The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

Passage 329PassageThe Origins of SuperstitionsJust about everyone holds one superstition or another. Read this passage tofind out about the origins of your favorites—or should we say your leastfavorites?Is the number thirteen unlucky? Why do people who spill salt throwsome over their shoulder? Are black cats evil? Can a mirror steal yoursoul? (1) No scientist has verified these superstitions, yet people oncebelieved them without question. How did they originate?The number thirteen has long been considered unlucky. (2) Thirteenwas believed to be a central number in the creed of witches. (3) Thesesupposedly evil souls were thought to defy religion by swearing fidelityto the devil. Thirteen was also the ideal number for a witches’ coven, ormeeting. As a result of the evil reputation of the number thirteen, sometall buildings do not have a thirteenth floor; the floor numbers skip fromtwelve to fourteen.Many people considered Friday unlucky because it was the day ofthe week on which Christ was crucified. When Friday coincides with thethirteenth of the month, we get a particularly unlucky day. However, otherFridays have also been known to bring misfortune. On Friday, May 10,1886, a financial panic in London, known as Black Friday, left many peopledestitute.Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.Yann Arthus-Bertrand/Encyclopedia/CORBIS