what's superstition?

Question

what is superstition and what are some of them and story behind them. where are they originaly from?

I also wanna know the mining of the world superstition.

Answer 1

A Superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship.

Examples of superstitions vary greatly from one country to another:

An example of a superstition that is commonly believed by the public is astrology.
A gambler may credit a winning streak in poker to a lucky rabbit's foot or to sitting in a certain chair, rather than to skill or to the law of averages.
In Afghanistan it is said that if you see a magpie sitting on a wall, a message will be coming for you.
In India it is considered bad luck if someone sneezes while you are leaving your house. The remedy is to come back into the house and wait for a few hours before leaving.
In Tampa, Florida it has long been believed alligator sightings cause athlete's foot.
In China people say that one should not sweep or dust on New Year's Day or good fortune will also be swept away.
In Italy there is the fear of the number 17 rather than the number 13. This originates from Ancient Rome, where 17 was written as XVII, which can be re-arranged as VIXI in the meaning of "I have lived", so "I'm dead".
An accidental cut on the right ring finger means one will be married in 4 days time.
Brides on their wedding day often do not see their groom until the ceremony, believing that to do so causes bad luck.
Some people turn back from a journey if a black cat crosses their path, although, some countries, such as Britain, believe it is lucky to see a black cat. An alleged cause for this would be that Emperor Napoleon saw a black cat just before a lost battle against the British. This would explain yellow cat being seen as a bad sign in Italy and Bermuda (and Continental Europe) and as a good one in Great Britain.[citation needed]
Many believe that if you can blow out all of the candles on your birthday cake with one breath while making a silent wish, your wish will come true. In addition, many people believe that if you cause the knife to touch the bottom of your birthday cake while making the first cut in the cake, your wish will not come true.
Tetraphobia is widespread in China, Japan, Korea, and Hawaii; the number's use is minimized or avoided where possible. This is because the word for 4, si, is homophonous with the word for death. Mobile numbers with 4 in them sell for less and some buildings even skip the level four, labeling it the 5th floor instead. However, there is another word for four in Japan that does not also mean death: yon. In Korea, number '4' is pronounced as 'sa(사 四)' and is homonymous with 'death (사 死)'. Some, but not all, Korean buildings have the fourth floor written as 'F' floor.
Triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, is common among those of European descent.
Baseball superstitions are numerous.
Some believe that if you see a magpie, you must salute it with the words "Hello Mr. magpie, how's your wife and family?" or bad luck will follow, unless you see two magpies, which is good luck.
It is also a common belief that breaking a mirror will bring seven years of ill fortune.
Some believe that walking under a ladder will bring bad luck.
Opening an umbrella inside the house is purported to bring bad luck.
Entering a house left leg first is sometimes thought to bring bad luck.
In Western America it is supposed that if one holds one's breath from the start of a tunnel to the end of it, one may make a silent wish.
In some countries an owl is a bad omen; in others it is a good sign because owls make their sounds when a dangerous animal is near.
Some people believe that if you give someone a handbag as a gift, you must place a coin in the handbag, otherwise the handbag will bring the recipient bad luck.
Some people believe that it will bring bad luck if you give someone a knife as a gift, and to avoid the bad luck the recipient should exchange the knife for some money (even if it is just one coin), so that "technically" they "bought" the knife, rather than received it as a gift.
In theatre and drama it is considered bad luck to say "Good luck" on opening night. "Break a leg" is substituted.
When producing the play Macbeth, it is considered bad luck to say the title and main character's name. Whenever one needs to mention the play's title it is appropriate to refer to it as "The Scottish Play" instead.
In the Middle East (notably Egypt), some people believe that cutting the air with scissors brings about animosity.
In many parts of Europe, "Break a leg" is substituted with the regional colloquialism for excrement. This is a tradition that dates back to times when horses were the primary means of travel, either directly or by carriage. When a spectacle had been well reviewed or advertised, there would be many horses in front of the theatre, and thus copious amounts of horse excrement.[citation needed]
It is a common superstition that using a red lighter is bad luck.
Some believe that it is bad luck to advance your calendar before the month has arrived.
It is considered bad luck to cross over a person's body lying on the floor...if you have to, you should cross back over it.
The first person who enters your house on New Years Day should be a man for good luck.
A person who gives a knife as a wedding or anniversary gift is trying to split the couple up.

Superstition and magic
Superstitions differ from magic spells in that the former are generally passive if/then constructs while the latter contain formulae, recipes, petitions, prayers, and love songs for effecting future outcomes by means of symbolic, and perhaps non-causal activities.

People who otherwise accept scientific de-mystification of the supernal world and do not consider themselves to be occultists or practitioners of magic, still may consider that it is "better to be safe than be sorry" and observe or transmit some or many of the superstitions endemic to their cultures.

Answer 2

You have got the right answers, from everyone else here, to the actual meaning of superstition.

Not all, but some superstitions are called ''superstition'' cos' no one has really found any logical cause to it. There are situations, real things out there, where we humans still do not have an answer for, so we just end up terming it as ''superstition''. For us, we need logical, scientific explanation for everything that happens, with ofcourse the proof for such incidents, and then when we dont, I guess we just conveniently call it superstition.

Answer 3

What one person will call superstition another person will call traditional belief. For instance, many Atheists view the idea that there is a God who cares about your life is a superstition. Basically, any belief that cannot be founded on empirical observation can be considered superstition by some (keep in mind that the world has negative connotations; 'traditional belief' describes the same thing but has no judgement attached).

Many superstitions are commensense practices that have since lost their practicality; for instance, the idea that it's bad luck to walk under a ladder came from Victorian England, when it was common for people to dump chamber pots and dishwater directly out the window into the sewers lining the streets; if you're close enough to walk under a ladder, you're close enough to get splashed!

Answer 4

What Is Superstition

Answer 5

a superstition is a belief passer down from family to family. It can start quite innocently in a family by a tradition and it just grows. There are all sorts of superstitions and superstitions pertant to a town. Black cats crossing paths, dont walk under ladders. Tracing the origins of a superstition would be intersting.

Answer 6

Like the word says, it's a SUPER stition. In other words, a very powerful ISTITION. It probably flies too, like SUPERman. Maybe it came from planet Krypton. I don't think you can find it in comic books though.
It could be a very BIG stition like the SUPER Bowl but I have never seen it either.
You know? Since I haven't been very helpful, you'd better look it up in an encyclopaedia or in the www.
Good luck!

Answer 7

Superstition is a person's own belief. While some of them are having world wide acceptance, some are local & some personal.
A black cat cutting your path is unlucky- Universal, giving money with Left hand- Local.
They are usually born out of a man's mind to ensure that Lady Luck favours him. For Example- If you are going to your exams & someone tells you that walking under a ladder is bad luck, you would possibly avoid doing it to ensure that YOUR efforts & YOUR dreams donot go to dust by AVOIDING or BY DOING something .

Answer 8

The psyche is a very powerful 'instrument', superstition is a belief whose origin is in most cases unknown and has no scientific or otherwise foundation. This a belief that over time is taken as 'truth' for those who through their culture are privy to it. For e.g there are those who believe that if a black cat crosses your path then you are headed for a misfortune. That is why a lot of people still visit astrologers, palm readers,voodoo practioners in the mistaken belief that they can be assisted. A superstition will work if you choose to believe!! I know a lady (65 years old) who believes that if she falls down then a member of her family dies and unfortunately it happens.She believes it so much that a week before her daughter died she had had a tumble outside her house!!You can of course choose to believe the positive ones like I for one believe that everytime my palms itch some money will come my way and it happens!

Answer 9

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People in general are so damn superstitious these days. I could see this kind of thing back in the stone ages when we had no idea how things worked and why things happened. Well get with the times people, we’re in the 21 st century for Christ’s sake. There are many stupid superstitions out there and I’m here to set you straight. ITS BAD LUCK TO WALK UNDER A LADDER: Ok, this it total bullshit. Walking under a ladder isn’t bad luck, it’s just stupid. If you walk under a ladder, someone could drop some paint on your sorry ***, and if you're dumb enough to stand under a ladder, I hope that does happen. BEWARE OF FRIDAY THE 13TH: What is so bad about this? If you are a slave to the retail trade or any other job you’ll be glad to see Friday no matter what the damn number is attached to the day. NUMBER 13: This is closely related to the whole Friday the 13th fear because of the stupid number. For whatever reason people seem to be afraid of the number 13. I think it’s because they have kids and they know that once their child turns 13, **** is going to change. GOD BLESS YOU: People say this to you when you sneeze. What for? I sneezed, I didn’t conjure up the devil or anything like that. A lot of people have changed this up slightly with the dwindling of religion and they are now just saying “Bless You” which still pisses me off. I sneezed, it’s a one way conversation, I don’t need your input you superstitious sunofabitch. DONT SPILL THE SALT Apparently if you accidentally spill the salt, then you are supposed to in turn throw some salt over the left shoulder. Well that is just stupid there. Your clumsy *** has already spilled salt on the table and now you’re going to waste even more salt by throwing it over your shoulder? Don’t you know that **** costs $5 per metric ton? BLACK CATS: When did this **** start? Why does everyone think that black cats are evil? Anyone out there that has been around long enough should know that black cats are not evil… all cats are. BREAKING MIRRORS: If you break a mirror you are supposed to be cursed with 7 years of bad luck. Well we know that’s not true. What if you’re an ugly person, you’ve probably done yourself a favor because now you don’t have to look at yourself. Of course we still have to see your ugly ***. CROSS YOUR FINGERS What kind of bullshit is this? People cross their fingers for various reasons. Some make a promise and cross their fingers thinking that it will void the promise. Others cross their fingers for luck. Well either way the only thing you’re going to get out of it is a finger cramp. STEP ON A CRACK: Ah, this was some good grade school **** wasn't it? Step on a crack; break your mother's back. Well, we all know that was bullshit right. I always wonder, because somewhere in this big, big world, there had to be at least one kid who did step on a crack and through some misfortune, his mother broke her back that very day. I'd love to meet that kid; if I had access to the psyche ward that is. OPENING UMBRELLAS INSIDE IS BAD LUCK: I don’t know if it brings bad luck, unless you consider people thinking that you are possibly retarded because you’re opening up an umbrella inside bad luck. That’s the only way I can see that bringing you bad luck… unless of course you open it in the car and blind the driver… now that’s bad luck. IF YOUR LEFT HAND ITCHES, IT WILL BRING YOU MONEY: Well that’s just dandy. What if it’s my right hand? I know that means something too. Hey, what if it’s my crotch that itches? I suppose that doesn’t mean money, it means crabs. KNOCK ON WOOD: So whenever you say something about what good luck your having, you have to say "knock on wood", or worse, actually knock on some wood. Why? Are you afraid the table gnomes will suddenly bring you bad luck and you have to scare them away? Here's hoping you break your knuckles next time you're knocking on wood. WISHBONES: Haven't we desecrated the turkey enough already without having to make wishes off of their bones now too? It's bad enough you ate the poor bastard but then you save part of its carcass and make a wish with it? I'm sure the other turkeys are wishing for bone splinters in your ******* eyes! BIRTHDAY CANDLES: When it's your birthday you're supposed to blow out your candles and make a wish. If you blow out all the candles then you're wish will come true; that is if your wish is to develop asthma or emphysema later in life from wasting all of your lung power blowing out stupid *** candles. RABBITS FOOT : Apparently some people thought that in order to get good luck, you had to kill a rabbit and make a keychain out of its feet. How the hell can that be good luck? The ******* rabbit had four of those and I don’t consider having your limbs turned into key chains very lucky. FALLING STAR: Whenever you see a falling star you’re supposed to make a wish and it will come true. That's bullshit and I speak from experience. When I was 6 I remember seeing a falling star and wishing it would crash into my neighbors house; it didn't... ******* star. BREAK A LEG This is some reverse psychology **** going on here. Apparently actors used to tell one another good luck and then if they tanked they considered it a curse, so they starting wishing bad things on one another to "trick" fate. Well break a leg is pretty lame. I would have went with something more like "have a brain aneurism out there" or "swallow your tongue"... you're supposed to be actors, can't you come up with any good **** unless someone writes it for you?

Answer 10

Superstition is when an ignorant person tries to assign a cause to an effect without reason, or apply an observation to a hypothetical situation without observation, or to attribute an outcome to an coincidence.

____ will cause your baby to be a boy/girl
Bats will get caught in your hair
Black Cats are unlucky.

... and the dufus who posted the NEXT post just went to wikipedia and copied the whole entry on "superstition"... but did not attribute the citation.

What a numb nuts.

Answer 11

A person who has an overactive imagination.