Step on a Crack, Break Your Mother's Back Quiz

Answer: An umbrella

Opening an umbrella indoors has been a cause of bad luck since ancient times. In Ancient Egypt, umbrellas were used to protect the pharaoh from the sun, so opening one inside was a misuse of that protection and could lead to dire consequences. The Victorians kept the belief, but added the more practical observation that opening an umbrella indoors could damage the home and it's contents.

Answer: Black cat

In the United States, having a black cat cross your path is definitely a sign of bad luck. The origins of this superstition are unclear, as cats, and black ones in particular, are considered good luck in other cultures. However, if you find yourself in the USA and a black cat walks in front of you, simply turn around and take another way to your destination.

Answer: Seven years

The origin of the superstition that breaking a mirror brings bad luck probably originated with the ancient Greeks. They believed that a reflection revealed the soul, so breaking the medium of that reflection could only be a bad omen. The bad luck is said to last for seven years.

Answer: Hanging

In medieval times, especially in Europe, a person who was to be hanged had to climb a ladder in order to have the noose wrapped around their neck, so a ladder propped against a wall could represent a gallows. Since a lower class person could be hanged for what are today considered minor offenses, avoidance of anything resembling a gallows was a good thing.

Answer: Salt

Salt has been an essential for humankind since ancient times. It was used to preserve and season food, as a unit of currency in some cultures, and was renowned for its supposed purity. The superstition is that a portion of salt spilled on a table should be thrown over one's left shoulder, as that is where the Devil is lurking.

Answer: On the kitchen table

Placing a pair of shoes on a table brings bad luck because of the connotation with hanging. In some parts of Europe, the hangman would place a new pair of shoes on the table for the condemned to wear to the grisly event. An alternate explanation is that before the use of gallows, the prisoner would stand on a table and be pushed off to send them on their way to oblivion.

Answer: You are the subject of conversation elsewhere

This superstition plays on a person's fear of being the subject of gossip. In some parts of Europe, the right ear being hot meant that someone was talking badly about you, while the left ear burning meant that someone was talking about you with love.

Answer: The palm of the hand

Supposedly, when the left hand itches, one will gain money, while an itching right palm indicates that you will lose money. In ancient Indian belief, the hands are switched, an itch in the right hand for financial gain and one in the left for loss. The origin of the belief is unknown.

Answer: Knocking on wood

Thought to come from the ancient Celts, whose Druid priests worshipped in sacred groves of oak trees, knocking on wood three times is thought to frighten away evil spirits. In some parts of the world, simply touching wood has the same effects.

Answer: Blowing out all of the candles on the cake

Thought to derive from the ancient Greeks, where worshippers brought candles to the goddess Artemis and asked her to grant them wishes, the tradition of blowing out the candles on the birthday cake is thought to guarantee that the birthday person's wish will come true, as long as they manage to blow out all of the candles with one blow.