5 Superstitious Beliefs

Superstitious belief is a belief or faith, rites, rituals or practices resulting from ignorance, worry, trust in magic, chances or any false conception. It is an irrational mind attitude towards nature, God or supernatural resulting from superstition. 

Superstition is based upon a person’s trust in luck, unscientific or supernatural forces. 

Superstitious beliefs have helped in promoting a positive mental attitude. Although it also leads to some irrational decisions like trusting in the benefits of good luck and destiny or fate. 

Also, it wrecks the social well-being of people in society as these beliefs or views are highly associated with financial risk-taking. 

Some common superstitious beliefs -

1. Friday the 13th - Bad Luck Day 

Fear of number 13 is the most common superstition around, many people get nervous and feel a bit of trepidation when they realize Friday the 13th is coming soon. 

The fear of number 13 is so widespread that many hotels and buildings omit to have the 13th floor. Some airlines don’t even have 13th row. The version of the origin of this superstition is that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

2. Black Cats - Bad Luck

In the middle ages, it was believed that witches kept black cats as their companion and that a black cat crossing your path is a sign of bad luck. It means it gives a signal that for whichever work you were going out it’s not going to happen and instead something awful is going to happen. 

Some even wait till others walk by, the logic behind this is that now someone else will bear the brunt of “curse”.

3. Eating Curd Before Going Out 

This is the most common Indian superstition which is followed in almost every Indian house. To have a spoonful of curd with a little sugar before going out or going on a new journey guarantees good luck. It is believed that starting anything with having sweet makes the task “shubh” or good and the day goes well.

4. Hanging Lemons and Chillies at the Entrance

The ritual of hanging “Nimbu Mirchi” is also followed by a lot of Indian families in their houses and shops. It is used to avoid evil vibes and evil spirits. It is to be believed that it keeps us protected by the evil/bad eyes of others. 

But the scientific reason behind this is that lemon and chilli both have insecticidal properties which keep the insects away, in this way it protects the house and shop from insects.

5. Women Not Allowed to Enter Temples During Menstruation 

Women are not allowed to enter the temples during menstruation is the most irrational superstition that we Indians still follow. 

Earlier, women did not have any facility of sanitary pads or any painkillers and temples used to be at a distance therefore making it very tedious for women to go there and spend hours in performing rituals. 

Hence women were not allowed to enter temples so that they can stay at home and rest. But we misinterpreted the concern of our ancestors and came out with an illogical idea which we still follow.

An educated person can easily identify the scientific reason behind any supernatural belief or incident but an illiterate person can easily be a victim of superstitions. Superstitions don’t have any scientific justification but people still believe in it without any protest or logic. 

The low literacy rate is the main reason behind superstitions in India. In our country, a lot of fake Baba’s and pandits are found who make people more superstitious in the name of religion. 

But now with the advancements in science and also with the improvement in the literacy rate, India has developed a lot.

Today, science had made it possible for people to reach on the moon. But even after living in the era of science, some people still believe in superstitions. Superstitions are nothing but some baseless and foolish ideas as old as man. 

Illiteracy and incapacity to reason out are the reasons which generate superstitions. 

At present, even some highly educated people are superstitious. Superstition is a social evil and should be eliminated from society and the only way to do that is by improving the literacy rate, by educating people and by teaching them to think scientifically. 

We are living in the 21st century now but still, we have such ridiculous and illogical things in our minds. We should start developing a scientific mindset and be rational and judge everything based on reason.

Written by - Harshita Negi

Edited by - Ivanova