List of bad luck signs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bad luck is an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions:

  • Breaking a mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck[1]
  • Bird or flock going from left to right (Auspicia) (Paganism)[citation needed]
  • Certain numbers:
    • The number 4 known as tetraphobia; in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures, the number 4 sounds like the word for "death" in most of those languages.[2][3][4][5]
    • The number 9 in Japanese culture which sounds like the Japanese word for "suffering".[4][5]
    • Also in Japanese culture, maternity wards numbered 43, as it can literally mean "still birth"[6]
    • The number 13, known as triskaidekaphobia
    • The number 17 in Italian culture[7]
    • The number 39, known as the curse of 39, in Afghan culture[8]
    • The number 666, known as hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia (per Biblical prophesy, the number of "The Beast", an evil takeover of humanity worldwide. Also called the "Mark of the Beast", wherein all humans will have it on their forehead or hand.)
  • Friday the 13th (In Spain, Greece and Georgia: Tuesday the 13th)
  • Failing to respond to a chain letter[9]
  • Giving a clock as a gift in Chinese culture, as in Chinese, to give a clock (送鐘/送钟, sòng zhōng) has the same pronunciation as "sending off for one's end" (送終/送终, sòngzhōng).[10]
  • Hanging a horseshoe with the ends pointing down, as it is believed that the luck will 'fall out'[11]
  • Opening an umbrella while indoors[12]: 204, 267 
  • On the Isle of Man, rats are referred to as "longtails" as saying "rat" is considered bad luck.[13][14]
  • Navajo culture:
  • Placing chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice in Chinese and Japanese culture is reminiscent of food offerings left for the dead. [18]
  • Pointing towards feces (England)[19]
  • Ravens, crows and magpies[12]: 385–386, 243, 386 
  • Saying the word "Macbeth" or wishing someone "Good Luck" while inside a theatre[citation needed]
  • Shoes on a table
  • Three on a match[12]: 292 
  • Tipping a salt shaker over[12]: 188 
  • Viewing one's doppelgänger may be considered a harbinger of bad luck[citation needed]
  • Walking under a ladder[20][21]
  • Black cat crossing one's path[12]: 294 

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Breaking a mirror - meaning of broken mirror". Mirror History. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  2. ^ Don Chang Lee (1975). Acculturation of Korean Residents in Georgia. R and E Research Associates. ISBN 978-0-88247-360-4. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  3. ^ Soo Kim (17 November 2020). How to Live Korean. Quarto Publishing Group UK. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7112-5709-2. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Haru Yamada; Orlando R. Kelm; David A. Victor (2017). The 7 Keys to Communicating in Japan: An Intercultural Approach. Georgetown University Press. pp. 178–180. ISBN 978-1-62616-477-2. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Outlook on Japan. Japan Travel Bureau. 1991. p. 80. ISBN 978-4-533-01461-1. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  6. ^ "Japan Omnibus - Japanese Superstitions". www.japan-zone.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  7. ^ Lachenmeyer, Nathaniel (August 2005). 13 : the story of the world's most notorious superstition. New York, NY: Plume. p. 189. ISBN 9780452284968. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  8. ^ Nissenbaum, Dion (June 15, 2011). "A Symbol of Paid Companionship, No. 39 Is Afghans' Loneliest Number". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Lys, Claudia de (1989). What's so lucky about a four-leaf clover? and 8414 other strange and fascinating superstitions from all over the world. New York: Bell Publishing Company. pp. 458–460. ISBN 9780517694244. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  10. ^ "Cultural China - Festivals and Customs - Taboo 2 - Giving a clock". Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Luck and Horseshoes Webpage accessed 22 Aug. 2010". Indepthinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Steffensen Cannon, Anthon; Talley, Jeannine; Debs Hand, Wayland, eds. (1984). Popular beliefs and superstitions from Utah. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874802368. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  13. ^ "Did you Know? A Tail About Long-Tails, Traditions and Superstition - IoM Post". www.iompost.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  14. ^ "Breaking superstitions with a 'longtail' infestation". BBC News. 2017-04-01. Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ernest Bulows. "Navajo Taboos for Nature, Domestic and Wild Animals". NavajoCentral.org. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2016.[better source needed]
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c Alysa Landry (July 24, 2014). "10 Things You Need to Know About Navajos". Indian Country Today Media Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  17. ^ "Owl and Woodpecker – A Navajo Tale". navajopeople.org. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  18. ^ Wang, Q Edward (2015-01-26). Chopsticks : a cultural and culinary history. Cambridge. ISBN 9781107023963. OCLC 881469397.
  19. ^ Maller, Julius B.; Lundeen, Gerhard E. (1933). "Sources of Superstitious Beliefs". The Journal of Educational Research. 26 (5): 321–343. doi:10.1080/00220671.1933.10880314. ISSN 0022-0671. JSTOR 27525637. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  20. ^ "Why is walking under a ladder supposed to be unlucky?". HowStuffWorks. 2015-08-06. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  21. ^ "The Surprising Origins of 9 Common Superstitions | Live Science". www.livescience.com. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
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