Superstitions

Superstitions are mere beliefs about something that people believe in without any valid reasoning or real facts. People have different kinds of superstitions about many things in their life. A superstition could be something we think about or happens in everyday life. They are related to luck, prophecy and supernatural beings and they exist in every culture.
The article “Baseball Magic” by George Gmelch talks about different kinds of superstitions followed by the baseball players. I was not expecting so many numbers of superstitions in a sport game. When something good happens in a game, the player repeats the same pattern of activities he did that day like eating a the same meal, wearing their lucky shoes, swinging a bat three times, adjusting the cap before every hit, wearing a charmed pendant, not shaving and wearing a lucky numbered jersey.
In my country too we have numerous superstitions. I personally don't believe in any of them but since I grew up in such society it is indeed hard to ignore some of the superstitions. One the superstition I follow till this day is whenever someone touches my neck I have to blow the person's hand. According what my parents used to say if I don't do that my tonsils will swell. When I think about it I don't believe it but since I had habit of doing that since I was a kid I just have natural impulse to blow the person's hand. I have a feeling of uneasiness and discomfort until and unless I do it. The other superstition is when a black cat crosses your path I am not supposed to walk that way or at least wait for someone to pass before me so that I won't carry a bad luck. But if I spit before the cat completely crosses the path then I won't carry the bad luck. These are two superstitions I don't believe in but still I end up blowing and spitting in such circumstances.
There are some superstitions that my mother follows. It is something that we should or should not do in a particular day of a week. She never goes shopping and neither lets me go shopping on Monday because it is said that any clothes bought on Monday won't be lasting or good. And if we are traveling on Tuesday we should come back on Saturday. Also we are not supposed to return home on the ninth day of our travel. My mother never showers on Thursday because married women are not supposed to do that else something bad will happen to their husbands.
My mother always scolds me when I whistle at night because whistling at night is supposed to bring thieves in the house. Also being to excited about something is not good in my culture. If someone is going to buy me something I should have high expectations. If someone is coming home after long time I should be too happy about it either. It is said that being to excited brings bad luck and is hazardous to that person.
People have different way of reacting to superstitions. Some think its ridiculous some take it seriously. Some are amazed while others are scared. Though science and technology have been so advanced it is funny that superstitions still survives.