Religious Superstitions Trivia Quiz

Answer: Good Friday

This was especially so for fishermen. Sailors also believed that taking a piece of hot cross bun with them on fishing expeditions would protect them from shipwreck.

Answer: The gift of healing

Jesus, in many forms of literature, is associated with light, and in religious literature, with healing and the associated gift of life. Because he gave his life so that all may live, ie he healed mankind of its sins, a child born on this day was also believed to have healing gifts.

In some parts of Europe, however, it was believed a child born on Good Friday was born with bad luck. The baptism on the Easter Sunday offset this.

Answer: A year free of headaches

Another belief associated with having hair cut on a Good Friday was that it would ensure a year free from worry - and that a bun baked on Good Friday and crumbled up into warm milk, after the bun has gone stale, would cure an upset stomach.

Answer: You go straight to heaven

It was also believed of Good Friday that any bread or cakes baked on this day, though they may go stale, would never go mouldy. Even stranger, it was believed that any eggs laid on this day would never go bad. Obviously very religious hens.

Answer: Make the sign of the cross on it

In conjunction with baking on a Good Friday, it was additionally believed that hot cross buns baked on this day would have magical powers and that keeping an old hot cross bun in the house all year long would protect the house from fire. Holy Water that was used during the Easter church services was said to also possess these curative and protective powers.

Answer: Easter

This springs from the tradition of having to wear the same set of clothes throughout Lent, and donning new ones for the celebration of Easter which follows Lent. It was believed if you wore nothing new at all during Easter, dogs would spit on you and birds would peck out your eyes.

Answer: Bad dreams

Doing any form of work associated with laundry on a Good Friday was asking for trouble. This springs from the belief that God cursed Good Friday after Jesus was slapped in the face by a wet piece of material as he was being taken away to be crucified. Changing a bed then also became a belief that you were about to wash away the life of a family member.

Answer: Hammering wood

Another puzzling superstition associated with hard physical work on Good Friday was that no crops should be planted on this day, as no iron, such as that found in spades or pitchforks, should ever break the ground. Many types of physical activity were discouraged on this day as it was believed that you would only have to do them all over again the next day. Except for sewing - it was believed that any garment sewn on this day would never have to be repaired.

Answer: Ministry

Boys who wore long trousers for the first time on a Good Friday would also have happy marriages, so it was said - and any baby weaned on this day would be a lucky child. It was also believed that taking bees from a hive on any Good Friday would prevent any future bee stings.

Answer: Good Friday and Easter Sunday

The symbolism is that enough blood was already shed for mankind on those days. One last piece of Easter superstition to close: It was believed that any wish chanted in prayer form at the stroke of 3pm on this day - the hour that Christ died on the cross - would be granted.