Superstition: Salt Over The Shoulder

Growing up in an Italian family I have heard many different superstitions, the most common was throwing salt over your shoulder. Until recently, I had no idea what the superstition was really about. The superstition states that if an individual spills salt, one should throw it over your left shoulder to erase the blunder. Throwing the salt over your shoulder will blind the devil and keep him from taking your soul. Salt was a very expensive and highly sought after product, preserving food and functioning as legal tender during ancient and biblical times. This reference came from the website (Daily Mail), which states that Leonardo da Vincis’ painting the Last Supper, may be inspiration for this scene. Since the scene illustrates Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles seated around a table, and Judas appears to have knocked over the salt, thus bringing forth the devil. According to (Angel Fire) another way the superstition may have come about is believed to have come from the Kabala. The Kabala says that there are three paths in life; the middle, which is the most common, the path to the right, which is the path of love and light, and the left side, is a path where one meets the devil and we learn our lessons. Whether the artist da Vinci, meant for art viewers to beware of the devil, by painting spilled salt near the man that would ultimately lead to the death of Christ, will always be unknown. Just like the Kabala’s belief about the three paths of life, will always be a part of their religious beliefs. The reason that this superstition has persisted may never be known, but I think it is safe to say that individuals get a sense of safety and security from this superstition. Dr. Stuart Vyse, author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, believes that superstitions are an example of ‘magical thinking.’ The way a person feels about a superstition may be caused by a ‘placebo effect,’ if they want to feel good about a certain situation… they will.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1385380/Why-throw-salt-shoulder-superstitions-answered.html
http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/Psyteric/Kitmyths.html
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/psychology-of-superstition?page=2

Friday the 13th

Superstitions are based on the belief of the irrational. People choose to belief something and they decide to firmly stand by it making it their own reality. In their mind it’s true. It can become a fear or an obsession.

The fear of Friday the 13^th is a phobia called paraskavedekatriaphobia. The foundation for this psychological problem dates back to ancient times. All through out history people have believed that 13 is an unlucky number and a lot of historical and biblical tragedies have taken place on a Friday. The combination of the so-called bad luck number and day has created the notion that Friday the 13^th is a day to be feared.

http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/scary.html#friday

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29661652/

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Superstitious theater

The theatrical world is full of different superstitions such as ghosts, whistling being bad luck, "Break a Leg" and sleeping with your script under your pillow to learn your lines. The most famous, however, is The Scottish Play.

Before I continue, I wish to explain to you a couple ghostly superstitions. A general superstition about ghosts is that a theater should be closed one night of every week. Interesting superstition, but why is it brought about? Well, generally if a ghost is attracted to a theater they would naturally be the theater type. Maybe they want to perform their own show? This is the exact reason a theater should be closed one night a week, to allow the ghosts to perform their own show. This is not, however, the only ghostly superstition of the theater. There is also Thespis and the idea of a ghost light.

A ghost light is a light that is always left on in the theater. Some say it is to ward off ghosts, others saying to give the theater's ghosts some light to see so they are not angry. Many say, however, that it is to keep non-spectral personnel from walking into the pit, which they could not see in the dark.

MACBETH! CLICK TO SEE A HISTORICAL VIDEO ON THE CURSE
If you read that out loud I urge you to please walk outside, spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock and request permission to re-enter the building. That is, if you are in a theater of course. Why? You just cursed the theater. No, seriously, anytime that name is spoken in a theater, there is surely something to go wrong that night. I've almost died a few times after someone spoke it. Well, I'll admit I was looking for something to go wrong so I'm sure it would have happened either way.

This curse was first originated by the fact that anyone who played Macbeth would somehow get killed in the process of the show. Somehow, the fake swords that were supposed to be used in the show suddenly became real and many people have died. One explanation for why it is cursed is the idea that the incantations which the weird sisters have in the show, are actual curses.

Like I stated before, though, when someone speaks the name I tend to look for something to go wrong. This puts my guard down and there is more likely something to go wrong. It could very well all be in the mind and work kind of how a horoscope works. Someone gives you something vague and interpretive to look at, and you try to mold your life/day around it instead of allowing it to mold itself around your life/day.

Triskaidekaphobia

It has been passed down through generations that the number 13 is unlucky. The fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and is apparently everywhere: office buildings, parking spots, airport gates, and office numbers. The number 13^th is thought of as to be taboo, and extremely unlucky. However, is it really that unlucky?

First off, no matter what you call it, the number after 12 is still 13. You can pretend that it is the 14^th floor, or 14^th parking spot, but in reality it is still the 13^th. Even William Shakespeare stated in his play Romeo and Juliet, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In this situation, the number 14 would become just as unlucky as the number 13. This, however, has not happened.

Where did this fear of the number 13 come from?

Some say it is because when counting on fingers and feet, you can only get up to the number 12. The number 13, therefore, is unknown and the unknown must be unlucky. Others say it is because Judas was the 13^th disciple to come to the last supper which lead him to betray Jesus.

On the other hand, the ancient Egyptians felt the number 13 was very lucky. The 13^th rung of their ladder to immortality lead to paradise. Also, the number 1 +3=4 which is the number of security.

The number 13 is not necessarily unlucky, and those who believe it suffer from triskaidekaphobia- the fear of the number 13.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Superstitions,-Numerology-and-the-Number-13---Is-it-Really-Bad-Luck?&id=2327815