Nerding Out
By Maya Kukes
NOPE. Throwing salt over your shoulder when a shaker topples does not have magical powers to influence the future. But a bunch of us still do it! In fact, some estimates find that more than half of Americans are superstitious in some way.
Researchers say it’s a control thing—an attempt to manage the uncertainty of life. The human brain is inclined to seek out cause-and-effect relationships to find order in the chaos, but sometimes it gets too eager to make connections and mistakes a coincidence for a consequence. Superstitious beliefs are then passed down in families and cultures, taking root in our psyches. Suddenly black cats are getting the cold shoulder.
Read on to learn about a few superstitions that persist today. No judgments if you’re a believer! Or if, like a lot of us, you figure it can’t hurt to avoid walking under that ladder…
SPILLING SALT
In Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century painting of the Last Supper, an overturned saltcellar lies on the table by Judas, who presumably knocked it over with his elbow. This little detail is said to have inspired the idea (in Western culture, at least) that spilling salt brings misfortune. The antidote of tossing salt over your left shoulder? It’s supposed to blind the devil, who may be sitting there. Sorry not sorry, devil!
PUTTING A PURSE ON THE GROUND
“A purse on the floor is money out the door,” the adage goes, and this belief is present in many cultures, including African American, Asian, and Hispanic. The act is seen as a sign of disrespect and carelessness toward money that could lead to your financial ruin.
KNOCKING ON WOOD
Ever rap your knuckles on a table to avoid jinxing yourself? This practice has been traced to ancient pagan cultures, like the Celts, who believed gods lived in trees. Knocking on trunks may have been a way, back then, to request protection from the spirits.
LEAVING A HAT ON A BED
With ties to Jewish culture, cowboy folklore, and more, this superstition holds that placing a hat on a bed could bring bad luck and even death. It may stem from the belief that evil spirits lived in our hair—historians say static electricity used to really spook people! There’s also some evidence that it originated from a fear of spreading lice, which, well, is totally reasonable. We’re definitely pro superstitions that keep us safe and sound!
Illustration by Silja Goetz