Black cats, broken mirrors or Friday the 13th.

These are just a few of the thousands of superstitions that came to be and have been a part of the lives of many people.

I wish I could say I’m not one of them, but I would be lying. Ever since I was a little girl, I had the idea that having a black cat walk in front of me would bring me bad luck, similiar to the bad luck of breaking a mirror.

Some of these myths go back to the old days. Black cats, for example, have always been associated with witches and other dark forces. Like the idea that a black cat crossing a person’s path is an omen for bad luck or some type of curse.

But the broken mirror or Friday the 13th had no reasonable explanation to me. Interested in the topic, I sat in front of my computer to research the basis behind some of these myths.

I was intrigued with many of the websites that appeared with many myths, good luck charms and explanations on why they are believed to be truth.

According to the website snopes.com, a mirror reflects not only the image of a person’s body, but it also reflects the soul of that person and when a mirror is broken the soul of that person is damaged, making it is less likely to protect a person from bad luck.

The seven years of bad luck can be attributed to the Romans who thought life was renewed every seven years and the curse would stay with a person. But with the widespread of all of these superstitions people soon began to develop what they thought of as antidotes.

Like throwing salt over your shoulder, or knocking on wood, these were believed to in some way reverse the curse.

But I would dare to say that the greatest myth to many of us is Friday the 13th. There is even a phobia for it called paraskevidekatriaphobia, dare to pronounce that!

In my family we take it as a perfect day for bad luck and we joke about it all the time. I would have to say that I’m more scared of the name of that phobia than the actual day.

For some it means good luck, while to others it’s almost as if tragedy had been waiting to get them on that day.

Last Friday we had a Friday the 13th and I’m sure some people came across some pretty interesting stories that will always and forever link that day to either good or bad luck.

According to the website snopes.com, Friday the 13th can be largely linked to religious beliefs.

Jesus was killed on a Friday, the Great Flood began on a Friday and the same day was also the scenario of many other tragedies.

The number 13 is  bad luck because the number 12 represents completeness and one more number is said to disrupt that peace. Judas was the thirteenth guest at the last supper and the one to betray Jesus.

Friday the 13th, has a bad reputation. Some hotels are superstitious enough where they won’t make a thirteenth floor or even have a thirteenth room. It has also been said, that some cities don’t name any street with the number 13.

Thinking back, I would have to say that nothing really happens to me on that day. In fact, Friday is my favorite day because it means a short break from school.

But these are not the only myths lingering around.

What about not opening an umbrella inside a house, walking under a ladder, or that dreaming about birth means someone will die and dreaming about death means someone will be born.

I’ve heard all of these and even though I’m not completely crazy about any of them, I try to stay away from black cats, ladders, broken mirrors just in case.