Superstitions: A Spine-Chilling Place

            “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.” This quote implies and asserts that science cannot solve the mystery of nature that is because, in the latest analysis, human beings themselves are a part of that mystery. Mystery school, or in other words, superstitions are not just some type of mind trip, but they are the science of tomorrow. The biggest gap in one’s life is what one knows and doesn’t know. Life is a mystery, faith works like a riddle. No one really knows what lies behind the voices with no bodies. Life is an image without a frame or depth, it’s an unsolved enigma waiting to be discovered and deciphered well into people’s minds. People tend to embrace such beliefs due to innumerable reasons. The major reason behind believing in superstitions is considering them as part of cultural heritage, having an illusion of control of an uncertain world, and believing in superstitions out of lack of scientific background.

            To begin with, many superstitions and old wives tales thrive from cultural heritage and our ancestors. China is a land of many popular beliefs, customs, and superstitions. Many of the Chinese believe that if someone dreams of snow or teeth during his or her sleep, the parents of this person are dead. Another weird fallacy believed in China is that if a baby cries for absolutely no reason, this baby is haunted by very and truly annoying ghosts. They also believe that if a dog howls at night someone is about to die. These superstitions were created in the Chinese Mid Ages by a much-cherished man in China. The Chinese believe in those superstitions because that man brought them to life in China. The Chinese culture carries a variety of weird, bizarre, and bewildering superstitions. From breaking mirrors to hanging lemons and chilies, India’s another country of diverse culture and tradition. Indians believe that keeping onions and knives under the pillow of the bed chases bad dreams away, if parents put the onions and the sharp utensils under a baby’s pillow this will drive away the child’s nightmares away and the kid’s gonna sleep dreaming of white sheep jumping over a wooden fence. Another erroneous belief in the Indian culture is that if a crow poops on your head or shoulder, it’s a sign of good luck. Hindus believe that a crow’s poo is the main source of “Laabah” which means that fortune and money are on their way.

            Furthermore, superstitions help people have control in an uncertain world, for they change and control the way one acts or they tend to modify the way one looks at his or herself and thus modifying his or her personality. Zodiac signs, for instance, have a huge impact on which people are, inside and out. Horoscopes impact the way one looks at the world and how he or she deals or socializes with others. For example, Aeries are supposed to be energetic and brave, while Taurus are said to be romantic and patient. People in France, believe in the science of astrology. There are over five thousand French fortune tellers in each area in France that make money out of  telling if a male or female have good luck or not, or when the person is gonna meet his or her soul mate just by knowing his or her sign. This person then is going to rule an illusional world made up of superstitious people. Moreover, knowing what the sign usually does gives a person some sense of psychological relief in which this being knows that he or she are doing the right things according to what the sign says. That’s why superstitions can be something good since they tend to give people enough self-confidence to know that they are ruling and controlling their own world. For example, a good luck charm or jacket would boost one’s self-esteem. But on the other hand, believing in superstitions makes people shift responsibilities. Instead of shouldering the errands and consequences of their activities and actions, people blame their bad luck, the broken mirror, the black cat, or Friday the thirteenth.

            Yet another category of causes behind believing in superstitions is having lack of scientific background. People embark upon such beliefs out of ignorance because people who know more believe less. Taking comets as an example, ancient cultures used to consider comets as a sign from the Gods they used to claim to exist. And because they used to disturb the harmony in the sky, these comets were regarded as bad omens. In ancient Greece, the fear of this “heavy hand of God” reached its pinnacle; comets were thought to portend terrible natural phenomena, such as floods or earthquakes. Romans also used to believe that if a comet hits earth, it heralds the birth of a great figure. Before Queen Cleopatra died, a comet passed by, that’s why the ancient Egyptians believed that a comet means the death of a queen or princess, so every night before a princess or a queen goes to sleep, the Egyptians gather in a certain place and pray for the princess to save her from death. Moreover, the ancient Christians used to believe that if a comet hits, it means that there is a newborn Jesus. Added to that, Historians suggest that the long-lived civilization believed the planet was square-shaped with four corners and an underworld below. The Babylonians also had similar views about a flat, enclosed Earth. Other ancient cultures in the Americas, China and India also likely held the belief that the Earth was flat. This is all out of ignorance and lack of scientific background.

            As a conclusion, superstitions impose themselves as an inexorable part of people’s daily life. However, one must be aware of the causes behind believing in what superstitions are, from considering them as part of culture and tradition to giving one a sense of control of his or her world and believing in them out of ignorance. As such, people should be highly aware of what superstitions are altering in their lives and the impression that these fallacies leave before embracing them. For this reason, one should beware, because sometimes superstitions bite. Hence, “Superstitions are habits rather than beliefs.”