Cultural Superstitions

Today is Friday the 13th. As I sit here, I think of all the superstitious theory and thoughts which surround Friday the 13^th. I am just amazed. And yet, it is good every once in a while to suspend belief even if for the day and let a little fun to come into our lives.

When I was the Shop manager out in California for a satellite system, the technicians who work for me always got together on a Friday the 13^th, inscribed their names into a mirror which they would then break on Friday afternoon. They did this to show that they held no fear of Friday the 13th or any superstitions. I believe they did it to have some fun and build morale.

Friday the 13th was never in my mind a bad day. The dreadful day to be superstitious of, for me, was Saturday the 14th. I always seemed to break my glasses on a Saturday the 14th.

I never meant to break my glasses, that was a huge no-no in the family. Yet, when I was a kid, whether it was climbing a tree or something else if my glasses were to break it was always on the Saturday after Friday the 13th. I try not to be superstitious. I do believe that in large part we are masters of our own fate and that we need to take care of ourselves. Truthfully, I was, and still am, a klutz. Yet there’s not too much I can do about that.

Superstitions are fun because they remind of our culture and our ties to others in our community. Every culture has stories and fables and superstitions. The stories give some sort of a warning that usually goes to kids. Often, a scary tale is told to help keep everybody in line and doing the right thing.

People do it because their parents do it. Their parents did because their parents did it and so on, and so forth, all the way back to the beginning of their culture.

People say that some stories in the Old Testament and warnings about what to eat and not eat were put there to help keep people healthy. There was science, even if it was the science of observation behind the ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that.’ It is something to consider and think on. 

I highly recommend that a little research into finding out why we believe what we believe helps tremendously. The stories and celebrations of our cultures are not just superstitions.  They are morale boosters which bring us together as a people and help us to feel good.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof