A superstition is "a

belief A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or that some proposition is true. In epistemology, philosophers use the term "belief" to refer to attitudes about the world which can be either true or false. To believe something is to tak ...

or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation" or "an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs ...

." Often, it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

causality Causality (also referred to as causation, or cause and effect) is influence by which one event, process, state, or object (''a'' ''cause'') contributes to the production of another event, process, state, or object (an ''effect'') where the cau ...

, a belief in fate or magic, or

fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding

luck Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...

prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or p ...

, and certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently) unrelated prior events. The word ''superstition'' is often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions.

Global

Chain letter A chain letter is a message that attempts to convince the recipient to make a number of copies and pass them on to a certain number of recipients. The "chain" is an exponentially growing pyramid (a tree graph) that cannot be sustained indefinite ...

Exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...

Exorcism in Christianity In Christianity, exorcism involves the practice of casting out one or more demons from a person whom they are believed to have possessed. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the Christian Church, ...

* Exorcism in Islam *

List of lucky symbols A good luck charm is an amulet or other item that is believed to bring good luck. Almost any object can be used as a charm. Coins and buttons are examples, as are small objects given as gifts, due to the favorable associations they make. Many s ...

List of unlucky symbols Bad luck is an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions. List *Breaking a mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck *A bird or flock of birds going from left to ...

Superstitions in Muslim societies Superstition is an excessively credulous belief in supernatural causality: the belief that one event is the cause of another without any physical process linking the two, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, and apotropaic magic. According to Ras ...

* Superstition in Judaism *

Sailors' superstitions Sailors' superstitions are superstitions particular to sailors or mariners, and which traditionally have been common around the world. Some of these beliefs are popular superstitions, while others are actually better described as traditions, stor ...

Sports-related curses A sports-related curse is a superstitious belief in the effective action of some power or evil, that is used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities. Teams, players, and cities often cite a " cur ...

Theatrical superstitions Theatrical superstitions are superstitions particular to actors or the theatre. Macbeth William Shakespeare's play ''Macbeth'' is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its name when in the theatre (the euphemism " The Scottish Play" is use ...

Number related

Number of the Beast The number of the beast ( grc-koi, Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, ) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of t ...

11:11 11:11, 11-11, or 11/11 may refer to: * 11:11 (numerology) *''Eleven Eleven'', the literary journal of California College of the Arts California College of the Arts (CCA) is a private art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded in ...

* 4 *

Four-leaf clover The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, though it is not clear when or how this idea began. One early mention of "Fower-leafed or purple grasse" is ...

* 7 *

Seventh son of a seventh son ''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'' is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like '' The Number of the ...

* 8 * 9 * 13 *

Friday the 13th Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year. ...

The Thirteen Club The Thirteen Club (13 Club) is a secret society at the College of William & Mary, founded in 1890, and noted for its philanthropic practices. Little information has been made public regarding their campus activities. In fact, the society maintains ...

Thirteenth floor The thirteenth floor is a designation of a level of a multi-level building that is often omitted in countries where the number is considered unlucky. Omitting the 13th floor may take a variety of forms; the most common include denoting what wo ...

* 108 * 111 *

666 666 may refer to: * 666 (number) * 666 BC, a year * AD 666, a year * The number of the beast, a reference in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament Places * 666 Desdemona, a minor planet in the asteroid belt * U.S. Route 666, an America ...

(

) *

Ace of spades The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. Design The orn ...

Tetraphobia Tetraphobia () is the practice of avoiding instances of the digit . It is a superstition most common in East Asian nations. __TOC__ Rationale The Chinese word for "four" (, pinyin: sì, jyutping: sei3), sounds quite similar to the word fo ...

Triskaidekaphobia Triskaidekaphobia ( , ; ) is fear or avoidance of the number . It is also a reason for the fear of Friday the 13th, called ''paraskevidekatriaphobia'' () or ''friggatriskaidekaphobia'' (). The term was used as early as in 1910 by Isador Cori ...

27 Club The 27 Club is an informal list consisting mostly of popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27. Although the claim of a "statistical spike" for the death of musicians at that age has been refuted by scientific ...

Africa

Buda Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...

Gris-gris ''Gris-Gris'' (stylized as GRIS-gris) is the debut album by American musician Dr. John ( Mac Rebennack). Produced by Harold Battiste, it was released on Atco Records in 1968. The album introduced Rebennack's Dr. John character, inspired by a repu ...

Sampy A sampy is an amulet or idol of spiritual and political importance among numerous ethnic groups in Madagascar. Amulets and idols fashioned from assorted natural materials have occupied an important place among many Malagasy communities for centu ...

* Sleeping child

Americas

*'' Ascalapha odorata'' *

Carranca A carranca (Portuguese, literally "scowl" with another definition as "figurehead"; ) is a type of figurehead attached to river craft which is attributed with power to protect the boatmen from the river's evil spirits. The culture in Brazil incorp ...

Curupira The ''Curupira'' () is a mythological creature of Brazilian folklore. The name comes from the Tupi language ''kuru'pir'', meaning "covered in blisters". According to the cultural legends, this creature has bright red/orange hair, and resembles ...

* Djucu *

Fortune cookie A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", usually an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chine ...

Knocking on wood Knocking on wood (also phrased touching wood) is an apotropaic tradition of literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or merely stating that one is doing or intending to do so, in order to avoid "tempting fate" after making a favorable pre ...

* I'noGo tied * Spilling salt * White lighter myth * Witch window

Asia

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

* Bhoot (ghost) * Chashme Baddoor *

Chhaupadi Chhaupadi ( ne, छाउपडी ) is a form of menstrual taboo which prohibits women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered "impure". Chhaupadi is said to be practiced primarily in th ...

Churel The Churel, also spelled as Charail, Churreyl, Chudail, Chudel, Chuṛail, Cuḍail or Cuḍel ( hi, चुड़ैल, ur, چڑیل) is a mythical or legendary creature resembling a woman, which may be a demoniacal revenant said to occur in Sou ...

Dhat syndrome Dhat syndrome (Sanskrit: धातु दोष, IAST: Dhātu doṣa) is a condition found in the cultures of South Asia (including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) in which male patients report that they suffer from premature eja ...

* Ghosts in Bengali culture *

Hindu milk miracle The Ganesha drinking milk miracle was a phenomenon which occurred on 21 September 1995, in which statues of the Hindu deity Ganesha were thought to be drinking milk offerings.Suzanne Goldenberg, ''"India's gods milk their faithful in a brief 'mir ...

Jackal's horn The Jackal's Horn (گیدڑ سنگھی ) is a boney cone-shaped excrescence which can occasionally grow on the skulls of golden jackals. It is associated with magical powers in South Asia. This horn usually measures half an inch in length, and ...

* Miracle Chapati *

Muhurta Muhūrta ( sa, मुहूर्त, translit=muhūrtaṃ) is a Hindu unit of measurement for time along with nimiṣa, kāṣṭhā, and kalā in the Hindu calendar. In the Brāhmaṇas, ''muhūrta'' denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, ...

* Mumbai sweet seawater incident * Navaratna * Nazar battu * Pichal Peri *

Puppy pregnancy syndrome Puppy pregnancy syndrome (PPS) is a psychosomatic illness in humans brought on by mass hysteria. People suffering from PPS believe that shortly after being bitten by a dog, puppies are conceived within their abdomen. The syndrome is thought to be ...

China

* Jin Chan *

Numbers in Chinese culture Some numbers are believed by some to be auspicious or lucky (吉利, ) or inauspicious or unlucky (不吉, ) based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to. The numbers 3, 6, and 8 are generally considered to be lucky, while 4 is ...

Japan

Akabeko is a legendary cow from the Aizu region of Japan, who inspired a traditional toy. In legend, Akabeko the cow was present at the building the Enzō-ji temple of Yanaizu in the ninth century, and became a permanent fixture there, with some stor ...

Kanai Anzen Kanai Anzen (家内安全) is a type of omamori, or Japanese amulet of the Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous re ...

* Maneki-neko *

Okiagari-koboshi is a Japanese traditional doll. The toy is made from papier-mâché and is a roly-poly toy, designed so that its weight causes it to return to an upright position if it is knocked over. Okiagari-kobōshi is considered a good-luck charm and a sy ...

Omamori are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shinto as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection. Origin and usage The word means 'protect ...

Korea

Fan death Fan Death was a synthpop band formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 2007 as a collaboration between producer Szam Findlay with vocalists Dandilion Wind Opaine ( Dandi Wind) and Marta Jaciubek-McKeever. Findlay then moved to Vancouver, Brit ...

Philippines

* Agimat *

Albularyo Albularyo is a Filipino term for a witch doctor, folk healer or medicine men. They practice folk medicine and use medicinal plants in their trade. Overview Role and functions An albularyo is a "folk doctor" commonly found in the more rural areas ...

* Barang *

Kulam Filipino witches are the users of black magic and related practices from the Philippines. They include a variety of different kinds of people with differing occupations and cultural connotations which depend on the ethnic group they are associat ...

Lihi In Philippine folk culture, ''lihí'' is a condition of pregnancy food craving in which a notable characteristic is that pregnant women usually desire food such as sour, unripe mango with bagoong. While it is a cultural concept restricted among the ...

* Pagtatawas *

Pasma Pasma (from Spanish ''espasmo'') refers to a " folk illness" unique to the Filipino culture that is said to be most commonly brought about by exposure of "cold" and water in many forms: water is believed to facilitate the unhealthy coldness that ...

* Usog

Thailand

Kuman Thong ''Kuman Thong'' ( th, กุมารทอง) is a household divinity of Thai folk religion. It is believed to bring luck and fortune to the owner if properly revered. ''Kuman'', or ''Kumara'' (Pali) means " Sanctified young boy" (female ''kum ...

* Palad khik *

Takrut __NOTOC__ Takrut ( th, ตะกรุด) is a type of tubular amulet that originated from Thailand. It is also known as "Tangkai" in other cultures. The takrut is similar to a talisman ( ar, طلسم / transliterated: ). The word ''Takrut'', i ...

Nang Kwak Nang Kwak ( th, นางกวัก) is a spirit or household divinity of Thai folklore. She is deemed to bring good fortune, prosperity, attract customers to a business, and found among merchants. Commonly dressed in red Thai style clothing, N ...

Other

Russian traditions and superstitions Russian traditions, superstitions and beliefs include superstitions and customs of Russians. Many of them are now inseparable parts of everyday life, or simply common social etiquette, though they often have their origins in superstition. Awarene ...

* Curse of 39

Europe

Barbary macaques in Gibraltar Originally from the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population on the European continent. Although most Barbary monkey populations in Africa are experiencin ...

Blarney Stone The Blarney Stone ( ga, Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from Cork (city), Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows th ...

* Cimaruta *

Cornicello A cornicello (), cornetto (; ), corno (Italian for "horn"), or corno portafortuna (literally "horn that brings luck" in Italian) is an Italian amulet or talisman worn to protect against the evil eye (or ''malocchio'' in Italian) and bad luck in ...

* Goodman's Croft *

In bocca al lupo (; "into the wolf's mouth") is an Italian idiom originally used in opera and theatre to wish a performer good luck prior to a performance. The standard response is (; "may the wolf die") or, more commonly, simply ("may it die"). It has b ...

Kitchen witch A kitchen witch, sometimes called a cottage witch is a homemade poppet or doll resembling a stereotypical witch or crone displayed in residential kitchens as a good luck charm and to ward off bad spirits. History There is some debate over where ...

* Nazar *

Painted pebbles Prehistoric painted pebbles are found from two unrelated cultures in Europe: * The Epipalaeolithic Azilian (sometimes called the "Painted Pebble culture") of north Spain and southern France, some 14,000 to 10,000 years ago *Pictish painted pebbles ...

* Rabbit rabbit rabbit *

Ravens of the Tower of London The Ravens of the Tower of London are a group of at least six captive ravens resident at the Tower of London. Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens ...

* Spilling salt *

Spilling water for luck Spilling water for luck is a folk custom in Armenia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and other nearby countries. According to folk belief, spilling water behind the person who goes on a journey, or to do a job, will bring goo ...

* Troll cross * Tycho Brahe days * Witch post *

Wolfssegen In Bavarian folklore of the Early Modern period, a ''Wolfssegen'' (; also ''Wolfsegen, Wolf-Segen'') was an apotropaic charm against wolves; conversely, a ''Wolfbann'' (''Wolf-Bann'') was a malevolent spell causing a wolf attack. The ''Wolfss ...

Notes

References

External links

Where Superstitions Come From
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Life magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

''
Superstitions in Russia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Superstitions

Superstitions A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs a ...