Ever wondered why that hotel doesn’t have a 13th floor, or why you’re supposed to throw salt after you spill it? Here’s the history behind some of the most common superstitions.
Some superstitions are so common that it’s easy to forget they’re kind of strange practices. If an alien were to visit Earth, not many people would be able to explain to them why we reflexively say “Bless you” when somebody sneezes.
But whether you adhere to these traditions or not, it’s certainly fun to find out where they come from. Each one has a story behind it, so keep reading for some cool trivia that will impress your friends!
Why We Knock on Wood
The first recorded evidence of people saying “Touch wood” (the British version of “Knock on wood”) comes from the 1800s. However, the practice is much older than that, and there are a few conflicting origin stories as to where it came from.
Some believe it’s a pagan tradition from the Celts, who thought trees were the homes of gods and spirits. They might have knocked on wood to thank the good spirits or to drive the evil spirits away.
Others attribute the practice to Christianity since wood was also sacred in Christian cultures as the material of the cross. However, it’s also possible that the superstition isn’t that deep: some old children’s games involved knocking on or touching wood to become immune to losing.
Why We Throw Salt Over Our Shoulder
If you spill salt, you might suddenly feel the need to throw some over your shoulder—and if you don’t, someone might remind you to do it. They might even tell you that you need to throw it over your left shoulder, not your right.
A possible explanation for this comes from the fact that salt used to be super expensive. If you spilled it, that was surely the devil’s work. Throwing a little bit over your left shoulder was thought to blind the devil that made you spill it (Christians once thought that the devil hung out behind the left shoulder).
One of the most famous links to this superstition is in da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper. Look closely, and you’ll see that Judas has spilled the salt. Judas is the famous betrayer of Christian tradition, so this depiction connected spilled salt to lying, betrayal, and the devil.
Why We Say “Bless You” When People Sneeze
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Source : Why We Knock on Wood (and Other Common Superstitions)
