One of the sterotypical traits of the Irish is their adherence to superstition. Superstition is not just an Irish thing though — and the persistence of these beliefs outlasts their usefulness. Here are a few common superstitions and the background on their origin. Of course, several of these old wives’ tales have more than one explanation — either because their true meaning was lost long ago, or obscured by erroneous interpretations.
Breaking a mirror — Broken mirrors persist as a symbol of bad luck. Archaic ideas held that a person’s reflection was part of their soul, and breaking it was harmful to the soul or separated it from the body. One remedy for the resulting bad luck is to wait seven hours, pick up the pieces and bury them by the light of the moon.
Black cats — The aversion to black cats traces to the Middle Ages, possibly even to the ancient Romans, when cats were associated with witches. A black cat crossing one’s path was seen as bad luck because it would be the same as crossing paths with a witch. This superstition is sometimes expanded to include the cat’s direction of travel. If a cat is walking toward the vexed person, it brings good fortune, but a cat walking away takes good luck with it.
Spilling salt — It is a widely held belief that if someone spills salt, they should throw some over their shoulder to ward off evil spirits. Legend has it that Judas spilled salt during the last supper. In some times and locales though, salt was a precious commodity and the practice of flinging salt may have been connected to the unpleasantness of waste.
Lucky rabbit's foot — Carrying a rabbit’s foot in a pocket may be one of the oldest existing superstitions — according to some accounts it began around 600 B.C. The rabbit’s remarkable rate of breeding made them fertility symbols and carrying their feet is supposed to bring good luck, children and long life.
Walking under a ladder — There are multiple explanations for this superstition. Some people say demons and evil spirits reside in the triangle formed by the ladder. Others claim the triangle is an ancient symbol of life and walking through it is tempting fate.
Horseshoes — The most common explanation of the use of horseshoes for good luck is that witches were adverse to horses (thus their use of brooms for transportation) and hanging a horseshoe over a door would keep witches away.
Knock on wood — Trees were once revered as the homes of the gods or wood sprites, and "knocking on wood" was a request to them for good fortune.
Four-leaf clover — A four-leaf clover is seen as good luck because of its rarity. It has to be found, kept and hidden by the person receiving good fortune.
Friday the 13th — Friday’s ill portent probably traces to Christian tradition –– Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and Judas is considered the 13th member of the last supper.
According to www.mathworld.com, triskaidekaphobia (tris-kahy-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh), or the fear of the number 13 “may be related to Norse mythology, which tells how the god Odin invited eleven of his closest friends to a dinner party at his home in Valhalla, only to have his party crashed by Loki, the god of evil and turmoil, thus giving a total of 13 people.
“The legend further relates how Balder, one of the most beloved gods, tried to throw Loki out of the party, resulting in a scuffle and Balder’s death with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.”
