Happy Friday the 13th! Did you make it through the day okay? 😀
No unlucky catastrophes to report here. Actually, I almost didn’t even realize it was Friday the 13th until I shot a glance at my calendar at some point in the afternoon. I’ve never really been one to buy into the hype though, so it was just a regular old Friday for me. But it did get me thinking about superstitions…
Are you superstitious? I guess I used to be to some degree, but I think it was just another one of those things that I grew out of (along with pigtails, pogo-sticks, and Pogs). And on a kinda, sorta related note, does anyone remember the whole Bloody Mary thing from when they were kids?
No? Hrm. Maybe we were all just freaks around here then…
We used to think we were so BA [read: bad. ass] standing around in dark bathrooms when we were 10 years old, trying to get Mary to make an appearance. Despite all our efforts, she never did show up; supposedly because we were never doing it “right” 😉 But I digress… If you aren’t familiar with good ol’ Mary, then maybe you recognize some of these more common forms of superstition…
Walking under a Ladder – Bad Luck
It’s common sense to avoid walking under an open ladder for fear of something falling on you, but there are superstitious reasons for doing so as well. Consider the shape of an open ladder; a triangle that signifies life to some. When you walk though the triangle, you are tempting the fates. You may also awaken spirits that live within the triangle (including evil spirits who may not be happy with the disturbance). If you do accidentally walk under a ladder, you can counter the bad luck by placing your thumb between your index and middle finger. Another method is to cross the fingers on both hands to call upon the sign of the cross to protect you from evil.
Breaking a Mirror – Bad Luck
Most will tell you that the agreed upon time span for bad luck is 7 years. 7 years is also how long it takes to fully rejuvenate the entire physical body.
Since a mirror was thought to be a reflection of the soul, breaking a mirror was harmful to the soul. To counter the ill effects, you can take the mirror outside and bury it in the moonlight.
Black Cats – Bad Luck
In the Middle Ages it was thought that witches kept black cats as companions. Some people even believed that these kitties could turn into witches or demons after 7 years. Powerful men like Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte were prepared to conquer nations, but terrified of a little black kitty.
Tossing Spilled Salt over your Shoulder – Good Luck
Salt has always been considered a valuable substance capable of purifying and warding off evil spirits. By tossing spilled salt over your left shoulder, you are driving away the evil spirits lurking with the intent to cause misfortune.
Saying “God Bless You” – Good Luck
You may think it is etiquette pure and simple, but blessing someone after he sneezes is actually a common superstition. In the 6th century, people were congratulated for sneezing because it was thought they were expelling evil spirits.
Early Romans believed that a good sneeze could release your soul into the world, and a bless you” would keep it safe. When the plague hit Europe in 1665, the pope mandate that everyone should be blessed when they sneezed since they were probably going to die. The blessing was usually followed up with the sign of a cross.
Knock Twice on Wood – Reverses Bad Luck
The origin of this common superstition dates back to a time when some cultures believed that gods lived in trees. When one would ask for a favor from these gods, he would lightly touch the bark of the tree. To say thank you after the favor had been granted, he would knock lightly one more time. This custom may have also originated with Christians who were offering thanks for good fortune with this gesture to Jesus Christ who died on a cross made from wood.
I know there are people out there who take this kind of thing seriously, but honestly, I would probably die laughing if I ever saw someone “burying a mirror in the moonlight” 😆 But now that I think about it, I’ve broken enough mirrors to give me a lifetime of bad luck, so maybe I should really look into starting a mirror garden of my very own… Then again, maybe not 😆
. – . – . – .
I don’t have many pictures for you today because, well, it’s been one of those crazy ones. Run, run, run. Go, go, go. You know, the kind of day that leaves you looking something like this when you’re through:
This is one of those pictures I’m going to regret posting in the morning…
I’m sorry. I probably should have put up a warning or something prior to subjecting you to that, but I guess it’s only fitting that I look like something from a horror movie myself by the end of Friday the 13th. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t point out my uncanny resemblance to Cousin It, and if you come back and visit again after seeing me like that that then I consider you a true friend, indeed.
That being said, I’ll leave you with a far prettier picture of what was lunch…
Almond butter & banana sandwich. Swoon.
… and go enjoy a nice relaxing evening of tea sipping, blog stalking, and TV watching.
Ciao, ciao!
Do you have any superstitious beliefs? Good luck charms/rituals? I used to have quite a few… “Lucky” rings, keychains, test-taking clothes/pencils… and I distinctly remember running from a black cat on at least one occasion when I was younger. These days? Well, I say “bless you” when someone sneezes, but that’s just me being courteous rather than trying to “protect their soul”.
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I do not know what to say really what you share very well and useful to the community, I feel that it makes our community much more developed, thanks
If you believe it’s real, it’s real.
haha Friday the 13th! I don’t believe in superstition (except my lucky race socks!), but my cousins lost their cat Friday :/ it was interesting hearing how these all came about though!
Hope you are having a wonderful start to your week 🙂
as much as i hate to admit it, i am very very….VERY superstitious. Definately all that you mentioned, and knocking on wood… but knocking on wood is more of a luck thing for me too. I have certain good luck things, but I am very very superstitious.
My Mom and I are uber superstitious! If we are driving down the street and my Mom sees a black cat she’ll turn around and take a different route! I try not to go out on the 13th and if I do I am really prepared for whatever “bad luck” comes my way. Thankfully yesterday was pretty uneventful! 😀
Amanda!!
Oh my goodness, it is SO nice to finally “meet” you! You have no idea how excited it made me to see that you commented on my blog. I found .seek. literally the day before you did your last post and I was so sad to have not found your blog before you decided to stop writing. Your archives on that blog really helped me to acknowledge and then gain perspective on my own eating disorder. Thank you : )
I am definitely not superstitious…I don’t remember ever having a friday the 13th that felt any different than any other day of the week, lol. Like Albizia, I do have my own rituals though! But they have nothing to do with superstition…more to do with OCD, lol. But in a way I feel like they have the same affect, calming nerves and lessening anxiety.
I hope you have a FABULOUS Saturday. Again, I am SOOO glad you’re back! : )
xxx
Sarah
Aww, thanks Sarah 🙂 Hearing things like that always warms my heart.
Hello Love!!!!!
Loving the pic with the hair everywhere, I have days like that too ; )
I am not superstitious, but if it was friday the 13th and a black cat crossed my path, yeah I might be a little sacred, lol!
Have a great Saturday!!!!
Hehhe I posted a freakyyy picture of myself too!LOL!
No i’ve never really been superstitious, some of my friends are and I scare them sometimes! lol
I LOVE love love nut butter and banana sandwiches! I think I may just have decided on today’s lunch…:P
I used to be quite a superstitious girl while I was at the uni, especially when the exams time came – I had various bracelets, charms, earrings, pencils, even tissues which I though were absolutely necessary for succeding in the exams:) Now I am luckily ok to go without them:)
Hehe! I think everyone gets a little crazy come exam time. Or playoff time… The guys around here stop shaving when the NHL playoffs are on, supposedly because it’s bad luck. As a result, we get a lot of scruffy guys running around.
I had forgotten about Bloody Mary. That was so long ago, it makes me feel old!
AB & Banana sandwiches are the love of my life! I have one every day 🙂
Love love love love love almond butter / banana on anything and everything! Such a good combination.
I’m not really superstitious I don’t think. I do have lucky things I do, though. When I used to compete in dance, my mom and I would always get the same breakfast!
My birthday is on the date of the first Friday, 13 (check the history of the Templars) so this date doesn’t have a big meaning for me. I have enough bad luck for the rest of my life so one more Friday, 13 doesn’t bother me at all. Yesterday I actually had a much better day than on Thursday 🙂 .
I’m not really superstitious. Even if I have some stupid rituals they are more of a habit that calms me down than a belief that some lucky charm is what will help me pass an exam and not my knowledge. By the way, I love black cats and I want to believe they bring good luck .
And my hair doesn’t look that good even on a good day 😀 .
I used to have some lucky charms when I was younger. Nowadays my ”lucky charm” is the necklace that my father gave me, I almost never put it down.
LOL I definitely remember doing that Bloody Mary thing in my school bathroom when I was a kid. We would always get too scared halfway through and run out of the bathroom though. 😛
Hmm I don’t really think I have any superstitious beliefs!
Yay! So it’s not just me. Maybe it was a crazy Canadian thing 😆
You’re far too gorgeous to be implying you look horrifying – not the case at all!
I never knew that’s how all those superstitions came about. Especially bless you being good luck. I’ve thought about saying “kazuntite” (I have no idea how you spell that…) because saying “bless you” seems so religious (something I’m not) but I just can’t get in the habit…
Weird beliefs/rituals? I will NOT pick up a penny that is heads down. If it’s heads up, though? I will probably stop in the middle of the road to get it whether a car is coming or not 😛
aaaand, I’ll take that sandwich now, please and thank you…
Hehe so picking up a penny that’s heads up is good luck? But then wouldn’t it be bad luck if you got run over in the process? 😉
Hehe I love that picture of you!! What a hot mess 😉 I’m totally into superstitions although I didn’t really realise it until I read through the list. I pretty much do all of those things! I even feel a bit uneasy when I sneeze and nobody says “bless you”…hmmm.
xxx
I survived Friday the 13th! I’m super superstitious, I blame my mother… I do all those things and more. The one my mother taught me that few people know – you never hand salt to someone else. If you give it to them, you set it down in front of them, never put it in their hand. That’s passing your bad luck to them.
I forgot it was Friday the 13th too!! Lol I don’t believe in any of that stuff but yea I had some lucky stuff that I kept with me too 😉 Omg that sammie looks amazing!! Is it weird that I’ve never had an almond butter and banana sandwich?! You have me craving real bad!! Make me one? 😀
It’s not weird, but criminal! Give in to the craving and try one >:D You definitely won’t be sorry.