Short Essay on Superstition

Human beings are superstitious. A person who claims that he is not is either a liar or a fool. We all believe in certain things that do not have logical explanations. This is especially true in this multi-racial country of ours. Each community has As own pet beliefs. However there are certain beliefs that are universal, it would not be possible to discuss all of the beliefs so I will just touch on some of them.

Once some of my friends and I went to Lake Gardens to take some snapshots. One of them had just acquired a view camera and he wanted to try it out. So there we were all dressed up and ready to be ‘shot’. We had our individual photographs taken first. When we decided to have group photographs taken one of my friends kept on insisting that a group should not be of three persons. He was adamant about it and refused to make up any group of three. He said that misfortune will befall one of the three if they have the’ photographs taken together That was it. After that even/one avoided being in a group of three. never heard of such a thing before but after hearing it I did want to take the risk. It spoiled the fun a bit. Even taking photographs can be superstitious. I do not know how much truth there is in this illogical belief but I am not about to test it. Now that you have read about this will you still have your photograph taken with two other people?

The number three is also taboo among cigarette smokers. On occasions, I have seen a group of people lighting up their cigarettes only to a maximum of two persons per lighted match. The light is invariably extinguished after two persons. Person number three will use a new match. This has got to do with the belief that tragedy will strike the third person who receives a lighted match. Well, here is another belief not to be challenged.

Superstition seems to be created from our aversion to bad luck and especially death. I know of a couple of friends who will never sleep with their feet facing the door. They tell me that only corpses lie down with their feet facing the door! Soon they will be carried out through that door, My friends have no desire to be corpses, yet. So where do your feet face when you sleep?

To ward off evil spirits, some people carry good-luck charms in their wallets. Some hang them on their doors, windows, walls, and even inside their cars. How effective these things are is not questioned. The point is not to take the risk of finding out.

Some people consider it bad luck to see a black cat or to walk under a ladder. Yet others say that it is definitely bad to see a funeral in progress or to see a dead man. On the lighter side, some will say it is bad to take a bath after a meal or to spill salt on the table. Millions of people avoid the number 13 like the plague. They will not sleep in room 13, or go to the thirteenth floor or have anything to do with the number 13. However, others swear that 13 is their lucky number, As for me I tend to agree with the latter group.

Now that you have read about some superstitions, do you believe them? If you do not will you be brave enough to challenge them? It takes a brave man to challenge any of them. I am not that brave.

Short Essay on Superstition

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