Good luck, bad luck
Some of us have only a tiny bit of it. Some of us have a lot of it. But
almost all of us have some of it. What is it? It’s superstition. At
least that is what some of us call it.
Long ago, people didn’t know much about the world —especially about
natural events. They didn’t know what causes thunder or an eclipse of
the sun or the moon. They thought these events were brought about by
evil forces. They also believed that certain actions or objects could
bring good luck or bad luck. Because they didn’t understand, they tried
to make things work for them by means of magic. They had all sorts of
charms, chants, and spells to make good things happen or to keep bad
things from happening.
Today, few of us believe that thunder and eclipses are caused by evil
forces. We can find no reason to believe that something is lucky or
unlucky. We call such beliefs “superstitions.”
But some of us carry a rabbit’s foot for good luck. Others think it is
bad luck to break a mirror or walk under a ladder. Some of us will not
open an umbrella in the house or step on a crack in the sidewalk.
We say we don’t really believe—that these are just superstitions.
But we don’t want to invite trouble. So we “knock on wood”—just in
case.
Switzerland
This head, carved on a tree trunk, is supposed to bring good crops and
keep bad luck away.
