opposite sides of the plate. Crossing these two utensils was believed to bring bad luck in the form of difficult times ahead.

Did you know?

That a gift given to a recipient should never be given outright. It should be loaned only, or a small token should be given in return, such as a nickel of penny. This was done because it was felt a gift given outright meant a severing of the bond of friendship.

This superstition has some truth to it. How many times have people loaned money and lost a friend?

Did you know?

Thirteen people should never sit down and eat at the same table. This brings bad luck-- this superstition comes from the  “Last Supper.”

The Last Supper

Another superstition states if 13 people meet in one room, one of them will die before the end of the year.

Yet another superstition that involves the number 13 is one that is still practiced. Most tall buildings still do not acknowledge there is a 13^th floor.

Did you know?

That you should never go out on a first date on a Friday night. Of course, today Friday is date night--but in the past, people felt a courtship was doomed if started on a Friday night.

In England, hundreds of years ago, if a young couple was seen out on a Friday night, they were serenaded with the banging of pots and pans, to shame or embarrass them into delaying their courtship until the following day. 

Did you know?

It was initially believed broken mirrors brought 7 years of bad luck because they not only were a reflection of the person--they held bits of a person’s soul.

Another superstition surrounding mirrors was that it was essential to cover them, in the presence of the sick and dying. If this was not done, it was believed the patient might see death lurking in the reflection.

Did you know?

Bringing a woman on board a boat or ship was considered bad luck. An old maritime superstitious belief was a female’s presence, could endanger the crew. It was even believed a female could cause everyone on board to die.

Did you know?

Another maritime superstition involves the tradition that no one on board a boat could speak the name of one particular fish. It was called: The beast, the redfish, the foul fish, or merely the fish. But it was never called by its real name--salmon.

Cultural Beliefs in Ghosts and Spirits

If you travel around the world, you will encounter beliefs about ghosts and spirits in most places you visit. * 

Yurel: The Ghosts of Japan.

These beliefs date back several centuries. The terminology changes from country to country but these beliefs are similar and fascinating in nature. 

This also applies to religions. From Christianity to Buddhism, ghosts or spirits play a role. Here are just a few of these traditions and beliefs.

One similar belief found in many rural cultures around the world is “White Ladies.” These ladies frequently are described as having suffered a tragic death or suffered some major trauma in life-- they are often harbingers of death. 

Irish Banshees are White Ladies. These female ghosts are often described as having lost or betrayed a husband or fiancé.

Classic Ghost Story image.

Another universal theme is the belief that the dead manifest in the form of spirits. 

Most religions believe the spirit is the soul of a deceased person. This dates back to ancestor worship in pre-literate cultures. 

Spiritual practices, such as funeral rites are designed specially to appease the spirits of the dead. 

One common belief in many cultures is ghosts are being held from the afterlife as punishment for sins committed while they were alive.

Most religions mention guardian angels or protective spirits. 

For example, some cultures believe in ancestral spirits. These ancestral spirits are considered the soul continuing on without the physical body. This, as mentioned above, is a belief in most religions. 

In China, these souls or ghosts are held in high esteem. In fact, they are considered an active member of the family. They are respected and honored because the Chinese believe these ancestral spirits will help them achieve their goals, e.g., better crops, or to thrive in business, etc. **

Victorian Era Ghosts

Often cultures describe ghosts as solitary essences that are often mist-like. It is said they are connected to particular locations, objects, or people they were associated with in life. 

Scores of cultures have stories of phantom armies, ghost trains, phantom ships, like the Flying Dutchman and the soldiers at Gettysburg. A belief in ghost animals is common as well.

Most cultures have some ritual to contact the spirits of the dead, such as séances. 

Many believe the dead return to haunt the living. Also, most distinguish between the more malignant, restless ghost, and positive spirits.

While the era we live in now is considered the "age of science," this fact has not dampened many people's belief in ghosts. People still find them as compelling and interesting as ever. 

The reason for this might be that since science alone cannot explain the broader questions, we have about life and death. Hence, some seek other fields, such as religion or the supernatural for reassurance.

In a future post, I will share more specific beliefs surrounding ghosts and spirits from around the world.

* Of course not everyone who believes in ghosts agrees on what exactly a spirit is. Some insist that the appearance of ghosts proves survival after death. Others state that such phenomena represent other dimensions of reality. And today, many cultures that once held a strong belief in ghosts have now left these beliefs to their ancestors.

** When communism took hold in China, many of the traditional ghost beliefs were discouraged.