20 POPULAR BELIEFS SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

Popular beliefs are a set of unproven knowledge that is transmitted from generation to generation and are part of the collective imagination. In other words, they are traditional ideas that are shared by various cultural groups and link communities.

Like myths and legends, these statements move away from the scientific field because they are not considered rational nor do they have tangible evidence to demonstrate their veracity. That is why they are usually given the qualification of superstition.

Popular beliefs move away from the scientific field because they are not considered rational nor do they have tangible evidence to show their veracity. Source: pixabay.com

This is because they are born to determine the thinking of people. In this way, it is observed that popular beliefs are social representations that favor communication and organize men's attitudes.

They can also be seen as hypotheses that arise to explain empirical reality, since the purpose of each expression is to fragment monotony and give meaning to incomprehensible events.

Therefore, it is possible to state that these folkloric conceptions are characterized by being signs of survival; they are also theories that man creates to understand his existence.

20 popular beliefs

Throughout history the following phrases have been mentioned: “it is not wise for a person to bathe when the heat burns him because he is paralyzed”, “it is not advisable to go out after ironing” or “you should not take painkillers after eat".

Such statements show that popular expressions are as archaic as the first civilizations. In ancient times, they had a sacred connotation since they stabilized the worldview of the members of society.

Hence the thesis that these judgments belong to the unconscious: they are hereditary messages that have been designed to face the present, being transmitted so that they fulfill the same function in the future.

Currently, these manifestations are perceived as a system of values ​​and irrational practices that allow ordering life. They are notions of a psychological nature, which is why their use and significance has decreased.

However, omens, although they are not used as much as in earlier times, continue to condition humanity. Here is a list of some of those beliefs:

See black cats

It is thought to be a bad omen when a black cat walks your way because it is giving you its bad luck. This belief was born in the Middle Ages, a period in which the Church stated that these animals were related to witchcraft or were the reincarnation of Lucifer.

Eat 12 grapes on New Years

If you eat a dozen grapes on New Year's Eve you will have twelve months of prosperity, according to tradition. This practice arose in Spain in the mid-19th century when the population began to eat grapes at the rhythm of twelve strokes to oppose the mayor's decrees.

13 people at a table

It is said that if thirteen people sit at the same table, one of them is destined to die in the next few months. The origin of this superstition is found in the time of Christ, precisely in the Last Supper when Jesus was betrayed by one of his apostles.

That an eyelash falls

When an eyelash falls, it is essential to hold it on the index finger, make a wish and blow it. The purpose is to distance it from the hands of Satan, who collects them and uses them as a means to obtain the soul of the individual.

Pass the salt from hand to hand

Passing the salt from hand to hand is synonymous with success and fortune. Formerly the salary of merchants was salt, which is why they closed their hands so that the fees would not escape. Hence, the term salary derives from the word salt.

Wake up with the right foot

Your day will be fruitful if you get up with your right foot first. This belief derives from the nineteenth century, when the fishermen did not dare to get on the boat from the left side as it was an unnatural act.

Break a mirror

It is said that a person will have seven years of misfortune if he breaks a mirror. This omen was born in the Middle Ages, where reflection was considered to be the essence of being. Therefore, breaking a mirror meant fragmenting the soul.

It is said that a person will have seven years of misfortune if he breaks a mirror. Source: pixabay.com

Go under a ladder

Life becomes chaotic when an individual goes under some ladder. This premonition emanated from the gallows, where they placed a ladder surrounded by a rope to execute the condemned. If someone free were to slide down that road, they would be eternally unhappy.

Open an umbrella inside the house

Devastation and disease are attracted by opening an umbrella inside the house. This is how the eastern royalty perceived it, who believed that opening the umbrellas outside the domain of the sun was a sacrilege because it violated the will of the Star King.

Touch wood

This superstition has two origins. The first is located in the Celtic past, where trees were venerated as deities that possessed the power to direct evil if they were caressed correctly. It is expressed that it is necessary to touch the wood to send calamity to earth.

The second is related to the cross of Jesus Christ, since it is considered that touching a piece of wood that has been blessed drives away negative energies and evil spirits.

Friday the 13th

"On Friday the thirteenth do not get married or embark," according to the proverb. Thirteen is visualized as a number that carries adversity since Jesus shared dinner with his apostles, while Friday is not a good sign because that day he was crucified.

Say health when a person sneezes

To say health when an individual sneezes is to wish him long life. This saying arose because sometimes sneezing is the beginning of a series of diseases. So wishing for health is an allegory: it is asking God to remove infections from the affected person.

Do not sweep the feet of the maidens

It is alluded that if the maidens' feet are swept they will destroy their marital future. The origin of this belief is in Spain, a country where the foot was a symbol of the female genital organ, so when it was swept it was intended for the lady to marry an old man or to be single.

To cross fingers

Crossing your fingers before taking an action means evoking positive energies so that goals can be realized. This practice dates back to the beginning of the Christian era. At that stage individuals linked their fingers in order to attract honor and well-being.

Break crystal glasses at weddings

The tradition expresses that after weddings a couple of glasses should be broken so that the spouses seal their engagement, forget their past and begin a new experience. The origin of this practice is still unknown, but it consists of the dynamism and resistance of the union.

Let a black butterfly enter the home

This belief is particular, since its meaning varies in certain cultures. It is generally stated that when a black defect enters the home it is because it is announcing the death of a relative, as it is observed in most countries of America.

However, the perception in China is that these animals only visit houses when their inhabitants are ready for the transition. The dark butterflies represent renewal and rebirth.

According to the conception of the Celts, when these defects enter the dwellings it is because the souls are requesting the help of their descendants since they cannot or do not want to leave the world of the living.

In the Philippines, these insects are considered to portend chronic illness or family devastation. Seeing black butterflies is a sign of danger, loss and desolation.

Make a wish when you see a shooting star

It is thought that when seeing a shooting star it is pertinent to make a wish. The idea is that people's illusions come true. This belief emanated through the studies carried out by the Greeks, who at first stated that astronomical phenomena were unique and perhaps magical.

Turn on the light when leaving home

Leaving the lights on when leaving home is a sign of joy and happiness because success will follow the individual. That superstition was founded by Christian priests, who expressed that God was the light of the world. That is why going out with light meant going with God.

Not seeing the bride before the ceremony

It is one of the oldest practices. It suggests that seeing the bride in the dress before the ceremony can cause infidelity, violence and difficulty conceiving. Due to this, it is advisable to see the bride during the celebration and wear the dress only once.

Wear black

Wearing black on a daily basis is believed to attract tragedy. This omen arose in the medieval period, where individuals wore dark clothes to mourn in order that the spirit would not return.

References

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