There are quirks about being a human
being that can simply never be fully understood. One of them
is believing in superstitions and we think this makes the top five. The
fact that there is no actual (not even teensy bit) justification for
believing in superstitions makes this phenomenon even stranger.
On the surface, superstitions don’t
really present any harm. But, many people have held tight onto certain
superstitions and they’ve actually become a self-fullfilling prophesy.
Here are 5 superstitions that people hold so true that it actually
affects the economy, health, religion and our daily lives!
Friday The 13th
For a tattoo enthusiast, Friday the 13th
is a great day to get a cheap tattoo. However, those who believe in the
said superstition it’s an unlucky day. Mix in somebody who follows the
superstition obsessively, and you’ve got yourself a disaster in the
making.
Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress
Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina
says, “it’s been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in
business on this day because people will not fly or do business they
would normally do.” Many people who believe in this superstition whole
heartedly choose not to go to work, drive, shop, etc.
The impact of this superstition has even
reached stock market as many stock traders who believe in this
superstition withdraw themselves from trading. In fact, a mini stock
market blunder occurred on Friday, October 13, 1989 with the Dow Jones
closing at almost 7% down – although, we can confidently say that it had
nothing to do with it being Friday the 13th. Even though the
level of activity in the market lowers on this day, it is interesting
to find that the returns seen have been slightly better than average
days. According to ABC News, “stocks have shown an average positive
return on Friday the 13ths of 58.6 percent from 1945-2011, according to
the analysis, with an average Dow Jones Industrial Average daily return
of 0.08%.”
The Black Cat (and dog)
The superstition surrounding black cats
lead people to believe that they possess some form of vicious evil.
Unfortunately, this drives many people to prefer cats of different
colors – leaving black cats behind in shelters and unfortunately to
their demise. This color based discrimination towards our feline friends
has seeped into the realm of dogs, referred by animal shelters as the
“black dog syndrome.”
This study shows
that majority believe that black dogs (of the same breed) were not only
seen to be less desirable adoptability wise, but also thought to be
less friendly and more aggressive.
Your Zodiac Sign Is What Again?
“I’m a Taurus and you are an Aquarius,
there is just no way we can ever work out.” You may yet to encounter
someone so passionate about astrology, but folks with such devotion do
exist. Now, don’t get us wrong, the traits observed in Zodiac signs may
(or may not) help you identify who you are and can even help you
overcome your weaknesses. But, it seems okay to say that there are
enough things that people can be judged for in our society without
adding zodiac signs to the list.
In China, many employers seek to hire
candidates based upon their zodiac sign. A posting for a job can read,
“Must be Libra, Aquarius, or Aries.” Interestingly, Virgos are
considered to be least favorite of the signs; Felicia Jiang, founder of
popular astrology website NoDoor.com states that, “Virgos are
perfectionists, so they’ll often criticize other people.” So
unfortunately, being born at a certain period of the year is also a
requirement – talk about an unnecessary inconvenience.
The Yaoya Oshichi Story
A lot of elements of Chinese Astrology
have found their way to Japan; not only do you get an animal to
represent your traits, but you get an element also. Thought to have been
born in 1666 AD, a girl named Yaoya Oshichi attempted arson in order to
seek the attention of her true love; (let’s cut to the end) she got
caught, given the death penalty and no surprise here, burned at the
stake. Another important thing to note, her zodiac sign was Fire Horse.
This brings us to today, a world where
women born under the Fire Horse sign are deemed dangerous and unlucky.
In order to prevent girls being born under this sign, many people of
Japanese decent decide not to have babies in the year of the Fire
Horse. The year 1966 was the last recent Fire Horse year and records
indicate that Japanese babies born during that year had significantly
declined; even in high Japanese populated communities – ex. Hawaii and
California. To add to this, infant mortality rates were significantly
higher (for girl babies) when compared to the years before and after.
The next Fire Horse year is set to be for 2026.
The Evil Number 4?
The number 4 has been labelled with
negative connotations in various Asian cultures; in fact, death and the
number 4 are pronounced identically – “shi.” Real estate is the field
this superstition has the biggest concern with. A report shows that
houses in a Chinese neighborhood in Vancouver with the number 4 in it
sold for about $8,000 less compared to identical houses in that
neighborhood.
Interestingly, research has shown that Chinese and Japanese people have extremely high death rates on the 4th
of a month when compared to Caucasian Americans. This can be linked
with the psychological idea of “voodoo death”; the idea claims that
death can be the result if someone is stressing/fearing at extremely
high levels. Simply put, Asians are manifesting their deaths due to
their fear of the number 4.
Also, buildings in Korea tend to use the
letter F instead of 4 in the elevators – a concept similar to how many
buildings in the United States don’t have the 13th floor.
What are some superstitions you have encountered that have left you speechless?
