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.

Secret uses

There’s a hidden microphone in your phone, and here’s where it is

You’ve probably twisted a bread bag closed, filled up your car, or pulled a sheet of aluminum foil from the box thousands of times without giving it a second thought. But many of the everyday objects we’ve used for decades have clever features that most people never notice. From the tiny pocket on blue jeans to the little arrow next to your gas gauge, these hidden designs have practical stories behind them, and once you know them, you’ll never look at these familiar items the same way again.

If you own an iPhone, you’ve probably noticed the tiny black dot next to the rear camera. It’s small, so people tend to assume it’s another camera sensor or even part of the phone’s design. The small hole found near the camera bump on every iPhone is actually a rear microphone.

It captures clearer audio when you’re recording videos and helps reduce background noise during FaceTime and regular phone calls. If you own an iPhone Pro model from the iPhone 12 Pro onward, you'll also see a larger dark circle. That’s the LiDAR scanner, which sends out invisible infrared light to create a 3D map of your surroundings. It helps the camera focus faster in low light, powers Apple’s Measure app, and makes augmented reality features much more accurate.

Whether it's a holiday dinner, an anniversary, or simply a nice meal with friends, you’ve probably held a wine bottle and noticed the deep indentation in the bottom. Many people tend to think the deeper the indent, the fancier the bottle.

That indentation is called a punt, and it’s been a part of the bottle-making for centuries. Originally, it helped strengthen hand-blown glass bottles, making them less likely to crack under pressure. Today, it still adds structural stability, particularly for sparkling wines, while also giving servers a comfortable place to rest their thumb when pouring, though some say it helps collect the sediment as wines age. In any case, a deeper pun doesn’t automatically mean a better or more expensive bottle.

Almost every driver has experienced that awkward moment at the gas station. You pull up to the pump, step out of the car, and suddenly realize the fuel door is on the opposite side.

To help prevent exactly that situation, many modern vehicles include a small arrow next to the gas pump symbol on the dashboard’s fuel gauge. The arrow points towards the side of the vehicle where the fuel filler door is located. It’s a small detail on the dashboard, yet once you notice it, you’ll never have to circle the pump again.

All elevators look pretty much the same. Bigger or smaller, they all look similar, a gray box with a mirror and buttons. But if you pay close attention, you may notice there’s a small round opening near the top of the door.

That opening is a keyhole used by trained maintenance technicians and emergency responders. With a special elevator key, they can manually unlock the landing doors when repairs are needed or if passengers become trapped inside. The system allows professionals to reach the elevator safely without damaging the doors or relying solely on electrical controls. Hopefully, most of us will never need to see it in action. But in an emergency, that tiny opening becomes one of the most important parts of the system.

If you’ve ever stood in the bread aisle comparing loaves, you’ve probably noticed the colorful plastic clips or twist ties holding the bags shut. Contrary to what many think, they’re not simply a part of the packaging.

For many bakeries and grocery stores, the colors indicate the day a loaf was delivered or baked. While the exact color schedule can vary between bakeries and regions, employees use the system to quickly spot older inventory and rotate fresher bread to the back of the shelf. That way, customers are more likely to pick up the freshest loaf available.

Whether you wear jeans every day or only pull them out for yard work, you’ve probably noticed the tiny extra pocket tucked inside one of the front pockets. It’s too small for a phone and not very useful for loose change, but there’s a reason for it.

Back in the 1800s, when Levi Strauss & Co. created rugged denim pants for miners, ranchers, and cowboys working across the American West, pocket watches were commonplace. Workers needed a safe place to carry their watches while riding horses, so that little pocket was designed specifically to protect the watch from damage. Pocket watches disappeared, but the tiny pocket became such an iconic part of blue jeans that manufacturers have continued including it for well over a century.

Almost everyone has had the same frustrating experience. You pull on a sheet of aluminum foil, and suddenly the entire roll slides out of the box and lands on the kitchen counter.

That’s exactly why major manufacturers such as Reynolds introduced the small side tabs, known as end locks, in the mid-1990s. By pressing the tabs inward, they hold the cardboard roll in place like built-in axles. This keeps the roll from sliding out of the box, makes it much more stable as you pull, and helps the serrated edge cut a cleaner, straighter sheet. It also reduces waste by preventing the foil from bunching up or tearing unevenly. It’s a simple design, yet useful as it can get.

Every household has pens lying around for all kinds of purposes. And most of them have a common feature, a hole in the cap, which isn’t simply part of the design.

BIC and other pen manufacturers included the opening as a safety feature. If someone, especially a child, accidentally swallows a pen cap, the hole can allow a small amount of air to pass through, reducing the risk of complete airway blockage while emergency help is on the way. The design became part of border efforts to improve consumer product safety after choking incidents drew attention to the danger of small plastic objects.

If you grew up sewing or watching somebody do it, you probably remember the classic tomato-shaped pincushion sitting beside the sewing basket. Hanging from it was a tiny red strawberry that looked like nothing more than a cute finishing touch.

In reality, that little strawberry has its own job. Instead of soft stuffing, it’s filled with emery, a gritty material made from crushed abrasive minerals. Running pins and needles through it helps polish away tiny spots of rust, smooth rough edges, and keep the points sharp enough to glide through fabric more easily.

Think back to the first time you learned to type. Maybe it was at work, or on a family computer. Wherever it was, someone probably told you to keep your fingers on the "home row." That’s exactly why the F and J keys have tiny raised ridges.

The bumps let your index fingers find the correct starting position by touch alone, allowing you to type without constantly looking down at the keyboard. The technique, known as "touch typing," is widely credited to American court stenographer Frank Edward McGurrin, who demonstrated it in 1888. As typewriters became more common, manufacturers experimented with different ways to help typists orient their hands, and by the mid-20th century, companies such as IBM standardized the subtly raised plastic bars that remain on nearly every keyboard today.