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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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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.

IN GOOD SPIRITS

Do You Know The Origin Of These 10 Alcoholic Beverages?

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You probably know many alcoholic beverages that you enjoy drinking alone or combined in different cocktails, but do you know where their names come from? From whiskey and gin to rum and absinthe, the origins of spirits have fascinating stories to tell. Are you ready to explore them? You will surely learn some curious facts to share at your next party!

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Whiskey is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world. It is produced by distilling malt fermented with cereals such as wheat, barley, corn, and rye, and the resulting spirit is subsequently aged in white oak barrels.

In the Middle Ages, alcoholic beverages were classified into two main groups: "aqua ardens" (burning water) and "aqua vitae" (water of life). Whiskey falls into the category of "aqua vitae." The Latin term was translated into Middle Irish as usque beatha, which in turn derived into usquebaugh, pronounced: "wiskyba," giving rise to "whisky" (Scotland) and "whiskey" (Ireland and the United States).

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The word brandy is an abbreviation of brandywine, an English term dating from the early 17th century. It comes from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning "burnt wine" or "burning wine," referring to the distillation process.

Brandy is made from the distillate of wine or fermented fruit pulp, primarily grape skins. There are different types of brandy. Perhaps one of the best known is cognac, a high-quality wine distillate, named after the city in France where it is produced.

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Gin is a distilled drink made from juniper berries, among other ingredients. The term gin is an abbreviation of the Old English word genever, which in turn derives from the Dutch jenever and the French genièvre. Moreover, all these words trace back to the Latin word for juniper, juniperus.

This drink emerged among European monks during the Middle Ages as a medicinal liquor. Then, in the 17th century, gin gained popularity in England and transitioned into the modern drink we know and love. Nowadays, gin is used to prepare different cocktails, including Tom Collins, Negroni, and the popular Gin & Tonic.

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The first references to this drink date back to the mid-17th century in Barbados, a small Caribbean island with sugar plantations that was under British rule for several centuries. When rum began to be produced on a large scale in the colonies, the English imported it to Europe and popularized it throughout the continent.

There are many theories about the origin of the word rum. The most accepted one suggests that it comes from the English slang word rumbullion which means "great tumult." This term might have originated in the Devonshire area on the southwest coast of England. From rumbullion, it became known as rum in English, rhum in French, and ron in Spanish.

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Vodka is an emblematic drink of Eastern European countries and is used to prepare a multitude of cocktails, including the Martini Vesper, Moscow Mule, White Russian, Cosmopolitan, and Bloody Mary, among others. The word vodka comes from the Russian word voda, which means "water." The ending -ka makes it diminutive, translating to "little water."

Vodka is a distillate that comes from the fermentation of potatoes, wheat, barley, grapes, beets, or any plant rich in starch. Originally, the aim was to obtain a simple, alcoholic liquid composed of ethanol and water, with no pretensions in terms of aroma or flavor. It also needed to have a high alcohol content to cope with the harsh Russian winters. Traditionally it has a graduation around 40º, although there are vodkas that reach 80º and up to 96º. It is hard to believe that it’s simply called water!

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This distillate made mainly from corn, was first introduced in the United States in the 18th century. The first known producer was Reverend Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister. Legend has it that the clergyman established the first distillery in Fayette County, Kentucky, with the help of a Southern farmer who provided surplus corn from his harvest.

Although it was born in Fayette, this variety of whiskey was named after another nearby county, Bourbon County, where the spirit began to be produced on a large scale. The names of both Kentucky counties have their origin in the same historical figure: Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat related to the House of Bourbon.

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The word vermouth comes from the German word wermut, which means "wormwood," one of the main herbs used to make this beverage. This fortified wine, flavored with different botanicals (flowers, herbs, roots, and spices), has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. However, the modern version we know today was first introduced in Turin, Italy, in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, vermouth became a global trend thanks to the rise of bars and cocktails, as it was —and still is— an essential ingredient to prepare classic drinks such as Martinis, Negronis, and Manhattans.

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Tequila is, without a doubt, a staple of Mexican culture and a famous drink around the world. In ancient times, it was considered a gift from the gods. Today it’s served as an aperitif or combined with other beverages and ingredients to prepare cocktails.

This spirit is produced from the distillation of fermented juice obtained from the heart of a plant known as "blue agave." Its name comes from the Nahuatl word Tekilan, which means "place of the workers."

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This popular anise-flavored spirit, made from wormwood oil and other herbs, has a high alcohol concentration. With a bitter taste, absinthe’s color is usually pale green. Its name derives from the Latin absinthium, which in turn comes from the Greek apsínthion, meaning "wormwood."

The use of wormwood to make alcoholic beverages dates back to the 1st century, but it was not until the end of the 18th century, in French-speaking Switzerland, that the drink we know today was created. At the end of the 19th century, absinthe, often called "Green Fairy," was the most popular spirit in Europe, enjoyed by all social classes, especially artists and bohemians. However, years later its consumption was limited because it could cause hallucinations, which gave birth to the term absinthism.

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Peru and Chile, neighboring South American countries, share many things: the Andes mountain range, common ancestors, customs, and, notably, the debate over the origin of pisco. The true birthplace of this spirit has long been questioned, with both countries claiming it as their own. What we do know is that the name pisco may derive from the Quechua word Pisku, meaning "bird."

Peruvian and Chilean pisco are different varieties but have in common that they are grape distillations, made similarly to brandy and cognac. Despite the ongoing controversy, no one should miss trying a good pisco sour!