We
all have done it at least once in our lifetime. We either say, “knock on wood
or we actually knock on a piece of wood”. The meaning to this is to bring you
luck. According to Mental_flos the phrase knock on
wood came from pagan groups and other cultures from Ireland to India to
elsewhere in the world, which worshipped or mythologized trees. These tree's were used as oracles, and has regarded them as the home of certain spirit gods. So if you are ever in need of luck at anytime. All you have to do is Knock on wood...
http://mentalfloss.com/article/50079/why-do-we-knock-wood
Posts
I would not call myself superstitious in any way but I've have been guilty on countless occasions of "knocking on wood" for good luck after saying something like "I've never been in a car accident". I even have thrown salt over my shoulder after spilling it. It's interesting to hear the origin of these sayings and where the meaning behind it comes from.
ReplyDeleteI always knock on wood, especially when i am saying something has never happened to me. What is even more weird is that after i knock on wood, said things do not happen, but is it because i knocked on wood or is it just a coincidence? I'd rather knock on wood than find out.
ReplyDeleteThere are some superstitions that I find myself immersed in I was to believe that when someone sneezes your heart actually stops , as ludicrous as this sounds I believed this until now
ReplyDeleteWhen you sneeze, the intrathoracic pressure in your body shortly increases. This will decrease the blood flow back to the heart. The heart compensates for this by changing its regular heartbeat shortly to adjust. However, the electrical activity of the heart does not stop during the sneeze
The sneeziest animal: the iguana. Iguanas sneeze more often and more productively than any other animal, Sneezing is how they rid their bodies of certain salts that are the normal byproduct of their digestive process,
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/11-surprising-sneezing-facts?page=2
Wrong Side of the Bed
“We've all woken up on the "wrong side of the bed.” Yet in the world of folklore and superstition, there really is a right and wrong way to get up in the morning. Traditionally, climbing out of bed on the left side has bad consequences. This stems from the Ancient Egyptian belief that "left side" belongs to the forces of death and destruction. Some modern hotel and casino designers even arrange guest rooms with the left side of the bed facing the wall, helping you rise on the side of luck. A European custom requires exiting your bed on the same side as you entered it, or else the cosmic circle of sleep will be disturbed, until the following night when the cycle can resume as normal. ”
Horowitz, M. (n.d.). 13 Superstitions that Still Scare the Bejesus out of us.