Where it all began
Superstitions and their role throughout time
Kaitlyn Oversmith Reporter
Originating in the 4th century B.C.E. in ancient Greece, superstitions are typically labeled as obscure beliefs or the irrational reverence of supernatural causations. They are believed to have initially begun to help ease anxieties about the abnormalities of the time period.
“It’s like we couldn’t control everything that was going on,” Stockbridge highschool psychologist Krisan Fedokovitz said. “But we were going to control this little bit.”
In the past, superstitions were almost always a guide on good and bad luck. For example, walking under a ladder is universally known as bad luck because ladders were thought to resemble gallows in medieval times, so if you walked under one you were destined to the gallows yourself. Whereas knocking on wood is believed to bring good luck since it was seen as a thank-you gesture to the gods. Now, in today’s world, most people are aware that knocking on wood won’t actually affect the outcome of anything. However, it was the mental stimulation and the lack of knowledge back then that convinced people, regardless of any rational reasoning, that because they participated in all these little rituals that are supposed to bring good fortune, their chances of actually having success increased.
“I think where superstitions come in is that they gave people something to attach their anxiety to,” Fedokovitz said. “And in turn they can now focus on the situation at hand.”
That being said, superstitions don’t consistently surround the idea of bad and good luck. Oftentimes, superstitions come from religious backgrounds. In fact, superstitions are commonly considered to be an extension of religion.
“Superstitions, while they may not be written down in something like the Bible, I would say are commonly followed as if they were,” religious journalist Jamie Hope said. “For example, It’s not actually written down in the Bible that throwing salt over your shoulder dispels the devil, but it’s so ingrained in Christianity that it’s followed anyways.”
Although, over time, certain religious superstitions have lost their meaning. Take blessing someone after they sneeze, for instance. While the saying originates from Christianity, nowadays people mainly say it out of politeness. Through the years, the religious belief behind superstitions have waned and in their place remains the practice without the meaning behind it.
“Even atheist cultures hold these superstitions,” Hope said. “Which really tells you how embedded superstitions are in society to the point where they’re more of a formality than an actual belief.”
Similarly, in the modern world, non-religious superstitions don’t hold the same weight they used to. In truth, it’s common for people today to not participate in any superstitions at all.
“I just don’t really understand the reasoning behind them,” senior Casey Brown said. “Nor do I really want to.”
In the rare case that someone in today’s age does intentionally follow superstitions, it’s more than likely due to the small lingering fear that these superstitions may be true.
“Yes, I still participate in some superstitions,” senior Isabelle Queen said. “Because if they are true, I don’t want to risk anything.”
These superstitions that people used to follow in order to bring them good fortune have almost turned into a routine.
“It seems like it’s more of a habit than anything,” Fedokovitz said. “Yeah, it’s more of a routine rather than an action that is really tied to any beliefs.”
Superstitions were created several hundreds of years ago to help make sense of the world. Fedokovits says we still hold onto them today, but they don’t hold nearly the same weight they used to.
Spooky superstitions
Macy Cipta Editor-in-Chief
Photo made with Canva
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