Superstitions... do you believe them?
By sjhaeki
@sjhaeki (795)
Philippines
September 1, 2010 12:08am CST
Each country has their own superstitious believes. Some are nearly logical or practical the other or even most of them are just ridiculous. There's a certain belief about marriage - siblings should not wed on the same year or else they will encounter marital problems. a movie was even made of it, a horror movie. Well, if you'll think about it, marriage is an expensive event so it would be impractical to marry on the same year or even a year after that.
I also remember another, you shouldn't sweep the floor at night because it's then you're sweeping your luck on money or the probability of earning money. If I don't sweep then dust will accumulate right?
so what superstitious beliefs do you know and do you believe them? i think there's no harm in believing them as long as it's not nearly impossibly irrational and the results of following such beliefs make positive outcomes.
5 people like this
28 responses
@T_Diamond (965)
• New Zealand
1 Sep 10
I grew up in a superstitious family, so I guess I'm bound to believe them 
One of the most common ones I tend to follow are:
- When a person steps on your foot, gently step on their foot. Otherwise, you will argue in the future.
- Don't spill salt on the table, brings bad luck
- Don't pass anything through doorways, or entrances. E.g: 2 people passing a bag, one's receiving the bag standing inside the house, the other is passsing it, standing outisde.
- If you walk together, and there's a barrier coming in between you, if you pass either side of it, after you've passed it you have to say "Hello!"
One of the most common ones I tend to follow are:
- When a person steps on your foot, gently step on their foot. Otherwise, you will argue in the future.
- Don't spill salt on the table, brings bad luck
- Don't pass anything through doorways, or entrances. E.g: 2 people passing a bag, one's receiving the bag standing inside the house, the other is passsing it, standing outisde.
- If you walk together, and there's a barrier coming in between you, if you pass either side of it, after you've passed it you have to say "Hello!"
@T_Diamond (965)
• New Zealand
1 Sep 10
It is said you and your partner will argue in the near future. Others say it brings bad luck.
Whatever the consenquence it's nothin' good 
@maidangela7349 (1191)
•
2 Sep 10
I think all superstitions are just nonsense and that includes all religions which as just a more organised form of superstitions
@derek_a (10874)
•
2 Sep 10
I think superstition runs deep in the subconscious mind of everybody. We hear about not walking under ladders, or seeing black cats, or Friday 13th from a very young age, so this sinks deep into our mind only to produce a nervousness that lies in the back of the mind, until we see the object of our superstition. We can even refuse to "obey" it and walk under that ladder for instance, but there will still be a slight nervousness about doing it.
As a therapist, I have seen clients whose lives have been really effected in a bad way because they are superstitious. It never really goes away, but we all have a choice of whether to live with under its spell or just get on with living and take the risk. Life is a risk at many levels. To my mind, it is best not to be controlled by it. 
_Derek
_Derek
@katie0 (5203)
• Japan
2 Sep 10
Every single one I believed it actually worked, those I didn't it didn't work.
That's why when I watched The secret, the only first minutes made me understand not only superstitions but my whole life.
Now I don't believe in any of them. They don't have logic. Of course that I am always believing in more better stuff day by day.
They really work if we want to.
@irusia (8)
• Canada
2 Sep 10
Well im stuck listening to one every day ... im 4 month pregnant and back in the day my mothers generation believed that you should not cut your hair while pregnant cause apperently you are cutting the babys knowledge and my hair needs a cut and she wont let me ... do i believe it no.. do i follow it well i need to to prevent my mother from screaming her head off
@devildog683 (74)
• United States
1 Sep 10
Superstitions are a funny subject. Some people really believe them, while others do so to get attention from others. I dont think any of them are true. They are like religion, fabrications made by man and followed people who have some psychological issue that validates it for them.....please dont take that as me saying I look down on them, I dont at all. As long as it does not affect me, I could care less what someone believes :O)
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
1 Sep 10
I don't really believe in many superstitions because they aren't always true.
If you break a mirror you don't have sever years of bad luck, but you probably will have to pick up the shards of glass, and you can cut yourself if your not careful, it is a big mess.
You won't have bad luck if you walk underneath a ladder, but you might want to be careful because if that ladder isn't stable it can fall on you, and that would be on Hell of an injury.
Luck to me, is just that. Some people have some people don't, some people get lucky, some people don't. Some gain luck, others have their luck run out.
To me it's all life. You make things happen, and things happen to you, but you just have to go with it.
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
1 Sep 10
I just posted in my facebook earlier this day, saying, "Shallow men believe in superstition. Wise men believe in cause and effect."
I got that from the movie "Furry Revenge". See what I got from watching too much comedy!
Anyway, I don't know if this qualifies as superstition but I always believe that whatever you do to others, it will come back to you a hundredfold. More like karma.
But some people believe that karma is true so I don't know if that's only superstition or if there really is some cosmic powers whatsoever that governs it.
Anyway, I don't know if this qualifies as superstition but I always believe that whatever you do to others, it will come back to you a hundredfold. More like karma.
But some people believe that karma is true so I don't know if that's only superstition or if there really is some cosmic powers whatsoever that governs it. @sender621 (14894)
• United States
1 Sep 10
I try not to believe in superstitions. If i did, I would just be waiting for the superstition to become true. I don't like a feeling of doom hanging over me. that's what superstition can do to us.
@Ceekay1989 (323)
• United States
1 Sep 10
I try not too! but its so hard to not. . .things happen and you have to wonder why we just want answers and I think superstitions are our excuse for the answer of why things happen.
@oi_va_voi (50)
•
1 Sep 10
yes! I believe black cat is a sign of ill fortune n I never let a black cat pass by me. I can even change my way to escape! :D
@marianpantewynn (34)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
unfortunately,my country has tons of supplies of those crazy superstitious beliefs which are commonly illogical and irrational..
@isabellemana (1)
•
1 Sep 10
i agree with you. It really just depends on your culture. When it comes to religion, superstition and everything that falls under that category, it all comes down on wanting to believe on something. Its a way of answering the unanswerable during the early civilizations. think about it... the "elders" are suppose to know everything. They were the ones who were suppose to be the wisest out of the tribe. They were the ones who always had the answers to the question and most of all, they were the ones who were suppose to keep everyone together. They gave us the reason to believe in something. They gave the substitute answer before science came into the picture.
@chayapathys (2111)
• India
1 Sep 10
In south India where we live there are so many superstitions and many believe them and strictly follow. For example in every day of the week one and half hours is said to be bad time for doing any work. It is like this monday.. seventhirty to nine in the morning and similarly tuesday three to fourthiry in the afternoon .. so on so forth which is considered to be bad time called Rahu Kaalam. Can we stop work during that period or avoid to start any work.Similarly so many are there.As you have rightly pointed out that as long it not irrational or impossible there is nothing in believing superstitions
@jhyan007 (467)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
....you are right, believing these things is fine as long as there is no harmful effect, both to you and to other people..there is nothing wrong when you believe to this superstition....when i was young, my grandmother is the one who keep telling us not to do this or that because this will happen or that will happen..when i grow up, i found out that those things are too far from possible, but guess what? i still believe it in them somehow, or shall we say, i still followed those beliefs..in fact, some of those beliefs turns into a tradition...
@rjjavier (42)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
i also grew up in a superstitious family..1.at the party, if a glass or plate broke, the person who broke it at least broke another or else something bad might happen.2. if a girl has her first menstruation..she should climbed 3 steps on stairs so that she can have it for 3 days 3. We hang our baby's umbilical cord at the window and keep first hair cut and nails so that she/he will become genius.4.If a butterfly was inside the house and there's a party..some deceased relative are joining in.
there's a lot of superstitious believes in our country and it also varies in every region..hope i share well!
@sjhaeki (795)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
i'm guessing you're from philippines since i'm familiar with all you said except for the break a plate again.
my mom kept all our umbilical cords in one container - said to make the kids have a close bond with each other, well we have a close bond, we quarrel almost everyday too. lol
i found a lock of my hair a long time ago pressed against a page in the dictionary, so i guess that superstition is completed if you keep the hair/nail in an informative book.
ummm... in our region it is a MOTH that visits the event so does that what you mean?
thanks for sharing!
@yancu18 (17)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
I know a superstitious belief and for me it's not logical or practical. Does any one know the superstitious belief that a woman must not take a bath for 1 whole month after she gives birth? I mean that is so ridiculous. I forgot the reason why but it's not good for the mother and the baby. It's not safe, you can get infection from it, no hygiene.
@sjhaeki (795)
• Philippines
1 Sep 10
i agree that it is not safe and hygienic cause you will really get infection. so i hope there wouldn't be anyone practising this.
i know of a similar superstition about not taking a bath but with regards to having a period. i forgot if it was a week or just on a friday, that when a woman has her period she shouldn't take a bath (for a week or friday) which is really unhygienic and 'ewww' if you'd understand what i mean.
@shawen (24)
• China
1 Sep 10
Sometimes I believe in superstitions.I think chinese may believe in superstitions more or less.Like the color, people will wear red when something good to happen ,white and black have the bad means.I think not only chinese believe supertitions,so as the people in other countries.
some sports superstitions are stanger than others ,For example ,Michael Jordan always wore his blue North Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck.
I think sometimes superstition become a habit.
