A superstition indicates that black cats bring bad luck.
The first necessary step to understand what superstition means is to establish its etymological origin. By doing so we discovered that it comes from Latin, and more precisely from the sum of three components in that language: the prefix “super-“; the verb “stare”, which is equivalent to “to stand”; and the suffix “-tion”, which is synonymous with “action” or “effect”.
Superstition is a belief that is contrary to reason and foreign to religious faith . The superstitious believe that certain phenomena have a magical or mystical explanation.
For example: “Because of superstition, I never walk under a ladder” , “Pablo does not want to get married on Tuesday the 13th because of superstition” , “Superstition only generates worries in people” .
Superstition and tradition
Superstition is usually based on popular traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. This means that, within a community, the ancestors who held that some actions (such as counting on an amulet or repeating certain words) promoted good luck or warded off the negative, transmitted these beliefs to their descendants.
There are many superstitions that are already part of our cultural heritage or tradition. However, among the most significant are the following:
• A black cat walking towards a person means bad luck. This is a superstition that emanates from the idea established by the Holy Inquisition that this animal was a reincarnation of the Devil.
• A painting that is hung crooked and then falls is bad luck. In this case, this idea is the result of the belief that existed in Ancient Greece and that said that if this happened to the portrait of a leader, he would die in a short period of time.
• Seven years of misfortunes bring about breaking a mirror. This superstition, for its part, emanates from the fact that in the past this element was established as an element of divination and its breakage indicated that something was going to go very wrong.
• Blow out the birthday candles in one breath. This is an omen of good luck and has its origins in the Middle Ages since it was then put into effect as a way to leave the past behind.
The breaking of a mirror, according to superstition, generates seven years of misfortune.
Link with science and religion
Science considers certain disciplines to be superstitions, such as astrology , spiritualism or tarot . Superstition, however, is not always part of a larger body but can be an isolated belief.
By believing in superstition, the person attributes a causal relationship between events to a supernatural force . A superstitious person may believe that a black cat brings bad luck and, if they come across such an animal on the street, they will prefer to back away. Nothing proves, of course, that black cats have the ability to influence destiny or fortune. On the other hand, if the superstitious person sees a black cat and then trips, he will attribute the fall to the presence of the feline, even though he tripped because the path was broken.
Today, many people combine religious beliefs with superstitions. This means that a Catholic man may prefer not to open an umbrella indoors since, beyond his Christian faith, he considers that such an action will bring misfortune.