Merrian-Webster dictionary
defines “luck” as “a force that
brings good fortune or adversity” or as “the things that happen to a person
because of chance: the accidental way things happen without being planned”. At
the same time, “superstition” is
defined by Cambridge Dictionaries as “a belief that is not based on reason or
scientific thinking and that explains the causes for events in ways that are
connected to magic”. Both words refer to an irrational concept, a matter of
unfounded feelings because we can’t manage them.
I mean, “luck” can be good and allude to good fortune but it can also refer
to something that operates against us. Indeed, there is no possibility of placing
it under our control or domination. On the other hand, with “superstition” we are talking about mere
beliefs, blind beliefs to be precise.
There are many superstitions that
are rooted in history, ancient culture, religion and other origins. I will only
mention several of them, whose beginning points are considerably different.
1.- Chinese (un)lucky numbers. In
China, whether a number is considered lucky or not is very often related to the
similarity between the sound of its pronunciation and the sound of another word
that brings a positive connotation. And so the number 8 is considered to be
extremely lucky, partly because of its unique symmetry but also partly because
the sound of “8” in mandarin Chinese is very close to the way that “prosperity”
or “wealth” is pronounced. Why do you think that the opening ceremony of
Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 took place on August 8th at 08:08
p.m.?
But it is also true that the number
4 is considered awfully unlucky. Why? First of all, because the number 4 sound
is very similar to how Chinese people pronounce the word “death”. So, it is
hardly difficult to find cellular numbers that begin with 4 and, besides, many
flat buildings lack of a 4th floor. The number 4 is generally
avoided.
2.- The four-leaf clover. The
four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf one. It is one of
the most relevant symbols of good luck, specially if it is found somewhere
accidentally. It is well-known that each leaf represents different things:
faith, hope, love and the fourth refers to luck, because it is the leaf that
makes it unique and completely different from the three-leaf clover.
Moreover, scientists admit that
there are approximately 10.000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf one. Due
to the fact that it is so complicated to find a real natural four-leaf clover,
there are consequently many theories about its origin. For instance, in the early
days of Ireland the druids believed that these kind of plants offered magical
protection. Besides this, Christian tradition tells that Eve carried a
four-leaf clover with her on the day she left the Garden of Eden.
3.- There is another peculiar
superstition in Denmark. It has to do with broken dishes put on your doorstep, in
particular on the morning of January 1st. Danish people are used to
keeping and saving old dishes at home during the whole year and, when New
Year’s Eve has come, they throw them at the doors of friend’s houses for good
luck. In fact, it means that you have many friends and that you will have a
very gratifying and fortunate year. In consequence, it is considered good luck
to find old broken dishes on your doorsteps on the morning of January 1st.
4.- The world of sailors and
fishermen remains, of course, full of superstitions, specially in Scandinavian
countries. For example, to mention briefly just a few: if a fisherman, on his
way to the boat before starting a trip, sees a cat or a nun, he will turn back
home and won’t sail. At meals inside a boat, fish will be eaten from the head
to the tail for good luck. You mustn’t count the fish your boat has caught
until you have reached port because, otherwise, your boat won’t catch any fish
during this day. To see dolphins swimming in front of your boat means that you
will have good luck. And many more like these…
But one of the most frequent
superstitions when we are talking about sailors and fishermen has to do with
one day of the week: Fridays. It is very bad luck to start a voyage on any Friday.
It is said that its origin is biblical because Christ was crucified on a Friday.
Moreover, there is a very well-known tale about this superstition, although the
British Royal Navy will never recognize it. On one day in the 19th
century, the Royal Navy was determined to dispel that myth or, as many of them
called it, that black fable, and launched one of her HMS (her/his majesty’s
ship) on a Friday. Tradition says that it sank.
In order to finish this maritime
theme, it is interesting to know about the evolution of the prow symbols on
boats. At first these objects were placed inside the boat, they were made of
wood and had religious connotations. Years later, they were moved to the prow
of the ship, outside, to guide the sailors, and turned into totem poles or
maritime divinities. Finally, during the beginning of 19th century,
it was a female statue that was the most common way to decorate a ship prow
because it was believed that her vision might calm the gods of the sea.
5.- Finally, Russia also has its
own superstitions. Many of them refer to trips or journeys and how to enjoy
them more or have good luck on them. If Russian people want to have good luck
they usually pay a minute of silence before setting off and, as long as it is
possible, try to depart on a rainy day.
Bolandres
