Superstitions

Task 1: Think and answer

1) What creates superstitions? 
2) How do superstitions limit a person's life? 
3) What should a person do, if anything, who follows superstitions?

Task 2: Read

1. Friday the 13th

For a superstition, the fear of Friday the 13th seems fairly new, dating back to the late 1800s. Friday has long been considered an unlucky day (according to Christian tradition, Jesus died on a Friday), and 13 has a long history as an unlucky number.

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, about 17 million people fear Friday the 13th.

"If anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13th, the two will be forever associated in your mind," said Thomas Gilovich, a psychologist at Cornell University.

2. No umbrellas inside

… And not just because you'll poke someone's eye out. Opening an umbrella indoors is supposed to bring bad luck, though the origins of this belief are murky. Legends abound, from a story of an ancient Roman woman who happened to have opened her umbrella moments before her house collapsed, to the tale of a British prince who accepted two umbrellas from a visiting king and died within months. 

3. Cross your fingers

Those wishing for luck will often cross one finger over another, a gesture that's said to date back to early Christianity. The story goes that two people used to cross index fingers when making a wish, a symbol of support from a friend to the person making the wish. The tradition gradually became something people could do on their own; these days, just saying "fingers crossed" is enough to get the message, well, across.

4. Make a wish on a wishbone

The tradition of turkey bone tug-of-war goes back a long way. Legend has it that first-century Romans used to fight over dried wishbones — which they believed were good luck.

5. Knock on wood

This phrase is almost like a verbal talisman, designed to ward off bad luck after tempting fate: "Breaking that mirror didn't bring me any trouble, knock on wood."

The fixation on wood may come from old myths about good spirits in trees or from an association with the Christian cross. 

6. 66

Three sixes in a row give some people the chills. It's a superstition that harks back to the Bible. In the Book of Revelation, 666 is given as the number of the "beast," and is often interpreted as the mark of Satan and a sign of the end times.

7. Careful with that mirror

According to folklore, breaking a mirror is a surefire way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. The superstition seems to arise from the belief that mirrors don't just reflect your image; they hold bits of your soul. 

8. Bad luck comes in threes

The belief that bad luck comes in threes is a classic example. A couple things go wrong, and believers may start to look for the next bit of bad luck. 

9. A rabbit's foot will bring you luck

Talismans and amulets are a time-honored way of fending off evil; consider the crosses and garlic that are supposed to keep vampires at bay. Rabbit feet as talismans may hark back to early Celtic tribes in Britain. 

10. Black cats crossing your path

As companion animals for humans for thousands of years, cats play all sorts of mythological roles. Most likely, this superstition arises from old beliefs in witches and their animal familiars, which were often said to take the form of domestic animals like cats.

11. Don't walk under that ladder!

Frankly, this superstition is pretty practical. Who wants to be responsible for stumbling and knocking a carpenter off his perch? But one theory holds that this superstition arises from a Christian belief.

12. Find a penny, pick it up …

And all day long, you'll have good luck. This little ditty may arise because finding money is lucky in and of itself. 

13. Beginner's luck

Usually grumbled by an expert who just lost a game to a novice, "beginner's luck" is the idea that newbies are unusually likely to win when they try out a sport, game or activity for the first time.

Beginners might come out ahead in some cases because the novice is less stressed out about winning. 

14. Acorns

An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.

15. Bed

It's bad luck to put a hat on a bed. Placing a bed facing north and south brings misfortune. You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck. 16. Bridge If you say good-bye to a friend on a bridge, you will never see each other again. 17. Chimney sweep It's very lucky to meet a chimney sweep by chance. Make a wish when sighting one, and the wish will come true. 18. Clover It's good luck to find a four-leaf clover. 19.  Crack Don't step on a crack on a sidewalk or walkway. 20. Dandelion Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have. 21. Foot If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip. 22. Fork To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit. 23. Horseshoe A horseshoe, hung above the doorway, will bring good luck to a home. In most of Europe protective horseshoes are placed in a downward facing position, but in some parts of Ireland and Britain people believe that the shoes must be turned upward or "the luck will run out."

24. Stars All wishes on shooting stars come true.

Task 3: Talk about the photos