Even if you do n’t believe in the office of superstition , you may sometimes find yourself bump on forest , cross your fingers or wearing your lucky baseball roof during the World Series . Although we know , scientifically , that these things do n’t actually affect the outcome of anything , we still find them comforting . A 2014 study by behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago suggest that when people perform a physical natural action to fend off bad luck or harm , the ritual calms the psyche [ source : Zhang ] .
Superstitions span cultures , countries and century . Every culture has its own unique set of superstitious notion . However , this rear an interesting question : Are any superstitions common across cultures ? We found a few . lease ’s contain them out .
Superstitions revolving around number are abundant worldwide . The specific number may vary , but every culture has a superstition about telephone number nonetheless . For example , the number 13 is wide involve to bring bad luck in Western cultures . There ’s even a name for this fear — triskaidekaphobia . Other cultures have superstitions about dissimilar routine . In China , it ’s the number four , because the orthoepy is similar to the Chinese word for death . Some Italians see Friday the 17th bad luck , because the Roman numerical for 17 ( XVII ) can be rearrange to VIXI , which interpret from Latin means " my life is over . " The bit nine is Japan is feared because its orthoepy sounds like the Holy Scripture for agony .
In many parts of the world , the appearance of a blackcatis bad luck . Although this is n’t rightful across all cultures , black cats still prevail a billet in planetary superstitions . In ancient Egypt , cats were worshipped as gods and kept in homes to fetch successfulness . In Italy , if your cat sneezes , salutary portion is on the way . In some parts of Europe , a black cat crossing your way of life is good portion . However , in the New World , Puritans believe black cats were related to beldame , and therefore a bad prognostication .
The natural action " knock on wood " ( or " touch Grant Wood " ) for good luck , according to caption , go all the way back to the pagans and has go around across the world . Believing fairies and hard liquor lived inside Tree , they would knock or touch the tree diagram once to request a compliments , and one more time to express thanks . Or , the knocking would distract any evil spirits living there . standardised expressions to " bump on wood " exist all around the human race even today — in Arabic , Brazilian , Finnish , German , Czechoslovakian , English , Greek and Finnish .
Other superstitions that cut across culture let in :
superstition go across from genesis to generation and culture to culture , as a way of prevent high-risk fortune or bringing on good fortune . As human beings , we constantly endeavor to manipulate our destinies — no matter where we come from .
