Superstitious

I’m a superstitious person, in some ways. Obviously, I don’t think black cats are bad luck, and the only reason I’m worried about walking under a ladder is that I’m clumsy, and who knows how I’ll hurt myself?

I LOVE Friday the 13th. In fact, my grandparents got married on one, so I’ve always considered it a somewhat lucky day. Additionally, I love the numbers 13 and 31.

Broken mirrors worry me a bit, maybe because I like the idea of mirrors being doorways in fiction. If I spill salt, I always throw some over my left shoulder to blind passing witches. When a bird pooped on me at the Jersey shore, I consoled myself that it was good luck.

There are days when I avoid stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. I get nervous if I’m buying something that amounts to $6.66, or worse, if I get that amount in change. I always knock on wood to stun the wood fairies (they’re mischievous, you know). I pick up pennies, and I know bad luck happens in threes (especially deaths).

And I don’t care what anyone says; weird things happen under the full moon. Study after study indicates it’s not true, but when I worked in crisis, if there was a full moon, we were guaranteed a weird night.

What superstitions do you believe in?

Black Cats and Being Superstitious

I’m superstitious.  I throw salt over my shoulder to blind passing witches and will never pick up a penny unless it’s head’s up.  I knock on wood to stun the fairies (they’re mischievous), and I don’t like crossing under ladders.

BUT… I love the number 13, and I love black cats.  Did you know that black cats are the least adopted?  Did you know that October is a dangerous month for these precious animals due to their completely unfair reputation?

I don’t personally have any black cats right now, but I have in the past.  My sister in law has always had black cats, and they’re exactly the same as other cats.  Except, you know… they’re black.  Normally, I like scary stories, but not at the expense of a living thing.

So where did the whole black cats being unlucky thing come from?  Well, it comes from a couple of different places, but it boils down to black cats being evil, and often blamed for being a witch’s familiar.  Because we all know how often “old woman” and “cat” goes in the same sentence, right?  Apparently a witch was just the earliest crazy cat lady.  Here’s a link if you want a more in-depth explanation.

I bring this up because I want you to realize that there are some people who are superstitious out there.  If you have a beloved black kitty, please keep him or her close to home in October especially.  And next time you go to adopt, remember that black kitties need homes too.

What’s your favorite superstition?