Have you ever wondered why people are so afraid of walking under ladders, or having a black cat cross their path? These, and other superstitions, have histories you may have never thought to ask about. Here are a few of the stories behind notoriously superstitious behaviors.

1. Walking under ladders

So we’ve all heard this one before, and maybe some of us have actually walked backward with fingers crossed to undo the curse, but I’m sure you never knew the meaning behind it. One of the most common explanations happens to be religious. The triangle shape a leaning ladder makes is representative of the Holy Trinity; walking through it is said to insult God and makes you vulnerable to attack from Satan. Also, during the 1600s, criminals were forced to walk under ladders on their way to the gallows, and so it has become a symbol of impending doom.

2. Breaking a mirror

It is said that breaking a mirror brings bad luck for a whopping seven years. But according to who? Well before the advent of mirrors, pools of water were used to see reflections and people believed they were seeing their souls, or “other selves.” Any damage to this image could injure that self. So naturally, when a mirror was broken, people believed they were injuring the “other self.” The seven-year myth stemmed from a Roman belief that it took seven years to renew life and health. So a broken mirror, which equaled broken health, would take seven years to renew itself also.

3. Sneezing – Bless You

So just about every time you sneeze, at least one person around is likely to bestow you with a “bless you,” strangers and all. Now what could possibly make so many strangers care about your well-being, you ask? Well, back in the sixth century, sneezing was seen as a way of ridding the body of evil, so people were commended for it. Later, however, a plague that left Europe distraught caused the pope to pass a law requiring people to “bless” someone, so just in case they died, they would end up in Heaven. The tradition just stuck.

4. Black cats crossing your path

Dating back to the Middle Ages and the years of the Christian Inquisition, cats were labeled as evil connections to witches and other forms of dark magic. They were accused of being mediums as well as general supernatural omens. Since then, especially in western culture, they have always been associated with evil and having one walk in your path supposedly brings this evil upon you.

5. Opening an umbrella in the house

The two possible explanations for this one are by far the strangest. Since umbrellas were usually used for protection against the sun, opening them inside was said to offend the sun god and send his fury upon your home. Another possible reason was that, since umbrellas protect you from storms, opening one in your house would make your “household guardians” feel insufficient and cause them to desert you, leaving you cursed and unprotected.

These are some of the more common superstitions in America, but there are tons more trivial ones you can check out. For example, did you know that passing someone on a staircase can also be considered bad luck? So for those of you who have been looking for a solid reason as to exactly why you “can’t” walk up the stairs, there you are. No thanks necessary. And for those of you who were actually born on Friday the 13th, it actually happens to be a day of good luck for you.

For more information on the origins of superstitions, check out these sites:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/22995

http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/arts-culture/superstitions

http://www.csicop.org/superstition/index.html