Poor black cats ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? If you answer "yes", I think you're probably not alone. If you answer "no", I think that, however, you might recognize the presence of a lot of different and weird superstitious beliefs in your country. In Italy there are both bad and good beliefs. BAD ONES: Many people think that breaking a mirror could bring 7 years of bad luck. When they see a black cat crossing their path they quickly change direction. It is bad luck to open an umbrella in the house. If you walk under a ladder you will have bad luck. Many people believe that Friday 13th is an unlucky day, so they don't go out or do important thing during that day. GOOD ONES: If you find a four-leaf clover you'll have good luck. You have to throw rice on a new bride because we think she'll have so many children. Many people use to eat lentils on New Year's Eve because it means they will earn a lot of money. Some students or sport players use the same pens or shoes/socks to have good performances in exams or matches. I am not superstitious because I think that everyone of these actions is not logically related to a course of events and they cannot influence any outcome. In my opinion, these rituals and behaviours are just due to fear of the unknown. They respond, until the dawn of human being, to a false interpretation of the natural events. We shouldn't follow them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, what are the major superstitions in your country? I'm curious to know about the differences among cultures all over the world.