Supertitious Belief

Different cultures have traditionally held differing superstitous

beliefs, beliefs that are deemed "irrational." Such beliefs go back to
ancient cultures such as the Greeks and Romans, who believed that
natural occurrences were a result of actions of the gods. Such fear
of the gods, deisidaimonia, was what the Romans meant
by supersitition.
In Western cultures, some superstitions actually caused more bad
luck such as the belief in England that cats were witches and that
they were the cause of the Plague. By killing off the cats, the English
caused the rat population to flourish, and, thus increase disease. Of
course, cats have been part of superstitious beliefs for ages. The
black cat crossing one's path denotes bad luck, for example. Cats
are also supposed to suck the breath away from babies, killing them.
Many superstitious beliefs are connected to religion. For instance, if
one holds out a cross or wears one, the person can ward off evil.
Certain talismans worn or hung in houses, were to have warded off
evil. Saint Gregory I the Great ordered that people say "God Bless
You" when someone sneezed in order to ward off disease.
One of the oddest superstitions seems that of wishing an actor to
"break a leg" when one wishes him/her well. But, at one time
someone said, "Good luck" and the actor broke a leg. So now
people in the acting field say the opposite in order to ward off bad
luck. At any rate, at least this one makes sense when one knows its
origin.
That's an easy one for me, particularly b/c we are Spanish and we
have loads of superstitions. Let's start with New Year's Eve
1. Eat 12 grapes to guarantee food on the table all year long

2. Gather water all day long, and at midnight throw the water out
the window/door - purification
3. Throw four pennies at midnight and make a wish for each of "the
four lucks": money, romance, health, fate
In the South (Alabama) we make a meal in which the ingredients are
symbols: Black Eyed peas for luck, pork skin or pork for
health/food on the table, collard greens for money
Other Spanish superstitions I can tell you of are:
4. Doing the cross sign each time we pass a cemetery to bless the
gone
5. Doing the cross sign if we happen to hear the voice of a loved one
(dead or alive) when they aren't present, for they may need us from
wherever they are.
6. Saying "blessings" instead of "hello" (or both) when we call our
loved ones.
7. Not keeping objects that come from the ocean (respect)
8. Naming a child after the Saint to which the day is dedicated
9. Of course, beware of broken mirrors.
10. If you are pregnant, stare at nice pictures of healthy babies all
the time so your kids can adopt the traits.
----I can tell u about 10,000 more (literally)= Don't get me started,
ha ha.