英文文摘： The Curse of Friday the 13th

 


The Curse of Friday the 13th
Plus, a round-up of our favorite superstitions.
By Tatyana Mishel
 
It's Friday the 13th—should you have even gotten out of bed?

Yes, most of us will rally today. But even the most pragmatic may put off doing anything like flying, getting married or signing important documents until tomorrow. Admit it: To see Friday, June 13, on the calendar is very different than seeing, say, Friday, June 16. And has there ever been a movie called "Thursday the 27th"?

Today's ill-fated date may be the most widely held superstition among Americans. Just look at the fact that many U.S. buildings are without a 13th floor. Other common superstitions include walking under a ladder (don't violate the Holy Trinity), throwing salt (do, especially after spilling some) and a black cat crossing your path (considered bad luck in much of the West; good luck in Japan).

Of course, many superstitions are centuries old, so their exact origins are often hard to pin down, even debatable. But most superstitions have a popular reference, which is what we looked for in our Web searches.

So: What sort of superstitions do people search for online? The top categories include: animal superstitions (bird superstitions in particular, especially around owls); wedding superstitions (something borrowed, something blue); theater superstitions (don't say "Macbeth" in a theater; call it “the Scottish play” instead); and sports superstitions (the "Madden curse").

One in five U.S. adults say they're somewhat superstitious, according to an Associated Press/Ispos poll. Urbanites are twice as likely to be superstitious as country dwellers. And single men are more superstitious than unmarried women—however, women are more suspicious about, say, the groom seeing the bride the morning of the wedding.

Some superstitions are so enmeshed in our daily habits, we might be oblivious about their untraditional origins.

For example, saying "God bless you" after someone sneezes isn't something Miss Manners created. It's been linked to an old superstition that says a bit of your spirit leaves your body after a sneeze. And how often do you end a good luck story with "knock on wood"? Have you ever told someone to "break a leg" before a performance or event? And how many girls have been given a charm bracelet? All are rooted in superstitions.

But what exactly is a superstition?

According to several online dictionaries found via search, superstitions are a set of irrational beliefs in the supernatural that are based in the fear of the unknown, born from ignorance or exist due to contrary proof. (Harsh words, but there's no sentimentality in a dictionary.) Despite the association with paganism and witchcraft, many superstitions originate from Christianity, as well as folklore and mythology. Some believe "knock on wood" comes from knocking on a wooden cross.

And take Friday the 13th. How did that day and date combination become foreboding? Many historians tie it to the Last Supper (13 men, a betrayal and a final Good Friday crucifixion). Another theory rests on the downfall of the Knights Templar (hundreds of religious knights executed in France on Friday, Oct. 13, 1307).

And "13," all by itself, has its own particular bad juju. It's not just those with triskaidekaphobia who accept the fact that it's best to be without a floor numbered "13." Incidentally, some Asian cultures fear the number four, while Italians don't like 17.

But on this Friday the 13th: For those suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia, if you can haul yourself out of bed, search for good luck charms. Or make up your own, like wearing a favorite-colored shirt. Eat a good-luck breakfast of marshmallows on toast. Or brush your teeth with exactly 99 brush strokes. Wait—let's not confuse a good old-fashioned superstition with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Tatyana Mishel is an editor at MSN.

Source: http://lifestyle.msn.com/specialguides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=7922682>1=32001