• Superstitions have long been part of the oral tradition. People have historically gone to great lengths to do things that would ensure good luck or to avoid things that could bring bad luck. Many superstitions have been passed along through so many generations that their origins are long forgotten. A number of superstitions that are still passed on today date from the Middle Ages (about 500 to 1350).
• Omens are signs of things to come. In a superstition, a particular action may be an omen. For example, finding a four-leaf clover is a good omen—it supposedly means favorable luck in the future. Hearing an owl hoot when you are sick supposedly is a bad omen, signaling that the listener will die. Many omens appear to people in their dreams.
Keep track of the superstitions mentioned in this selection and the historical explanations behind them.
What signs mean good luck to you? Which mean bad luck?
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