Do we really need to touch wood?

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Although we live in modern times and know that the earth is not flat nor the moon made of cheese, nevertheless irrational superstitions still abound, the most common of which seems to be touching wood for good luck or to prevent something bad happening to us. When people make statements like ‘I’m in the best of health’ or ‘I have never been out of work’ etc. it is often followed by the phrase ‘touch wood’ and they actually touch the table or any available piece of wood. ‘Touch wood’ is a phrase common to people all over the world. British people use it, Fins, Brazilians, Spanish to name a few, the list is long and the tradition very old. It is believed that it originates back in pagan times when people believed that spirits, fairies or some other strange creatures lived in the trees. If someone wanted something he would whisper it to a tree, knocking on the bark to alert the spirit and then knocking again to say ‘thankyou’. The sound of the knock was believed to cover the request from bad spirits lurking nearby. Superstitious may people worry about black cats, breaking a mirror or walking under a ladder. In show business people are often told ‘to break a leg’ before they perform. Surely we are not so gullible these days as our ancestors were, and yet some superstitions continue to haunt us.