Superstitions Essay, Research Paper

Imagine waking up on Friday the thirteenth, hoping that it won t be that unlucky of a day. Going to the bathroom to get ready, but oops you dropped the mirror, seven years bad luck for you. Going to school only to find out that you just failed your math test. Did these things really happen because it was Friday the thirteenth?

Good afternoon Mrs. Masci and fellow students. Today I plan on explaining why people are so superstitious, why do people believe in them, and legends behind the superstitions? Some of the most common superstitions are that the number thirteen is unlucky, as well as Friday the thirteenth, breaking a mirror will cause you 7 years bad luck, and of course astrology, the most believed superstition.

Why are people superstitious? Well there are a few reasons for this. Beliefs and superstitions can be passed down in a family, which leads to one believing these and basically becoming paranoid. Some people are truly scared that they are unlucky and by believing in superstitions that they hear, they re unluckiness will turn into good luck. But how about astrology, most of us read our horoscopes based on curiosity. Wanting to know what will happen in our future, what we can look forward to later in the day.

One of the most believed superstition is that the number thirteen is considered to be an evil number. This superstition triskadekaphobia, the fear of the number thirteen is world wide. Contractors never number houses, apartment floors or motel rooms thirteen. One of the reason why the number thirteen is believed to be evil is because the last supper was attended by thirteen people which ended in betrayal and death. Another reason is that thirteen follows the number twelve, a number of completeness. And so has the implication of dangerously exceeding proper limits or starting on a new and certain course.

As for Friday the thirteenth, Friday alone is the unlucky day. The fact that the number thirteen and Friday is brought together makes it all the more unlucky. It is believed that Friday is unlucky because Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on Friday, Noah s flood started on Friday, and that Christ was crucified on Friday. Friday the thirteenth is only a day of bad luck if people focus on the day because people will create their own bad luck by paying attention to the superstition.

The most common superstition is astrology. One in four people believe in horoscopes, and try to follow the advice in them. We basically follow are horoscopes because some of us do not want surprises later, they are curious of what is going to happen later in their future. Astrologers who prepare horoscopes say that what they do is good science based on facts. They claim to be able to

tell from any person s time and date of birth what kind of character he or she has as an adult. They

also declare that they can predict for anybody on earth whether a particular time is favorable or unfavorable for different kinds of activities people want to begin. Astrologers claim they can do this by making a horoscope for each time and place.

Superstitious beliefs affects our perception of the world. Anything that affects our perceptions directly effects our behavior and interactions with others. Many of us do not believe in superstitions yet we continuously follow them. When we knock on wood we are supposedly keeping the evil spirits that live in the wood from coming out to spoil our good fortune. When we damage a mirror, we damage ourselves, because it was believed that our souls were reflected in mirrors and therefore trapped when we broke one. The seven years bad luck originated with the belief that the body changes it s physiological make-up every seven years.

There are literally hundreds of superstitions which we still observe with some fear. We may have lost the original meaning and we may cast doubts as to the real dangers involved, but most of us prefer to recognize the ancient information.