Why you shouldn't walk under a ladder — and other superstitions explained

Image: Raquel Pedrotti

Superstitions have shaped human behavior for centuries, often rooted in ancient beliefs, religious practices, or sheer coincidence. From knocking on wood to avoiding black cats, even today, these curious traditions persist across cultures. But where did they come from? Here are 12 common superstitions and the fascinating origins behind them.

Image: Alexey Demidov

This practice dates back to ancient pagan traditions, where trees were believed to house spirits. Knocking was a way to summon their protection or avoid tempting fate.

Over time, the superstition spread across cultures, and early Christians adapted it as a reference to the wood of the cross for divine protection. Today, people still "knock on wood" after making a hopeful statement to ward off bad luck.

Image: Savannah B.

Ancient Romans believed mirrors reflected the soul. Breaking one was thought to damage the soul, which would take seven years to renew.

This idea was reinforced in the Middle Ages, when mirrors became expensive. Breaking one was not only a spiritual concern but also a financial burden, and the superstition likely served as a warning to handle them with care.

Image: Waldemar

The fear of the number 13 stems from Norse and Christian traditions, with an unlucky 13th guest believed to bring misfortune. Friday was also linked to Jesus’ crucifixion.

The superstition intensified in the 20th century through pop culture references, leading to widespread fear. Many buildings and airlines even avoid labeling a 13th floor or row.

Image: Jilbert Ebrahimi

Ancient Egyptians saw ladders as sacred symbols, forming a triangle with the ground. Walking through one was believed to anger the gods.

During the Middle Ages, ladders were associated with gallows, creating a connection with death. The belief persists today, reinforced by the obvious danger of a ladder toppling.

Image: Tatiana Zanon

In medieval Europe, black cats were linked to witches, believed to be their familiars—or even witches in disguise—and crossing paths with one was thought to bring misfortune.

However, this wasn’t true everywhere. In ancient Egypt, black cats were especially revered, and today they are considered lucky in some cultures, particularly in Japan and Scotland.

Image: Trent Haaland

In Victorian England, umbrellas with spring mechanisms could accidentally injure people indoors, making this superstition more about a real hazard than a "bad omen."

A deeper origin may stem from ancient Egypt, where parasols were used to shield pharaohs from the sun. Opening one indoors was thought to offend the sun god Ra.

Image: Emmy Smith

Salt was a valuable commodity in ancient times, sometimes even used as currency. Spilling it was considered wasteful and unlucky.

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper depicts Judas spilling salt, reinforcing its association with betrayal and misfortune. As a countermeasure, tossing salt over the left shoulder was thought to blind evil spirits.

Image: Virgil Cayasa

The Romans believed water had sacred properties, and tossing a coin into a fountain was an offering to the gods for good fortune.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome helped popularize the tradition. Today, millions of coins are thrown into fountains worldwide, with many places donating the collected money to charity.

Image: Matt Benson

The horseshoe’s luck stems from iron’s historical association with warding off evil spirits and fairies. The shape also resembles a crescent moon, a symbol of protection.

In part, the association with the supernatural stemmed from the fact that blacksmiths were highly respected in medieval Europe, and their complex craft was seen by many as nearly magical.

Image: Dayne Topkin

This tradition likely originated with early Christians, who used finger gestures to invoke divine protection and ward off evil.

Over time, the practice became a general symbol of good luck, with people crossing their fingers for positive outcomes—or even to excuse small lies.

Image: Luis Villasmil

This rhyme originated in the 19th century as a playful warning to children, with no real historical basis.

However, cracks in sidewalks were sometimes linked to supernatural beliefs, with some cultures fearing they could allow evil spirits to escape from the underworld.

Image: mohammad hosein safaei

According to one theory, Pope Gregory I promoted saying "God bless you" during the bubonic plague to protect against disease, and the phrase stuck.

Another possible origin comes from ancient Rome, where sneezing was thought to temporarily expel the soul, making a blessing necessary for protection.

Mysteries of the brain

Why do we suddenly forget certain words? The "tip of the tongue" effect

You’re talking with friends, everything is flowing perfectly… but then it happens. The name of that actor from a classic movie, or even something as simple as a familiar word, suddenly disappears. You can almost feel it there, but you just can’t say it. And it’s not just you. This happens to everyone, and there’s even a name for it. It’s called the "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon, and here you'll discover why your brain does this and what you can do when it happens.

It’s probably happened to you, too: you’re seconds away from remembering a word, you can almost grab it, but it slips away. That frustrating mental pause is called the "tip-of-the-tongue" (TOT) phenomenon, also known as lethologica.

According to cognitive neuroscience research published by the National Library of Medicine, it’s a temporary moment when a perfectly familiar word, one you absolutely know and understand, refuses to fully come forward in your mind and your mouth. In simple terms, your brain has the meaning, but can’t quite pull up the sound of the word.

If this happens to you often, don’t worry. The "tip-of-the-tongue" (TOT) effect is not a sign of a failing memory. Simply put, it’s not a malfunction; it’s more like a system getting momentarily crowded.

According to one of the theories that explains this phenomenon, you don’t forget words because you don’t know them, but because your brain knows too many words. When you try to pull out one specific term, other words can briefly "block it" from coming. The more you know, the more your brain has to sift through, and sometimes the right word gets momentarily stuck.

Sometimes you briefly forget a word simply because you haven’t used it in a while. If a term isn’t part of your regular conversation, the "path" to saying it isn’t as well-worn.

A widely accepted scientific explanation, known as the "Transmission Deficit Hypothesis", adds to this idea. It suggests that the brain can easily retrieve the meaning of a word, but has more difficulty pulling up its sound at the same time. Basically, you don’t lose the word itself; you just momentarily lose access to how to say it.

Among the words most often "affected" by the TOT, names of people and places tend to be the first to slip away. And that’s not a coincidence.

Unlike everyday words like "car" or "house," proper names have fewer mental connections. Each name is unique in sound and meaning, with almost no similar words to "pull" it into memory. In essence, common words are tied to a web of associations we use every day, while names are more isolated in the brain, making them harder to grab when you suddenly need them after a while.

It’s ironic, but the more you try to remember that word or name, the harder it becomes. And it’s not just a feeling; it’s something well documented.

The moment you realize you can’t recall it, a bit of frustration and anxiety naturally kicks in. According to psychology and cognitive neuroscience, stress can actually interfere with memory, as it further blocks the neural pathways to vocabulary. Often, the best way to get it back is simply relaxing and letting it go for a moment.

It seems that when you finally give up and decide to stop chasing the word because it just won’t come, out of nowhere, it suddenly pops into your head.

Since stress and frustration can block memory retrieval, the key is often to stop forcing it. The so-called "let it go" strategy is exactly that: shift your attention to something else, talk about a different topic, or simply move on as if it doesn’t matter. And then, when you least expect it, the word returns on its own.

The strategy of shifting your attention for a moment works surprisingly well, but it’s not the only trick that can help. There’s another simple method people often use when a word just won’t appear.

It’s called the "alphabet trick," a basic memory exercise where you slowly go through the letters of the alphabet, sometimes in your head, sometimes out loud, one by one. The idea is that the single sound of a letter can "trigger" the missing word. For example, if you’re trying to remember the name of Diane Keaton, by the time you reach "D," there’s a good chance it suddenly pops back in your mind.

And it’s not just the sound of the letters that can help you recover a forgotten word or name. You can also get there through its meaning.

When TOT happens, it’s often recommended to start circling the idea instead of chasing the exact word. Think of related terms, synonyms, or simply describe what you’re trying to name: what it does, what it looks like, where you heard it, or who you associate it with. All of those mental clues can guide your brain to the word you were looking for, often when you don’t try so hard to force it.

Another way to train your brain when it comes to vocabulary is simple, but powerful: challenge it regularly. How? Word games like crossword puzzles, Scattergories, or quick spelling challenges are not just fun, they’re real mental exercises. In fact, they can stimulate your recall even more than passive reading.

It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true. Every time you force your brain to search for meanings, patterns, or exact word forms, you’re essentially practicing for those TOT moments, so the next time a word disappears, your mind finds it faster.

Word games are great, there’s no doubt about it. However, when we talk about "exercise," we’re not just referring to mental workouts.

Science has shown a clear connection between aerobic activity, sleep quality, and how well the brain processes language. Staying physically active, moving throughout the day, and getting a solid night’s sleep all work together to support brain health, especially memory. So yes, if you take care of both mind and body, those frustrating "what is that word?" moments can become less frequent.