Breaking a Mirror Brings Bad Luck? Learn Why in This Superstition Quiz!

Why is it considered bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?

Blocks out light

Disturbs spirits

Ancient Egyptian symbol

Causes rain

Opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck because umbrellas were used in Ancient Egypt to protect nobility from the sun. Using one indoors was seen as an insult to the sun god.

What is the origin of saying “Bless you” when someone sneezes?

Prevent the soul from escaping

Courtesy to the sneezer

Stop evil spirits entering

Wish for good health

The custom of saying “Bless you” comes from the ancient belief that a sneeze could accidentally expel the soul from the body, hence a blessing was offered for protection.

Why are black cats considered unlucky in some cultures?

Associated with witches

Night hunters

Bad omens

Cause allergies

Black cats are often considered unlucky due to their historical association with witches and witchcraft in medieval Europe.

What does finding a four-leaf clover supposedly bring?

Eternal love

Financial loss

Good luck

New friends

Finding a four-leaf clover is considered good luck because they are rare, and their rarity has been associated with magical protection and luck.

Why is walking under a ladder considered unlucky?

Tripping hazard

Symbolic of gallows

Bad for paint jobs

Can disturb work

Walking under a ladder was considered unlucky because ladders leaning against a wall formed a triangle, which symbolized the Holy Trinity. Passing through this triangle was seen as desecration.

What does it mean if your left palm itches?

Going to lose money

Will receive a gift

Coming into money

Need to wash hands

An itchy left palm is thought to forecast losing money, while an itchy right palm suggests incoming money, based on ancient beliefs about the left being unlucky.

Why do people knock on wood for luck?

To check wood quality

To make noise

To wake forest spirits

Avoid spirits hearing plans

Knocking on wood is believed to prevent evil spirits from hearing and ruining one’s plans, a superstition stemming from ancient pagan cultures that spirits lived in trees.

Why do people throw salt over their left shoulder?

Improve flavor

Cleanse the area

Ward off evil

Prevent spills

Throwing salt over the left shoulder is meant to ward off evil, specifically to blind the devil waiting there, as salt was historically valuable and seen as a purifying element.

What does breaking a mirror supposedly bring?

Seven years good luck

Seven years bad luck

Good weather

Visitor to the house

Breaking a mirror is believed to bring seven years of bad luck because mirrors were thought to hold pieces of the soul, and breaking one meant damaging the soul.

Why do people avoid the number 13?

Too many syllables

Unlucky at gambling

Judas was the 13th guest

Difficult to divide

The number 13 is considered unlucky because Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was supposedly the 13th guest at the Last Supper. This association has made the number symbolically unlucky.

Why do sailors consider red skies at night lucky?

Weather clearing up

Sign of storms

Ocean calming down

Sunset reflection

Red skies at night are considered lucky by sailors because they often indicate stable weather coming, aligning with the old adage, “Red sky at night, sailorâ€™s delight.”

Why is spilling salt considered bad luck?

Associated with lies

Waste of expensive commodity

Invites evil spirits

Sign of clumsiness

Spilling salt is considered bad luck because in ancient times, salt was an expensive and valuable commodity, and spilling it was seen as wasteful and foreboding.

What is the origin of “touching wood” in the UK?

To check timber strength

Forest spirit protection

Avoid jinxing good fortune

To make noise

In the UK, “touching wood” is done to avoid jinxing good fortune. It comes from the pagan belief that good spirits reside in trees, and touching the wood calls upon them for protection.

Why do people throw coins into fountains?

Wish for good luck

Clean the water

Feed fish

Support fountain maintenance

Throwing coins into fountains is a way to wish for good luck. This custom likely originates from the ancient practice of offering sacrifices to gods of water.

Why is “crossing fingers” used to wish for luck?

Christian sign of the cross

Pagan symbol for unity

To confuse evil spirits

Gesture of hope

Crossing fingers as a gesture of hoping for luck or good fortune comes from ancient pagan beliefs where intersecting lines were believed to represent unity and benign spirits.

Why is the horseshoe considered lucky?

Shape like a crescent moon

Made of iron, scares spirits

Hangs over doorways

All of these reasons

The horseshoe is considered lucky for several reasons: its crescent moon shape symbolizes fertility and good fortune; itâ€™s made of iron, which was believed to ward off evil spirits; and hanging it over doorways was thought to protect the home.

Why do people say “knock on wood” after tempting fate?

Invoke protection from trees

Dispel gathered spirits

Prevent jinx by distraction

All of these reasons

People say “knock on wood” after tempting fate to invoke protection from spirits that reside in the wood, aiming to prevent jinxing themselves by distracting any evil spirits that may have been listening.

Why is giving a knife as a gift bad luck?

Cuts the relationship

Knife can backfire

Blade invites aggression

All of these reasons

Giving a knife as a gift is considered bad luck because it’s believed to symbolically ‘cut’ the relationship between the giver and the recipient.

Why do actors say “break a leg” instead of “good luck”?

Avoid tempting fate

Theaters have many stairs

Misfortune in saying luck

All of these reasons

Actors say “break a leg” instead of “good luck” to avoid tempting fate. It’s a theatrical superstition that saying “good luck” outright might actually bring bad luck.

Why is the number 7 considered lucky?

Biblical significance

Seven planets visible to naked eye

Represents perfection

All of these reasons

The number 7 is considered lucky for several reasons: it has biblical significance, represents perfection and completion in various cultures, and corresponds to the seven planets visible to the naked eye.