Superstition of the Week - Valentine's Day

St. Valentine’s Day...gone to the birds

The origins of this day are not exactly clear but it may have been created from Lupercalia, a pre-Christian Roman festival that was held in the honor of Pan and Juno to ensure fertility and a bountiful harvest. This festival was thought to start on the evening of February 14th and young men drew names of girls from a large urn to discover who would be their partner for the festival.

However, in the 4th century, the Christian Church became concerned about this pagan festival and tried to abolish it, but to no success. Thus they renamed the day after St. Valentine, supposedly an early Christian martyr, though it is highly likely that St. Valentine may have never existed.

The Puritans brought Valentine’s Day to America in 1629 but life was harsh and there was no time allowed for celebrations that seemed frivolous. Consequently, it took about another hundred years for Valentine’s Day to be celebrated in the United States.

During the middle ages there was a superstition believed that the first bird a young girl would see on Valentine’s Day would identify who her future husband would be:

Blackbird = A Clergyman

Robin = A Sailor

Goldfinch = An Extremely Wealthy Man

Yellowbird = A Well Off Man

Sparrow = A Farmer

Bluebird = A Happy But Poor Man

Crossbill = An Angry Man

Woodpecker = Will Never Marry

Dove = A Kind and Good Man

Superstition of the Week - The Oscar Curse

The Oscar Curse

We had not heard of the Oscar Curse but there was a rumored theory that women who win the Best Actress Academy Award are doomed to divorce.

Now according to an article in the Huffington Post, researchers at the University of Toronto have released a study that found the effect of the “Oscar Curse” has the data to back it up.

Researchers compared actresses who won Best Actress from 1936 to 2010 to those who were nominated but didn't win, and found that winners were, indeed, 1.68 times as likely to divorce as non-winners. Of the 265 married nominees, 159 eventually divorced--a whopping 60 percent. The same was not true for men--there was no significant difference in divorce risk for Best Actor winners and Best Actor nominees.

Here are a few notable names who were plagued by this curse: Jane Wyman, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Helen Hunt, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Hilary Swank, and Sandra Bullock.

Superstition of the Week - Zombie Apocalypse

 

Zombie means “living dead,” and was originally a god in different countries in Africa, particularly in the Congo. However, the term also grew into an integral part of voodoo magic describing a corpse that has been enchanted and brought back to life by having part of its soul restored by a sorcerer, who then has control over the zombie.

It was believed the only people who can become zombies are those who have had an unnatural death. Thus to prevent the sorcerer from being able to bring them back as a zombie, was to symbolically kill them for a 2nd time.

Of course Hollywood has now added several incidents where one might get zombied.

Superstition of the Week - Blue Monday

Watch out, it is that time again: Blue Monday, "the most depressing day of the year."

According to a, well let's just say very creative formula, written by psychologist, Cliff Arnall, in 2005, this upcoming Monday, January 24th, is the day when post-holiday gloom is at its worst.

While on the payroll of a PR firm five years ago Arnall "calculated" that the Monday falling in mid-January was the most miserable day of the year. To make this divination, the former Cardiff University lecturer came up with a complicated equation comprising seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take action.

Consequently, this unique bit of math was used to give academic weight to a press release put out by Sky Travel encouraging people to cheer themselves up by taking a trip during this time of year. Hmmmm.

Soooooo...I guess if you are down in the dumps on Monday, you can say your mood is substantiated by the seven-variable Arnall equation. Even though you are depressed, you will at least sound impressive.

Superstition of the Week - Clocks

There is a superstition that says if a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.

Superstition of the Week - Rabbits

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2011 is the year of the Golden Rabbit, which begins on 2/3/11 and ends on 1/22/12. Here are a few superstitions on our fine floppy-eared friends.

RABBITS

• A rabbit running through your yard is a sign of fertility either meaning it is a good year to have children or to grow a garden.
• A rabbit running down the street means there will be a fire in the neighborhood.
• Dreaming about a rabbit means you could soon be confronted by misfortune.
• Seeing a white rabbit is a death omen, this might stem from British folklore where it was believed that wicked witches turned themselves into white rabbits or hares.
• Seeing a black rabbit is unlucky. Not sure if this is related to the black cat superstition or that in some folklore it was thought that black rabbits host the souls of human beings.
• A superstition to gain good luck, usually a present, that was also common in many part of Great Britain, with several variants, was saying ‘Rabbits’ three times before going to sleep on the last day of the month, and then ‘Hares’ three times first thing when waking in the morning. Another version of this myth states that on the first day of the month you should shout out ‘White Rabbit’ when you wake up in the morning and then shout out ‘Black Rabbit’ right before you go to bed that night and you will have good luck throughout the month. A more modern version states the person should say “rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit” upon waking on the first day of each new month, and doing so will bring good luck all month long. Yet there are other versions that say instead of the first day of the month it should be the first day of the new moon.
• And finally...the rabbit’s foot. The most common superstition of this supposed lucky charm says the rabbit’s foot will bring luck and protect the owner from evil spirits if carried in the pocket. Though some versions say the original owner must give their rabbit’s foot away and the recipient of the gift would have good fortune. If the owner were to keep the foot for themselves, they would in turn have bad luck. Also if the recipient loses the rabbit’s foot, they would also have bad luck. Oh but there is more....
• In American folklore, the foot of the rabbit is considered an amulet of good luck originating from African-American folk magic known as hoodoo. But not just any rabbit’s foot will do. It needs to be the left hind foot. Here is where it gets sticky. Some say the rabbit must be shot by a silver bullet in a cemetery while others say the rabbit should be captured alive in the cemetery and the foot needs to be cut off while the rabbit is still alive. Also the phase of the moon is important, but again, some say the rabbit should be taken in the full moon where others say it should be taken in the new moon. There are even others that say it should be a Friday, preferably rainy.

We think we will just let them keep their furry little feet and we will find our good luck someplace else.

Superstition of the Week - Happy New Years Food

Lucky Food for the New Year (adapted from myrecipes.com)

Japanese tradition calls for eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve to ensure a long life.

It is customary in Spain to eat twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

Juicy pork is the lucky food of choice for Germans.

Brazilians associate red lentils with wealth, so it's common to feast on these satisfying seeds at New Year's celebrations in Brazil.

In China, Chinese potstickers or fried dumplings symbolize wealth since they resemble coins.

Superstition of the Week - Mistletoe

Mistletoe, also known as Celtic-All-Heal was popular by the 19th century. Since the times of druids, it was associated with fertility and kissing.

Luck favors those who kiss under the mistletoe but turn against those who avoid it.

Unmarried girls used to steal sprigs of mistletoe from church decorations and hid them under their pillows as a charm to dream of their future husbands.

Burning old mistletoe was said to predict marriage prospects of an unmarried girl. Steady flames ensured happy marital life while the spluttering flames predicted bad tempered and cross husbands.

Superstition of the Week - Black Friday

Here is a good luck ritual to prevent one from being trampled in the Black Friday Shopping Crowds:

• Get out of the bed on the left side
  
• Turn around 3 times
• Pat your stomach twice
• Hop on your right foot 5 times
• Hop on your left foot 6 times
• Count backwards from 20 to 1
• Twitch your nose 7 times
• Take 3 deep breaths
• Get back into bed and sleep until Saturday morning

Superstition of the Week - Hearses

It is considered bad luck to unexpectedly meet a hearse coming towards you and even worse, if the hearse is empty.

Superstition of the Week - Spider Webs

Continuing with the spider theme from last week...Spider Webs.

It is believed that spider webs are an omen of future prosperity. Unless it is absolutely necessary, it is best to leave spider webs whee they are because removing them also removes the potential wealth.

Well I was destined to be poor with the spider superstitions, but looking at my bookcases right now, this one may cancel the bad luck out.

Superstition of the Week - Spiders

SPIDERS

Believe it or not, supposedly seeing a spider is a lucky sign and a lot of times indicates money. This association dates back to the Roman times, when people wore spider amulets to attract success in business.

In England it indicated you will be coming into money. However that is only if the spider is found in a proper place. If it is found on places such as the kitchen table, it needs to be picked up and moved outside. If the spider dies during transport, all the money will be lost.

Small spiders were frequently called “money spiders” and it was considered extremely bad luck to kill one.

Sadly, I maybe destined to be poor....

Superstition of the Week - Halloween

HALLOWEEN

First a little history...

The Celtic Druids celebrated their year end on 10/31 with a festival called Samhain, which means summer’s end. They would praise Baal, the sun god who helped provide their harvest and asked the god for support to make it through the upcoming winter. On this day the Celts believed that the souls of the dead could return to visit the living. Some of these spirits would amuse themselves by playing tricks on the people.

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they also added their autumn festivals to the culture. One of these gatherings honored Pomona, the goddess of fruits and trees. Some believe this is why apples are included in some of our present-day Halloween celebrations.

When the Christian church tried to take over, they set out to abolish the old pagan celebrations. In many cases they did this by superimposing their own festivals on days of the pagan celebrations. Because of this, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints’ Day from May to the beginning of November. A century later, Pope Gregory IV declared that All Hallows’ Eve would be held on 10/31, All Saints’ Day on 11/2 and All Souls’ Day on 11/2.

In the 19th century immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought Halloween to the United States as a secular fun celebration incorporating bats, cats, ghosts, witches, jack-o'-lanterns, fortune telling and bobbing for apples.

Then in the 20th century the notion of trick-or-treating came about in the United States, though it is thought it does have roots to old world’s rituals. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, poor people in England carrying jack-o'-lanterns made from mangel-wurzel (a variety of beet) went door to door begging for soul cakes.

Okay now on to the superstitions...

If you hear somebody walking behind you on Halloween, do not turn around. This is from the belief that it is likely to be the dead following you and it would be fatal to look any of them in the face.

It was also believed that if you go to a crossroads on Halloween and stop to listen to the wind, you will hear your future for the following year.

Another superstition is if at midnight on Halloween a girl stands in front of a mirror while eating an apple and combing her hair, she will see a reflection of her future husband.

Also see our Apple Superstition Posts

Apples

Apples Part 2

Apples and True Love

Superstition of the Week - Werewolf

WEREWOLF

The werewolf superstition dates back to the Greco-Roman times and was particularly popular in the medieval era. During these times it was believed that people were turned into wolves by a magical enchantment. It was also thought that the folks most vulnerable to this enchantment were those born on Christmas Eve or born out of wedlock.

The most popular belief to kill a werewolf, is by a silver bullet; however, it was also believed you could cure a werewolf if you knew their first name. You need to call out that person’s name 3 times while they are in wolf form. But be careful, because if you get the name wrong, the curse will also come after you to transform you into the wolf.

Superstition of the Week - Pumpkin

PUMPKIN

Though the pumpkin was a harvest symbol, it was also believed to scare away evil spirits. Folks would carve hideous faces into them and illuminate with a candle on Halloween to scare away the evil spirits that would come out on that special night.

These pumpkin lanterns were eventually called jack-o'-lanterns from an old Irish story. An Irishman named jack cleverly tricked the devil out of stealing his soul, but because of the disreputable life he had led was not allowed to enter into heaven. He was condemned to wander the world in darkness, but the devil eased his burden by giving him a piece of coal from hell to light his lantern.

There is a superstition that says Good Friday is best day to plant pumpkins. This is because of the belief that pumpkins ward off evil.

Superstition of the Week - Witch

WITCH

The word “witch” comes from the Saxon wica, which means “wise one.”

The ancient Assyrians, Babylonians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all mention witches in their writings. In Greco-Roman times, they were renowned for their healing skills using herbs and potions. Unfortunately, even back then, not everyone approved of this practice. Pliny, Ovid, and Plutarch all wrote negatively about witches.

Sadly, over time witches began to be viewed as entities that cast evil spells to hurt others. Persecution of witches began when the Christian Church started fostering the belief that witches were associated with the devil. They told stories that witches copulated with demons, conducted wild orgies, and indulged in sinful behavior.

This unjustified belief led to horrific injustices and the torture and death of many innocent men and women by hanging, drowning or being burned at the stake. This unbelievable craze lasted for almost 250 years.

During this time several myths came about. Witches were thought not to have a soul and thus made no reflection in the mirror. They would recite the lord’s prayer backwards and were thwarted by anything made iron. People also believed that witches possessed “devil’s marks,” which were warts, moles or other birthmarks, usually in the area of the armpits.

If anything bad happened in the community, it would be blamed on a witch such as a calf dying, crops failing, or if a baby was stillborn. Even storms and murders were blames on witchcraft.

A wide variety of amulets and other form of protection were used to protect people and their homes from witches. It was also believed that witches could hurt you if they had a small piece of you to work with. Thus, some folks thought one needed to be extremely careful to dispose of nail clippings, cut hair, blood, urine and saliva in order to prevent a witch from getting their hands on it.

Because of the way movies and children’s books portray witches, the stereotypical image of a witch is a hideous hag with a warty nose, pointed chin who lives alone with a black cat and casts evil spells. In reality, witches today practice a pagan religion that honors the Goddess and believe in the sanctity of all life.

Superstition of the Week - October

A superstition says that a warm October will lead to a frigid February. Also if the leaves wither on the trees versus falling to the ground, a frosty winter with much white stuff is on its way.

Superstition of the Week - Vampires

VAMPIRE

The older belief (before the invasion of teenage vampire angst) was vampires were living dead that came out only at night, could transform themselves into bats, and would suck blood from the living. A victim of a vampire bite ultimately would become a vampire themselves. They could not survive in sunlight and could be warded away by garlic, crosses or holy water. Also it was initially thought there were only 3 ways to kill a vampire: burn it, decapitate it, or thrust a wooden stake through its heart. Sometimes all 3 just to be safe.

Then a bit of trivia...F.W. Murnau, the German filmmaker, was the first person to depict a vampire on screen, in Nosferatu in 1922. Also, Bram Stoker’s famous Novel Dracula has been filmed 30 times in 50 years.

Superstition of the Week - Doggies

DOG

An old superstition says that if a dog howls near a door it is a sign of misfortune.

Another superstition says that if a dog howls at the moon, it is a sign that death is coming.

It was also thought that if a dog whines when a baby is being born, the child will most likely lead a hard life.

Some say it is good luck for a strange dog to follow you home.

Superstion of the Week - Football

The Madden Curse

Some believe if an NFL player graces the covers of Madden NFL video games they are doomed by a curse to injury or subsequent obscurity. Here is the curse’s toll so far...

2000 – Barry Sanders: This running back shocked the Lions by abruptly announcing his retirement and did not play a single down that season. Since Barry Sanders quit before the start of the season he was replaced by Dorsey Levens who was bothered by a bad knee through out the season and was released in 2001 from the Green Bay Packers.

2001 – Eddie George: This Tennessee Titan running back bobbled a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown and the team suffered a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Playoffs. The following season hampered with injuries, his rushing averaged was at an all-time low.

2002 - Daunte Culpepper: The Minnesota Vikings quarterback suffered a knee injury and missed the last five games of the year.

2003 - Marshall Faulk: Plagued by an ankle injury from the prior year, this St. Louis Rams running back's rushing yards dropped to under a 1000 and the Rams missed the playoffs.

2004 – Michael Vick: The Atlanta Falcons quarterback suffered a fractured right fibula in a pre-season game one day after Madden NFL 2004 hit store shelves.

2005 - Ray Lewis: Suffered a torn right hamstring in the 6th game causing this Baltimore Raven running back to miss the rest of the season.

2006 - Donovan McNabb: The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback flouted the curse by saying that the injuries associated with it "might be a trend, but I don't believe in the curse at all." True to form, McNabb suffered a sports hernia in the first game of the season. He played on for another eight games despite the painful injury, but after being re-injured in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, he finally opted for surgery and missed the final seven games of the season as the Eagles finished last in the NFC East.

2007: Shaun Alexander: This Seattle Seahawks running back, with a 5.1 yards per carry  rushing average, spurred his team to their best season ever and first Super Bowl appearance in the prior season. Then three weeks in to the new season, he broke his left foot in a game against the New York Giants and missed his team's next six games.

2008: Vince Young: The Tennessee Titans quarterback hurt the quadriceps in his right leg during the Titans' fifth game of the season and didn't participate in Tennessee's game against the Houston Texans the following week, marking the first time in his career (including middle school, high school, college, and the NFL) that an injury kept him from playing.