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Christian Northeast/New York Times
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Pick up any dictionary, and look up the work superstitious and you'll find a definition that goes something like this:
excessively credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural beings.
ora widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief.
The questions is, are those beliefs incredulous and/or unjustified?
There are superstitions for almost all aspects of our daily lives and most have unknown origins. Sometimes they are logical (for example, don’t walk under a ladder) but most of the time they are ridiculous. Some people can become controlled by their superstitions (such as the fear of walking on cracks) which is very unhealthy. Here are twenty weird superstitions.
Superstition is typically a pejorative term. Belief in things like magic and miracles is thought to be irrational and scientifically retrograde. But as studies have repeatedly shown, some level of belief in the supernatural — often a subtle and unconscious belief — appears to be unavoidable, even among skeptics.
According to a new book by Mathews Hutson, most of the world is religious, and millions more are openly superstitious, spiritual, or credulous of the paranormal. He argues that we all believe in magic—luck, mind over matter, destiny, jinxes, life after death, evil, and heavenly helpers—even when we say we don’t.
Hutson draws on cognitive science, neuroscience, social and evolutionary psychology, and cultural observation to show that we engage in magical thinking all the time—and that it’s not all bad. Irrationality makes our lives make sense. Read a review of his book from the New York Times.
Greek Superstition
Greeks can be very superstitious and many carry good luck charms with them.
Greeks can be very superstitious by not starting a new business venture on a Tuesday for example. Some superstitions are rooted in ancient pagan traditions, and one of these is the belief that the pomegranate is a very lucky fruit.
The Pomegranate and Greek Superstition
In mythology, the pomegranate was associated with three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Demeter. Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and fecundity, and the mother of Persephone, who was compelled to return to her husband Hades in the Underworld because she had eaten pomegranate seeds during her time there. Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty and love and she is supposed to have planted the first pomegranate tree on the island of Cyprus.
Hera is the mother of the gods and there was a golden statue of her in a temple dedicated to her in Argo, holding a pomegranate in her right hand, symbolizing her fecundity. It is also thought that it symbolized an abundance of prosperity and fortune.
The pomegranate became a symbol of happy times, fertility and prosperity in Greek folklore, and in some parts of Greece people take a pomegranate with them when they visit people on New Year’s Eve and smash it on the threshold, so that the household will have good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Talismans, Amulets (Gouria) for Luck
Many Greeks will carry a good luck charm somewhere on their person; these may be a Φυλακτό which is a holy item, perhaps a crucifix, or a sachet filled with sacred earth, or a small icon or they may have more pagan origins. These are called gouria .
And these cannot be bought, but must be given in order for them to be lucky. Sometimes people have glass pomegranate charms or ones made from silver or gold, but gouria can be almost anything that has been given to give the recipient good luck. Jewellers and even the Benaki Museum cash in on this tradition and produce gouria every year, so that they can be given as Christmas or New Year’s gifts.
To ward off evil, the simplest talisman is often the best, Greeks think, and many will carry a clove of garlic somewhere on their person.
Greeks won’t Give You a Knife
If you are at a taverna eating, cutlery often comes in the bread basket, and you may not get a knife or fork and need to ask someone, even a waiter for one. Don’t be surprised if the knife is not placed in your outstretched hand. A knife will always be placed on a surface, not in your hand as Greeks believe that placing a knife in another person’s hand means that they will have a fight or an argument.
Say the Same Thing and Touch Red
If two people say the same thing at the same time, they will look around for something red and hurry to touch it, while saying “piase kokkino” (touch red). For example they might be watching TV and make the same comment about what they are watching at exactly the same moment. The touching of something red will prevent them arguing they believe.
There are Many Other Superstitions
Some other common superstitions are that crows are birds of ill omen and might predict a death or accident. If a Greek sees a crow, he will tell it to have a good day, stay well and bring good news. They actually say “Sto kalo…sto kala, nea na mou feries.”
If you go to a Greek’s home there may well be a cactus at the entrance, as they are believed to keep evil away from a home. They are commonly found in pots near a door. Try not to get entangled in one, as they can grow to be very large.
Try not to take your shoes off and throw them down carelessly as they may land the wrong way up. This is bad luck, and you should turn them the right way up immediately, and it wouldn’t do any harm if you were to mutter “skorda” (garlic) while you were doing this. Greeks often invoke garlic to ward off evil.
Other superstitions are related to religious practices and customs. There are superstitions about weddings, Christmas, Easter and other occasions, but the ones in this article are ones you might come across while on holiday. If you don’t know what is happening, you might well be bemused. Hopefully now you won’t be so confused if you see people scurrying around looking for something red to touch- the nearest red object might be something of yours.
Greeks can be very superstitious and many carry good luck charms with them.
Greeks can be very superstitious by not starting a new business venture on a Tuesday for example. Some superstitions are rooted in ancient pagan traditions, and one of these is the belief that the pomegranate is a very lucky fruit.
The Pomegranate and Greek Superstition
In mythology, the pomegranate was associated with three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Demeter. Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and fecundity, and the mother of Persephone, who was compelled to return to her husband Hades in the Underworld because she had eaten pomegranate seeds during her time there. Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty and love and she is supposed to have planted the first pomegranate tree on the island of Cyprus.
Hera is the mother of the gods and there was a golden statue of her in a temple dedicated to her in Argo, holding a pomegranate in her right hand, symbolizing her fecundity. It is also thought that it symbolized an abundance of prosperity and fortune.
The pomegranate became a symbol of happy times, fertility and prosperity in Greek folklore, and in some parts of Greece people take a pomegranate with them when they visit people on New Year’s Eve and smash it on the threshold, so that the household will have good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Talismans, Amulets (Gouria) for Luck
Many Greeks will carry a good luck charm somewhere on their person; these may be a Φυλακτό which is a holy item, perhaps a crucifix, or a sachet filled with sacred earth, or a small icon or they may have more pagan origins. These are called gouria .
And these cannot be bought, but must be given in order for them to be lucky. Sometimes people have glass pomegranate charms or ones made from silver or gold, but gouria can be almost anything that has been given to give the recipient good luck. Jewellers and even the Benaki Museum cash in on this tradition and produce gouria every year, so that they can be given as Christmas or New Year’s gifts.
To ward off evil, the simplest talisman is often the best, Greeks think, and many will carry a clove of garlic somewhere on their person.
Greeks won’t Give You a Knife
If you are at a taverna eating, cutlery often comes in the bread basket, and you may not get a knife or fork and need to ask someone, even a waiter for one. Don’t be surprised if the knife is not placed in your outstretched hand. A knife will always be placed on a surface, not in your hand as Greeks believe that placing a knife in another person’s hand means that they will have a fight or an argument.
Say the Same Thing and Touch Red
If two people say the same thing at the same time, they will look around for something red and hurry to touch it, while saying “piase kokkino” (touch red). For example they might be watching TV and make the same comment about what they are watching at exactly the same moment. The touching of something red will prevent them arguing they believe.
There are Many Other Superstitions
Some other common superstitions are that crows are birds of ill omen and might predict a death or accident. If a Greek sees a crow, he will tell it to have a good day, stay well and bring good news. They actually say “Sto kalo…sto kala, nea na mou feries.”
If you go to a Greek’s home there may well be a cactus at the entrance, as they are believed to keep evil away from a home. They are commonly found in pots near a door. Try not to get entangled in one, as they can grow to be very large.
Try not to take your shoes off and throw them down carelessly as they may land the wrong way up. This is bad luck, and you should turn them the right way up immediately, and it wouldn’t do any harm if you were to mutter “skorda” (garlic) while you were doing this. Greeks often invoke garlic to ward off evil.
Other superstitions are related to religious practices and customs. There are superstitions about weddings, Christmas, Easter and other occasions, but the ones in this article are ones you might come across while on holiday. If you don’t know what is happening, you might well be bemused. Hopefully now you won’t be so confused if you see people scurrying around looking for something red to touch- the nearest red object might be something of yours.
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