Superstitions

We are all the products of our culture and conditioning. Since atheists say they don`t believe in the supernatural, I wondered how many still are influenced (even in a humourous way) by past beliefs. Do you pay attention to:
Bad luck
black cats-walking under ladders-Friday the 13th--the number 13 generally-stepping over cracks-wearing opal-spilling salt-opening an umbrella inside-etc.
Good luck
fingers crossed-knock on wood-fourleaf clover-putting up a horseshoe-rainbows-wearing a lucky charm or amulet-blowing out candles in one puff-etc.
Feel free to add your fav.

I don't like killing spiders -- I go out of my way to catch and release them alive outdoors.I also tend to knock on wood when I tell someone how good my luck has been.

I'm a theist and I believe in the supernatural, but I don't believe in luck. nope, notta one. Me neither, that just allows more flying insects...and I hate those.This message has been edited by Catholic Scientist, 09-01-2005 07:15 PM

Only one, learned years ago in a fishing village in East Asia: complaining about good fortune.Have a great catch in your nets today?Aaiiee, my nets are empty, my children will starve, my wife will leave me!Great harvest?Look at how brown my fields are! Even the insects are starving here now!The idea is that the gods will hear if you boast of good fortune, and take some away; if you are just silent, they become suspicious; but if you complain, you blend in with the great chorus rising from the earth, and they take no special notice.Besides, it's fun, over rounds of rice wine, to see who can whine the most original psalm of misfortune.Also, I bragged about how lucky I had been at a casino one night and got mugged on the way home.Edit: I also avoid killing spiders for pragmatic reasons.This message has been edited by Omnivorous, 09-01-2005 09:59 PMThis message has been edited by Omnivorous, 09-01-2005 11:42 PM

What's the wearing opal superstition?

---

I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

I like knocking wood(taps head)

Superstitions?I don't go near them. It is bad luck to be superstitious!Verzem

I'm superstitious of throwing away things of people I care a lot about. Somehow I feel as if I'm throwing THEM away.I gotta get rid of some of this junk tho...

---

I don't want a large Farva, I want a goddamn liter-a-cola.

Never been supersticious in any way. I seem to be totally immune, and I'm not even sure that that's an "achievement". Maybe people are born with it

The story goes that when the first parcels of Aussie opal were offered in Europe, gem dealers spread the rumour that opal brought bad luck, and sales were depressed for many years. This ignores the fact that opal from Hungary and other sources had been worn for centuries. Still, you show specimens to folk today and they say 'Isn`t opal unlucky?', so I guess a good ad campaign is hard to kill. Asians must be immune to the voodoo as they buy our stuff in great quantities.

Yeah, they drop the Oz when they sell the mounted stone to American and European tourists... Thailand is great for that--you'd think every gem in the world occurred naturally in Bangkok.This message has been edited by Omnivorous, 09-02-2005 10:25 PM

True. The Thai buyers have been taking Oz sapphires out in bulk for years and flogging them as Thai stones.