Have you heard that opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck. Personally, I think that if it is raining indoors you’ve already had your bad luck.
Good morning Ms. Johnstone boys and girls. Let me introduce you to to the irrational world of superstitions.
So, what is a superstition?
Well, a superstition is a belief that certain acts, or circumstances can influence events, although the connection has no rational basis.
Centuries ago our ancestors tried to explain mysterious events as best as they could with the knowledge they had. They could not explain science, like why mirrors show our reflection. They believed that your reflection was your soul. So when a mirror breaks, your soul breaks!!
Superstitions originated when man was at the mercy of the natural elements. He respected and worshipped the forces of nature like the sun, moon and water. When man started falling prey to diseases, he used superstitions to appease the gods. Many people were sacrificed or murdered due to superstition.
Every nation on earth has its own superstitions. In India if you felt an itch on your right palm, there will be no need to go to the end of a rainbow in search of gold. Gold will be right at your fingertips.
Some superstitions are created for the benefit of society, like not eating pork. The pig carried an infection that caused convulsions in children who ate it. Therefore, the superstition was that the pig was bad and many religions have banned the consumption of pigs.
Friday the 13th sends shivers down our spine . Did you know that most hotels do not have a thirteenth floor because of this exact reason? Sounds silly right? But go check out Umhlanga Sands Hotel. There is no thirteenth floor there.
Love it or hate it , some say superstitions are the religion of a feeble mind. However “superstition may be the poetry of life”.
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