Brown Superstitions
What would you think if a black cat crossed your path on your way to school? Or if you accidentally dropped a mirror and it shattered into a million pieces? I know what most of you would be thinking- I’m doomed!! That is because black cats and breaking a mirror are two very famous superstitions. “What are superstitions?” many of you may ask, “and how did they originate?” Well, today you are going to find out. Good evening teachers and students. How many of you ever heard that it is bad luck to spill salt or that it is good luck to say “Bless You” to a person after they have sneezed? I’m sure many of you have heard those superstitions, but did you ever wonder who made them up?

Many famous superstitions such as the one about black cats originated in early Christianity or in Ancient times. In Ancient Egypt, people believed in mythical gods. One of those gods was a black female cat named Bastet, and since Christians were trying to get rid of other religions, black cats and their owners were burned. After many years, black cats were thought to have another meaning - evil. They were believed to have supernatural powers of evil and be associated with witches and demons. People believed that if any black cat crossed your path, this was a sign that the devil was thinking about you and blocking your way to Heaven. Many years ago, it was proven that black cats weren’t evil, but to this day people still try to avoid having a black cat cross their path.

Although it seems unfair to have bad luck for a day just because a black cat crossed your path, did you know that you can have bad luck for seven years if a mirror is broken? The origin of this superstition is quite old. In Ancient times, it was believed that a mirror was a sign of the Egyptian gods. Mirrors were believed to hold a lot of power, therefore if one was broken; disaster would strike and