Friday the 13th, the black cat and the spilled salt

I admit, I'm superstitious❣ Somehow instinctively. As if something deep inside me was whispering: be careful, just to be sure.

I am a smart, educated, experienced woman. I have seen a lot in my fifty-odd years. I have survived relationships, careers, crises, an entire pandemic. And yet – yet! – when a black cat crossed my path this morning, I slowed down for a split second, and I have two black cats at home. Somehow instinctively. As if something deep inside me was whispering: be careful, just to be safe.

You know what – almost half of Czechs feel the same way. Surveys repeatedly confirm this: 47, and some say up to 72 percent of us believe in superstitions or rituals. And these are the people who would look you in the eye and say: I certainly don't. But then they knock on wood. Or they put a carp scale in their wallet. Or – like me – they slow down for the cat, even though they know exactly that it's nonsense.

Where do we actually get it from?

Psychologists have an answer that fascinates me and comforts me a little. We hear superstitions from childhood. They flow into us with our grandmother's voice, with the smell of Christmas carp, with our mother telling us not to open an umbrella in the apartment. It's not about whether we "believe" them in the rational, adult sense of the word. It's about them becoming a part of us. Part of the layer where instincts, emotions and memories reside – and reason is of little help there.

Stuart Vyse, psychologist, who has been dealing with superstitions his whole life, defines it as „action that contradicts science.“ But he also admits that in the modern world, where we don’t have everything under control – and who among us does, hand on heart? – superstitions become a kind of little reassurance mechanism. They reduce anxiety. They give hope. And that, girls, is a pretty strong argument.

The black cat and her dark career

You know what I like? Cats once had it tough. The ancient Egyptians worshipped them – they were sacred animals, symbols of protection and strength. Nordic tradition celebrated them. And then came the 13th century and Pope Gregory IX, who clearly had a personal problem with cats, declared black cats to be servants of Satan. And it was painted. Literally and figuratively – a mass extermination of cats across Europe followed.

Historians smile a little mischievously and note that this decision may have contributed to the spread of the plague in 1348. Without cats, rats multiplied. Rats carried fleas. Fleas carried the plague. So basically… a superstition that discredited cats may have indirectly killed millions of people. An unexpected lesson from the history of superstition, don't you think?

Today, in Great Britain and Scotland, a black cat is a good omen. In France, it is said to help find treasures. So it just depends on where you are from – and what your culture has programmed you with. We are still behind our bad luck. Typically Czech.

Thirteen, Judas and the Cursed Salt

Friday the 13th. I remember waking up that day as a little girl with the feeling that I had to be careful. No specific reason, just the atmosphere – the adults smiled, but somehow cautiously. The origin of the superstition lies in the Last Supper: thirteen guests, Judas as the thirteenth, and the crucifixion on the second day. The number 13 thus bore the label of betrayal and misfortune for all eternity. Done, decided, no appeal. I really like the number 13 today and the heel just as much!

And spilled salt? Judas too – in the painting of The Last Supper, he is said to have knocked over the salt shaker. Since then, spilled salt has been a symbol of bad luck. But folk wisdom has come up with a nice remedy: throw a pinch over your left shoulder. This is said to blind the devil. I feel good about it, even though I can't see the devil – the movement is just big enough for the brain to register that we have taken care of the situation. The ritual is complete. Peace of mind restored.

Luck in superstitions – it really works!

But watch out, because here's where something interesting happens. Psychologists conducted a study with golfers - they told one group that their clubs were lucky. The result? They were 35 percent more successful. Thirty-five percent! Just because they believed in the slightly magical properties of the club. The superstition increased self-confidence, and self-confidence improved performance.

So maybe we're not stupid when we put a carp scale in our wallet. Maybe we're pretty smart - because we know how to help ourselves psychologically. And that's, let's face it, a pretty sophisticated approach to life. Call it the placebo effect, call it superstition - the result is the same.

Rituals, talismans and the chimney sweep in the rearview mirror

Do you have a figurine in your rearview mirror? Or a rock in your pocket that you always carry, even if you can't remember exactly why? You're not alone. Most of us have some kind of talisman or ritual—and we'd never call it one. „"superstitious". There is a certain irony in this, but also a beautiful humanity. We say to ourselves: I know this is nonsense. And at the same time, we don't take the piece out of our pocket.

According to legend, the chimney sweep as a symbol of good luck was created by Maria Theresa herself. She met the court chimney sweep, ran her hand over his clothes – and got dirty with soot. The chimney sweep did not lie, he did an honest job. The monarch is said to have said only: you are lucky. And it was decided. To this day, people say: the chimney sweep brings good luck, grab the button. I like stories where coincidence creates a tradition for centuries.

And the four-leaf clover? Eve from Paradise is credited with it – she supposedly took it as a souvenir when she was expelled so that she would never forget the Garden of Eden. Today we look for it in clover fields with the concentration of a child. By the way – scientifically speaking, it occurs with a frequency of approximately one in ten thousand. So it is truly rare. So if you find it, you are simply lucky. Even without superstition.

What about you – is it knocking inside you?

I think at a certain age we stop pretending to be purely rational beings. That's one of the gifts of being fifty and beyond – we finally allow ourselves to be a little complicated, a little contradictory, a little mysterious even to ourselves. I believe in data, scientific studies and common sense. And at the same time, I'm knocking on wood when I boast about good news. Both at the same time. No problem.

They are little threads that connect us to our grandmothers, our great-grandmothers, all the women before us who also slowed down for a black cat. And I think that connection is worth more than a dismissive wave of the hand.

🐈‍⬛ A black cat crossing your path – brings bad luck. If you also get a utility bill, be sure: it's her.

🌴  Knocking on wood  – necessary every time you praise yourself. Without knocking, the universe works like a spring – whatever you say, it turns. So knock twice.

🔢  Friday the 13th  – the worst day of the year. At least according to people who otherwise don't believe in anything. But just to be on the safe side, he doesn't go out.

🧂 Spilled salt  – bad luck guaranteed. Solution: throw a pinch over your left shoulder. The devil will theoretically go blind. The floor doesn't notice it that way.

🍀  Four-leaf clover brings luck  – rare, genetically mutated, one in ten thousand. So basically… nature rewards you for your patience. Or just for bending over.

⭐  Shooting star and wish  – Ptolemy believed that the gods were looking down. So make a good wish. But hurry – the star doesn’t wait.

🟫  Square channel = bad luck – round is good, square is not. Whoever came up with this must have survived something really bad in the sewer.

💈 Broken mirror = 7 years of bad luck – the soul inside is said to suffer. Consolation: after seven years it will be fully restored. You can do it while you are still young.

🛑 Go under the ladder  – it will violate the Holy Trinity. Or a bucket of paint will fall on your head. Both unpleasant.

🥂 Don't cross your arms when clinking glasses  – death within a year. Honestly, this is a superstition that comes in handy as an excuse for impolitely turning your back on your cousin at a party.

And now – hand on heart – you probably smile at these foreign superstitions and say to yourself: that's nonsense. Yeah. Exactly the way foreigners look at you when you knock on the table.

🇩🇪 Germany – to tap water = to wish for death – never tap a glass of soft drink. In Germany, this is to wish death on everyone present. So, at a family celebration, it is better to drink wine.

🇮🇹 Italy – Friday the 17th instead of the 13th – the number XVII in Latin translates to VIXI = my life is over. We have thirteen, the Italians have seventeen. Different countries, the same anxiety.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom – greet a magpie – if you see a magpie, you must greet it politely. Good morning, Mr. Magpie. Yes, seriously. Out loud. On the street. With a stony face.

🇪🇸 Spain – 12 grapes at midnight – one grape at each stroke of the clock on New Year’s Day. Good luck for 12 months. And a dentist for January.

🇷🇺 Russia – handbag on the floor = money will run away – never put your handbag on the floor. Money will run away from there. We have experience with this even without superstition. – Yes, I know that and I'm sticking to it!

🇯🇵 Japan – chopsticks vertically in rice – this is how food is offered to the dead. It is very inappropriate for living people. And doubly so for your mother-in-law at lunch.

🇨🇳 China – number 4 as death – four sounds like the word for death. In floor numbers, rooms, gifts – they consistently avoid it. We, on the other hand, call four the worst number on the bus for a different reason.

🇹🇷 Turkey – chewing gum after dark = flesh of the dead – chewing after dark is taboo. Chewing gum is said to turn into flesh of the dead. Honestly… that’s the best advertisement for quitting chewing gum I’ve ever heard.

🇧🇷 Brazil / Russia – handbag on the floor (again!) – two cultures, one conclusion: handbag never on the floor. Women all over the world don't actually do it. So maybe we're all right.

🇵🇭 Philippines – don't go straight home after the funeral – stop somewhere else first so that death doesn't follow you. Coffee on the way home from the funeral suddenly takes on a completely different meaning.

🇳🇱 Netherlands – singing at the table – do you sing while eating? You sing for the devil. This would be very pleasing to all those who survive family dinners with relatives with a compulsive need to sing along.

Friday the 13th: why are we still afraid of it (and should we?)