Superstitions that still make us knock on wood

Ten common superstitions and their surprising origins

We're rational adults living in the 21st century. We have smartphones, streaming services, and GPS navigation. Yet somehow, when a black cat crosses our path, we still feel that little twinge of "uh oh." Let's explore ten classic superstitions that continue to haunt (and amuse) us today.

Image: Savannah B.

Drop a mirror and watch it shatter? Congratulations, you've just signed yourself up for seven years of misfortune—or so the superstition claims. This belief dates back to ancient times when mirrors were rare, expensive, and thought to reflect your soul. Breaking one meant damaging your very essence, which would take seven years to "regenerate." That's quite the warranty period for your spiritual well-being.

Image: Jilbert Ebrahimi

See a ladder propped against a building? Better walk around it unless you want bad luck following you home. This superstition actually has some practical roots—walking under a ladder is genuinely dangerous since paint cans, tools, or clumsy workers could fall on your head. But the mystical explanation is even more interesting: a ladder against a wall forms a triangle, which represents the Holy Trinity, and walking through it was considered a sign of disrespect to the divine.

Image: Kristin O Karlsen

In medieval Europe, these sleek felines were associated with witches and dark magic, making them the least popular pet choice for the superstitious. Cross paths with one, and you were supposedly inviting misfortune into your life. Never mind that black cats are just regular cats with darker fur—superstition doesn’t care about logic.

Ironically, in some cultures, black cats are considered good luck, which must be very confusing for the cats themselves. Are they harbingers of doom or furry little fortune cookies? It all depends on which side of the ocean you're standing on.

Image: Ryoji Iwata

Popping open an umbrella inside the house is a big no-no in the superstition handbook. The origins of this belief are a bit murky, but one theory suggests it offended the sun god to use a shade-providing device indoors, where the sun doesn't shine anyway. Another explanation is more practical: early umbrellas had stiff springs and metal spokes that could genuinely hurt someone or knock over valuables when opened in tight spaces.

Image: K Adams

Say something good about yourself—"I haven't been sick all year"—and watch yourself immediately reach for the nearest wooden surface. The ritual supposedly prevents your boastful words from jinxing you and attracting bad luck's attention. Its origins trace back to ancient tree-worshipping cultures that believed spirits lived in wood and could offer protection if properly acknowledged.

The best part about this superstition is how flexible it is. Can't find real wood? Knock on your head (insert your own joke here). Some people tap twice, others three times—there's no official protocol, which is refreshing in the otherwise rigid world of superstitions.

Image: Nik

This superstition combines two separate fears: Friday was considered unlucky because it was the day of Jesus’s crucifixion, and the number 13 has been deemed unlucky for various reasons, including being one more than the "perfect" dozen. Put them together, and you’ve got a day so notorious it inspired an entire horror movie franchise.

The funny thing is, there’s no statistical evidence that more bad things happen on Friday the 13th than on any other day. Yet hotels often skip the 13th floor (jumping from 12 to 14), and some airlines avoid having a 13th row.

Image: ekaterina shishina

Knock over the salt shaker at dinner, and tradition demands that you immediately toss a pinch over your left shoulder. Why? Because the devil was supposedly lurking behind your left shoulder, waiting to cause mischief, and throwing salt in his eyes would temporarily blind him. Salt was once incredibly valuable—Roman soldiers were even paid in salt, giving us the word "salary"—so spilling it was genuinely wasteful and considered an invitation for bad luck.

Image: Roman Manshin

"Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck"—but only if it's heads up. If it's tails up, some versions say you should flip it over for the next person or leave it alone entirely. This is one of the more optimistic superstitions, suggesting the universe occasionally scatters small fortunes in our path. Given that a penny is worth one cent, the universe isn't exactly being generous, but it's the thought that counts.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

When someone sneezes, we automatically say "bless you" or "gesundheit" without really thinking about why. The tradition supposedly started because people believed your soul could escape through your nose during a sneeze, or that the sneeze temporarily stopped your heart, leaving you vulnerable to evil spirits. By blessing the person who sneezed, you were offering spiritual protection during this brief moment of weakness. It's surprisingly dramatic for such a common bodily function.

Image: Toni Reed

Ever notice how someone playing poker, bowling, or trying any new activity for the first time often experiences unexplainable success? That's beginner's luck, the superstition that newcomers are temporarily blessed with good fortune, perhaps because fate wants to encourage them to keep trying. It's a convenient explanation for why your friend, who's never bowled before, just rolled a strike while you, the experienced bowler, keep hitting the gutter.

Of course, there are practical explanations: beginners aren't overthinking their moves, aren't burdened by bad habits, and aren't feeling pressure to perform. But where's the fun in that? It's much more entertaining to blame supernatural forces for our defeats.

Survival of the weirdest

Nature’s strangest tricks: 10 bizarre animal adaptations

Image: Caz Hayek

Nature is full of surprises, and some creatures have developed downright strange ways to survive. From self-amputating lizards to rejuvenating jellyfish, evolution has produced some of the weirdest adaptations in the animal kingdom. Here are 10 of the strangest skills that help animals navigate the harsh realities of their environments.

Image: Vladyslav Cherkasenko

Tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive extreme radiation, boiling heat, and the vacuum of space. These microscopic animals achieve this by entering cryptobiosis —a state where they lose almost all water in their bodies, effectively pausing their metabolism until conditions improve.

Image: Amos

Electric eels generate up to 600 volts to stun prey and deter threats. Their bodies contain thousands of specialized cells called electrocytes, which act like tiny batteries that discharge simultaneously, producing a powerful shock. This adaptation makes them one of nature’s most shocking hunters, capable of incapacitating fish with a single jolt.

Image: Shannon Potter

Colobopsis explodens, a species of tree-dwelling ant in Southeast Asia, has a unique defense mechanism. When threatened, worker ants rupture their own bodies, releasing a toxic, sticky substance that immobilizes enemies. This suicidal defense strategy ensures the survival of the colony, and is particularly useful against predators like other insects that invade their nests.

Image: Jelle Taman

Autotomy, or self-amputation, is a survival tactic used by many lizards, including geckos and skinks. When grabbed by a predator, they can shed their tails, which continue twitching to distract the attacker while the lizard flees. Other lizard species can even push their spiky, venomous ribs through their skin to defend themselves.

Image: David Clode

Archerfish shoot jets of water at insects to knock them into the water for an easy meal. They even adjust their aim for light refraction, a skill requiring precise calculations that rival human marksmanship.

Image: Tim Zänkert

Turritopsis dohrnii, known as the "immortal jellyfish," has a remarkable ability to escape death. Instead of dying after reaching adulthood, it can transform back into its polyp stage and start its life cycle all over again. This process, called transdifferentiation, allows it to potentially live forever unless eaten or killed by external factors.

Image: Andre Mouton

The Bombardier beetle is known for its unique defense strategy. When threatened, it sprays boiling-hot chemicals from its abdomen to deter predators. The reaction inside its body reaches near-water-boiling temperatures, releasing a toxic burst in rapid-fire sequences.

Image: Naja Bertolt Jensen

Lungfish can survive for months, even years, without water by burrowing into mud and breathing air. This species secretes a thin layer of mucus that dries into a cocoon, allowing it to live out of water for up to a year. It then breathes through its lungs until the rains return and refill its waterway.

Image: Gene Taylor

Hippopotamuses produce their own sunscreen. Unlike most mammals, hippos secrete a thick, reddish fluid that acts both as a sunscreen and as an antibiotic. This secretion, often called "blood sweat," protects their skin from the harsh African sun and helps prevent infections.

Image: Zdeněk Macháček

Glass frogs, found in Central and South America, have translucent skin that makes their internal organs visible. This adaptation helps them blend into their surroundings by breaking up their outline, making them harder to detect in moonlight or shadowy forests.