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The strange history of these 5 common superstitions

Where superstitions come from You probably engage in many of these superstitions as second nature, but have you ever thought about where they come from? Superstition: Black cats are bad omens The backstory: Despite centuries of royal treatment (Egyptians worshipped them; the Norse goddess Freya rode in a chariot pulled by them), cats took a big hit to their reputation in the 1200s, when Pope Gregory IX, waging a culture war on pagan symbols, damned cats as servants of Satan. As a result, cats – especially black ones – were killed across Europe. One unintended consequence, according to some historians: The cat-deprived continent may have allowed disease-carrying rodents to flourish and spread the bubonic plague of 1348. Rumours that the feline’s fangs and fur were venomous persisted, and by the witch-hunting days of the 1600s, many Puritans believed black cats to be “familiars” – supernatural demons that serve witches – and avoided them (to borrow an apt phrase) like the plague. Superstition: Never walk under a ladder The backstory: Depending on your background, a ladder leaning against a wall can represent an honest day’s work, a textbook geometry problem, or a symbol of the Holy Trinity that, if breached, will damn your soul. That last bit is what some ancient Christians believed – that any triangle represented the Trinity, and disrupting one could summon the Evil One. These days, our under-ladder phobia is a smidge more practical: Avoid it because you might get beaned by falling tools, debris, or an even less lucky human. Superstition: Break a mirror and see seven years of bad luck The backstory: Numerous ancient cultures agree: Your reflection doesn’t just reveal whether you’re having a bad hair day – it also holds a piece of your soul. To break a mirror, then, is to fracture your very essence, leaving you vulnerable to bad luck. So why should the sentence last seven years? Some writers cite the ancient Romans, who are said to have believed that the human body and soul fully regenerate every seven years. Any poor pleb who fractured his or her soul in the looking glass would therefore have to endure the bad karma until the soul renewed again. Superstition: A full moon brings out the crazies The backstory: Ever wonder where the word lunatic came from? Look no further than luna, the Latin word for the moon. Many Greeks knew that the moon and its goddess, Luna, held the tides in their thrall, and Aristotle considered the human brain – the “moistest” organ – particularly susceptible to Luna’s pull. Ancient physician Hippocrates agreed, writing, “One who is seized with terror, fright and madness during the night is being visited by the goddess of the moon.” Today, some emergency room workers still believe the full moon means trouble. Superstition: Say “God bless you” after a sneeze or risk something worse than a cold The backstory: You’ve probably heard the myth that a sneeze stops the heart (it doesn’t) or separates body from soul (science declines to comment there). But to explain the ritual of post-sneeze “blessing,” we can look to another pope. During the first recorded plague pandemic, in the sixth century, severe sneezing often portended sudden death. As a desperate precaution, Pope Gregory I supposedly asked followers to say “God bless you” every time someone sneezed. Today, it’s just polite. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/this-is-the-history-behind-these-5-common-superstitions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Caring

The reason some planes skip row numbers

When it comes to boarding a flight, a lot of people have specific preferences on where they want to sit, while others simply leave it up to chance. The next time you’re looking for your seat on your next flight, pay close attention to the row numbers and see if you notice anything strange. According to <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/03/21/which-airlines-skip-row-13-and-where-does-the-superstition-come-from">EuroNews</a>, a lot of aircrafts have been known to skip over rows, specifically rows 13, 14 and 17. The skipping of these numbers stems largely from superstitious passengers, with the number 13 being widely considered as “unlucky”. The superstition around the number originates largely from Christia scripture, as the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot, was the 13th guest at the last supper. The number 14 is considered unlucky in Chinese culture, as it phonetically sounds like the words “will die”. As for the number 17, Italian culture often steers clear of the number due to its Roman meaning. "This fear stems from the fact that the number 17's Roman numeral, XVII, is an anagram of VIXI, which means 'I have lived' in Latin. Some consider this a bad omen as it implies that death is just around the corner," explains <a href="https://www.abodeitaly.com/blog/why-italians-unlucky-day-is-friday-the-17th">Abode Italy.</a> According to EuroNews, there are a few airlines that avoid the unlucky rows altogether. Ryanair, Air France, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airlines, Lufthansa, and Emirates have been known to skip over the three unlucky numbers. So the next time you’re boarding a flight, check to see if your chosen airline has indulged the superstitions or if any brave passengers have chosen to risk flying in the “dangerous” rows. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Tips

Dissecting Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, 50 years after we first heard its infectious grooves

On October 24 1972, Stevie Wonder released his 15th album Talking Book and the world heard the infectious grooves and seamless vocal delivery of the song Superstition for the very first time. Superstition reached number one in the Billboard Hot 100 and on the soul singles chart. The song has been covered by an astounding number of artists, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbxmmFsofA4">Mel Torme</a>to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dNNl79_2Yc">Stevie Ray Vaughan and Macy Gray</a>, French musician <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzwiyeLvZwg">Tété</a> and a unique mashup from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QLSNwFBFyI">Pomplamoose</a>. Superstition is frequently played at gigs and gatherings all over the globe because the bass riff and driving drum groove have so much <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUIpSe7lcto">dance appeal</a> – a mix of the unexpected syncopation and repetition of the chorus hook. The song feels alive. <h2>A simple structure</h2> The listener can’t help but respond directly to the infectious opening groove played by Wonder. Three key instruments forge the captivating and carefully arranged funk groove in the introduction: the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavinet">Hohner Clavinet</a> (an electronic harpsichord – more on this later), drums and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moog_synthesizer">Moog bass</a>. The cohesion is musical magic. Superstition’s recording engineer Malcolm Cecil <a href="https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_D5482985134149A5927DED9849248EF">recalled</a> how Wonder recorded the entire song on drums first, with no reference other than the song in his head, then the keyboard bass part, and then the Clavinet. This illustrates how complete his conceptualisation of the song was prior to recording. The song’s structure is simple. The introduction sets up the familiar groove with its static harmony, pulsing bass and keyboard riff. The verse proceeds over the same static harmony, with a new bass riff introduced halfway through, effecting a shift to a higher dynamic level. The chorus releases the tension with a sophisticated cadence, reflecting jazz sensibilities and revealing the breadth of Wonder’s musical knowledge. This structure is repeated, followed by an instrumental version of the chorus. Then there’s a final verse and chorus before a long instrumental section built on the verse riff leads to the final fade out. <h2>Unexpected instruments</h2> One of the most memorable parts of the song is the signature played on the Hohner Clavinet. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7CY6aJtegc">Clavinet</a> looks like an electric keyboard, but it is an electro-mechanical string instrument originally developed for the performance of classical harpsichord and clavichord music. Like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammond_organ">Hammond organ</a> of the 1930s, it was soon discovered and adopted by many contemporary musicians. Wonder had already used the instrument on I Was Made to Love Her (1967), Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (1968) and I Don’t Know Why (1969). According to music journalist <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2722025-innervisions">Martin Horn</a>, Wonder wanted to use the Clavinet on Superstition to “full effect” to “show off”. Wonder had described the instrument as “funky, dirty, stinky”. In some ways, the Clavinet is doing the job a guitarist might normally do. It plays the single note riff at the core of Wonder’s song, and chord parts similar to what you would hear from a strummed guitar. But there are also several other barely audible tracks of clavinet, which subtly add to the texture. Superstition’s bass line is played on an analog synthesiser called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX0XPdmSfXI">TONTO</a> (The Original New Timbral Orchestra). This is an extraordinary collection of electronics which filled an entire room, adding to the song with a totally unique sonic palette – akin to a PVC pipe hit with a thong. <h2>Standing the test of time</h2> The contributions from the horn parts are also integral, played by Steve Madaio on trumpet and Trevor Lawrence on the tenor saxophone. The horns first appear playing in unison with the bass line in the second half of the verse, emphasising the lift in energy. They play long notes in the chorus emphasising the melody, then reinforce the rhythmic figure at the crest of resolution. Their part culminates in a powerful instrumental hook answering the vocal hook, “superstition ain’t the way”. These parts are repeated in the ensuing verses and choruses. After the final chorus the horns cycle through a sequence containing the verse riff, the chorus hook and a short passage of long notes adapted from the chorus melody. The melody of Superstition is very singable. Wonder’s delivery is fluid and highly expressive. He sings relatively short phrases, allowing the keyboard riffs to fill the space at the end of each phrase. It isn’t until the chorus that Wonder delivers the first effortless vocal lick on “suffer”. His vocal delivery remains understated, with occasional punctuated phrases, gravel tones and a scream within the horn part. The song ends with a long 50 second fade out, reinforcing the riff. Superstition and Wonder’s vocal delivery is so dependable, groovy and secure musically. The listener feels free to give themselves over fully, to trust Wonder completely and lose themselves for a moment. Superstition stands the test of time. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/dissecting-stevie-wonders-superstition-50-years-after-we-first-heard-its-infectious-grooves-189551" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Discover the fascinating history behind 6 superstitions

Ever wondered about the origins of common superstitions? Discover why raw onion is believed to ward against baldness, why four-leafed clovers are considered lucky and much more. Author <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsearch.ep%3Fauthor%3DMax%2520Cryer">Max Cryer</a> investigates in the fascinating book <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsuperstitions-max-cryer%2Fprod9781925335170.html">Superstitions and we we have them</a> from <a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/Superstitions.html">Exisle Publishing</a>. 1. The superstitions behind umbrellas The name is descended from the Latin diminutive umbra,meaning shade or shadow. For many centuries umbrellas were soley for protection from the sun. It wasn’t until the 1700s that it seemed to occur to anyone they could also protect from rain. Naturally superstition gathered around them. The most common of them was not to open an umbrella inside the house - something bad will come of it. Nor must it ever be laid - even unfurled - on a bed or table. And any woman yet unmarried who drops her umbrella must wait for someone else to pick it up. If she retrieves it herself, she will never wed. 2. The superstition behind our beds For those who are unmarried, a suspicion might offer some help. It concerns ‘turning’ or ‘making’ a bed each day: If one day you would be wed, Turn your bed from foot to bed. Married or not, the susperstitious abide by the belief that whatever side of the bed you get into a night is the side you must get out of in the morning. Not doing so will cause disruption. In fact, the belief resulted in the saying that someone disgruntled ‘got out the wrong side of the bed’. (However, any potential disruption caused by inadvertently getting out on the ‘wrong’ side can be adverted by putting one’s socks on the right foot first, then the left.) The jury is still out on the ancient and vexed superstition regarding getting out of bed ‘backwards’. One school of thought decrees it is to be back luck, but the opposition says it is good luck. It’s probably best avoided by getting out of bed frontwards. 3. The superstitions behind baldness In spite of extensive advertising claims to the contrary, most men afflicted by baldness find the condition irreversible. An American superstition claims that baldness can be delayed by cutting the existing hair very short, then singeing the cut ends. Another superstition claims that when a man starts to go bald, he can slow the process by stuffing cyclamen leaves up his nose. And sprinkling parsley seeds on the head three times a year is also believed to help. Three other cures have come to us from ancient traditions - albeit two of them might be rather difficult to obtain: <ul> <li>Rubbing with raw onion might help, but it is best done when you’re going to be alone for a while. After rubbing, smear with honey.</li> <li>Believed to be more effective is a poultice of goose dung.</li> <li>Best of all - if you can get it - herbalist William Bullein’s Bulwarke of Defence against all Sickness(published in 1562) offers the best preventative: poultices made of fat from the body of a bear. </li> </ul> 4. The superstitions behind peas If your peas don’t come from frozen in a bag from the supermarket, but are actually shelled out of their pods within the household,watch out for any pod which contains either just one pea - or nine, for good luck will then come to you. And if the pod which housed nine peas is rubbed on a wart, it will cure it. . . or so the superstition says. 5. The superstitions behind garlic As far back as Ancient Egypt, garlic has been credited as a protection against a wide range of problems - and not just for its notable flavour. At least two versions of its origin ignore that it is just a plant, allium sativum, a tasty and aromatic member of the onion family. Early Egyptians perceived garlic as a gift from the gods, but post-biblical mythology decreed that it grew where Satan’s left food trod as he was evicted fom the Garden of Eden (the print of his right foot gave rise to ordinary onions). Supstition has credited garlic with various powers: protecting sailors from storms and shipwreck; giving soldiers courage; protecting miners from evil underground demons; if placed under the pillows of babies, protecting them overnight; and as a household garlands to protect against illness, witches, robbers and vampires. The perceived connection between vampires and garlic was slow in reaching the English language. The first vampire story in English, The Vampyre by John Polidori (1819) makes no mention of garlic. Irish author Bram Stocker’s later vampire novel, Dracula (1897), introduced the powerful effects between vampires and what they greatly fear: daylight - and garlic. But as a protection it had been widely used for long before that - against toothache, sunstroke, leprosy, even bed-wetting. Medical research can identify a genuine physical condition called alliumphobia - a powerful dislike, even fear of garlic. And there is a medical theory that some people simply must not each garlic because it causes disorder in certain blood types. Scholars point out that this condition, and its necessary repudiation of anything to do with garlic, may be a contributing factor to the legend of vampires and their avoidance of garlic. The vampire legends were believed historically in southern Slavic countries and Romania, where an eye was kept on those who rufused to eat garlic. Consequently, superstition decreed that cloves of garlic be placed in the mouths of the deceased before they were buried, to ward off any passing vampies.Do you avoid walking under ladders because you think it is bad luck? 6. The superstitions behind four-leafed clover A four-leafed clover has superstition going into a spin. Find one, and you’ll be able to see fairies and recognise evil spirits, which will give you the ability to tell who is secretly a witch. Carry it with you and evil spells will bounce right off you, and in your house the milk won’t turn sour. If a young woman puts the precious leaf inside her shoe, the first man she meets after stepping out will be her future husband, or (this suspicion has a let-out clause) if that’s not the case, it will be someone of the same name. It has been estimated that in nature, there may be one four-leaf clover approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers. When found, each of the four leaves has a duty to fulfil; the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck. Note: It is perhaps worth adding that in recent years horticulturalists have successfully developed a clover plant with four leaves exclusively, so the purchase of a ‘four-leave-clover kit set’ will enable you to grow as many as you like. This is an extract from Max Cryer's <a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/Superstitions.html">Superstititions and why we have them, Exisle Publishing</a>. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/71095/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fsuperstitions-max-cryer%2Fprod9781925335170.html">Get your copy here!</a> Written by Max Cryer. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/discover-the-fascinating-history-behind-6-superstitions.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Art

Rafael Nadal's on-court superstitions: Can you spot them?

Competitive sports are rife with superstitions – many athletes will perform a specific routine or carry ‘lucky’ items in the belief that they will improve the chance of winning. Rafael Nadal is no exception to this. The Spaniard has a series of well-documented habits. He always walks on court with one racquet in hand, and then puts down his bag on the bench and turns his tournament ID to face up. He will then take off his jacket facing the audience while jumping. His two drink bottles will be lined up on the floor with the labels facing the baseline of the end he is playing. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> The most 'Ritual-Tennistic' player of all time. Rafa 'The King of Clay' Nadal.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon2017?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/H1k6JkSQeN">pic.twitter.com/H1k6JkSQeN</a> — Naman Saxena (@iamnamansaxena) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamnamansaxena/status/883338032664805379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2017</a></blockquote> “I put the two bottles down at my feet, in front of my chair to my left, one neatly behind the other, diagonally aimed at the court,” Nadal wrote about the ritual in a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/8703175/Rafael-Nadal-my-pre-game-rituals-sharpen-my-senses-before-I-go-into-battle.html" target="_blank">2011 article</a>. “It’s a way of placing myself in a match, ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head.” He will not leave his chair or cross on changeovers before his opponent moves first. When he is about to serve, he will pick his shorts out from his bottom, tuck his hair behind his left ear and then his right before wiping his forehead or fiddling with his nose or shirt, bouncing the ball a certain number of times and then serving. If he has a ball in his pocket, he will take two more from the same ball boy or girl, never from two different people. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Nadal’s little ear/nose touching ritual is iconic. <a href="https://t.co/JU28KgyZgf">pic.twitter.com/JU28KgyZgf</a> — Elöise Clarke (@eloisegclarke) <a href="https://twitter.com/eloisegclarke/status/1146841368872083458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Shoulders, Hair behind the ears, Nose, Shorts out the Arse Crack...Nadals ritual and new take on head shoulders knees & toes before a serve 😂 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tsonga?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tsonga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nadal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nadal</a> <a href="https://t.co/8B2knbd6Bk">pic.twitter.com/8B2knbd6Bk</a> — Michael Roberts (@MikeyRobs91) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeyRobs91/status/1147529566195503105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> As if I never noticed nadals superstition before serve when it's soooo noticeable 😂 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nadal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nadal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/SdYAPuc14W">pic.twitter.com/SdYAPuc14W</a> — wendy brannigan (@wendynwo) <a href="https://twitter.com/wendynwo/status/884442132429365248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2017</a></blockquote> The habit recently infuriated Nick Kyrgios, who complained that <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/i-wanted-to-hit-him-nick-kyrgios-crashes-out-in-fiery-grudge-match-against-rafael-nadal">Nadal took too long between serves</a>. He will also request his towel after every point, and perform the same footwork routine in between with his right foot stepping first across the left. While the eccentric habits may seem funny to some, psychologist Christoper Mogan said they are no laughing matter. In 2014, Mogan sent a complaint to Channel Seven after Jim Courier and Lleyton Hewitt made repeated comments on Nadal’s rituals during a match against Gael Monfils. “What upset me is that I think it’s known that Rafa has obsessive-compulsive indications,” Mogan told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/doctor-warns-against-trivialising-rafael-nadals-oncourt-routines-20140121-316w8.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a>. “Two to three per cent of people have this seriously disabling condition and they would be identifying with him – when he does his square walk … how he places his bottles in a row, very carefully. “They are routines, but the point is they’re meant to try and control anxiety. It’s about getting a ‘just right’ feeling: ‘I can feel just right if I line my bottles up’. It brings a sense of completion, and if you leave something incomplete, it creates a stress. “It is possible it could be just a manifestation of the control athletes seek to get.”

Body

8 strange pregnancy superstitions from around the world

Everyone’s some level of expert when it comes to pregnancy – we’ve all known someone who was/is expecting, or have been there ourselves. Because of this, most people have special tips and tricks they offer expectant mothers – whether it’s based on personal experience, something seen in a movie, or if it’s a centuries-old superstition passed down through generations. You may recognise some of these superstitions as old wives’ tales, while others might be new to you. 1. The ring test Surely we’ve all seen this game played – an expectant mother provides her wedding ring, a needle, or a pin to be tied to a length of string (or hair, if hers is long enough). She then lies down on her back, while a friend or family member holds the string over her belly. If the ring moves side to side, she’s most definitely having a boy; if it makes circles, she’s soon to be blessed with a boy. 2. Nothing sharp in the bed This fascinating superstition originates in China, <a href="http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/pregnancy/news-views/13-pregnancy-superstitions-from-across-the-globe-20170113-gtqtlq" target="_blank">where pregnant women are warned</a> to keep sharp objects like scissors or needles away from their bed. These things are believed to signal the cutting of the umbilical cord, or could cause birth defects. Interestingly, a dagger should be kept under the bed of an expectant mum to ward off evil spirits. 3. Bad moon on the rise The ancient Aztecs believed that pregnant women looking at a full moon would cause their child to be born with a cleft palate. To help prevent this, they would often wear something metallic, as it would deflect the moon’s harmful rays. 4. Bountiful moon Many women will tell you that more babies are born during the full moon. This belief is so persisting that there have been studies performed to investigate its validity. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15902138" target="_blank">The results</a> have shown that there’s absolutely no truth to this pervasive superstition. 5. No gifts Some mothers-to-be don’t like to receive gifts for their baby before it has been born, as they’re worried about jinxing themselves – especially if they’ve had trouble falling pregnant. This superstition may have its origins in the Jewish faith, where some view receiving gifts for an unborn child as an extended invitation to the evil eye. 6. Position is everything Many people follow the belief that the position in which a baby was conceived has a direct influence on the sex of the child. Folklore says that the woman on top during sex will result in a girl, while the man on top will create a little boy. Try as we might, we couldn’t find any research to support this superstition. 7. Animal aesthetics There’s an old Turkish superstition that tells expectant mothers not to look at bears, camels, or monkeys while they’re pregnant. Why? Because mothers who want a beautiful baby should only look at objects of beauty. 8. Hands off the bump Long ago, expectant mums in Liberia figured out how to stop strangers from touching their baby bump. Liberian superstition says that strangers shouldn’t be allowed to touch the pregnant belly of a woman as evil spirits are able to steal babies from the womb. What’s the strangest pregnancy superstitions you’ve heard? Did any of them turn out to be true? Share in the comments below.

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