The humble umbrella - also known in various locales as a parasol, brolly, rainshade, sunshade, gamp or bumbershoot - takes its name from the Latin word umbra, which means shade or shadow. ![]() If you were to carry one with you and open it indoors at random times over the course of a week, you'd probably be surprised by how many people mention that it's bad luck to do so! Why is that? Even though many superstitions have been refuted - or are just too strange to be believed - millions of people all over the world still follow them. Without the benefit of science and more advanced technology, ancient peoples would develop stories and beliefs to help them make sense of the world around them. In fact, most superstitions can be traced back to ancient times, before science had developed to the point where people could find reasonable, scientific explanations for what they saw in the world. Superstitions have been around for thousands of years. On the other hand, many people believe that walking under a stepladder or breaking a mirror will lead to bad luck. ![]() Superstitions typically take the form of a belief that doing something-or not doing something-will result in particularly good or bad luck.įor example, many people believe that finding a four-leaf clover will lead to a streak of good luck for the finder. A superstition is usually defined as an irrational practice or belief that stems from ignorance, fear, belief in the supernatural or a mistaken understanding of the cause of an event. If you put stock in any of these popular ideas, you may be a bit superstitious. Do you dread Friday the 13 th? Does it freak you out if a black cat crosses your path? Will you pick up a coin on the sidewalk if you find it tails-side up? If you open an umbrella indoors, will everyone in the house experience bad luck?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |