Long time ago people had to work hard on surviving and finding food. They picked berries and hunted. One day, a man accidentally hit hard the trunk of a tree. Fruits fell from its branches. People learned to “knock” on wood and to eat the fruits that this simple act brought them.

According to some historians this is the simple story behind one of the most widespread superstitions. Knocking on wood is still supposed to bring someone fortune.

Various superstitions resulted from simple human activities, beliefs and religious rituals.

Four-leafed clovers are supposed to bring good luck. Yes, four-leafed clovers are rear but is there some other story behind the origin of this superstition? One of the versions ties four-leafed clovers to Eden. Eve took one with her before leaving her heavenly home. As a result, such clovers are still believed to bring blessings and good luck.

Other superstitions date further back in time. Do you feel uneasy whenever you break a mirror? Romans felt the same way. Before glass mirrors were invented, people looked at their reflections in water. Image distortion was seen as a bad sign. Later on, the superstition was transferred to mirrors. Romans believed that a human being experienced rejuvenation every seven years. This belief gave the superstition its term of validity.

Religion is responsible for shaping various superstitions, though paradoxically Christianity labels superstitions to be something bad.

The Bible somehow managed to give birth to beliefs concerning the evil powers of the number 13. It states that Jesus was crucified on Friday 13. Adam and Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit on Friday 13. Various other catastrophic events started on the 13th day of the month.

How about black cats? Do you shiver when one crosses your road? And is there any logical explanation of this phenomenon? In the past, cats were connected to witches and magic. Naturally, when the Great Inquisition began, cats were chased just like women, who were accused of being witches. The connection was established since according to beliefs black cats were used in various magical rituals.

Whether local or international, superstitions originated in the simple daily activities that people had to perform and in the stories they were told. Some of these became so routine that they could never be rooted out. This is how our need to rationalize combined with significant events and beliefs to form the powerful made-up stories that still affect our lives today.