Superstition: From supersisto, "to stand in terror of the
deity" (Cicero, "De Nat. deorum", I, 42, 117); or from superstes,
"surviving": "Those who for whole days prayed and offered sacrifice
that their children might survive them, were called
superstitious" (Cicero, ibid., II, 28, 72).
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14339a.htm
A superstition is an irrational belief about the relation between
certain actions--often behaviors--and later occurrences, such as the
belief that the number 13 causes misfortune or bad luck. Whether a
belief is superstitious is not defined by the "truth" of the result,
however, but by the methods through which truth is sought.
Superstitions are often based on invalid reasoning resulting from
misunderstandings of causality or statistics, with others spring from
unenlightened fears, religious beliefs, traditions, and a general
belief in the supernatural.
The superstitious individual erroneously believes that the future, or
the outcome of certain events, can be influenced by certain specified
behaviors, despite the lack of a causal relationship in reality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition
To see the moon over the right or left shoulder, or not to see it,
could not by any possibility affect the moon, neither could it change
the effect or influence of the moon on any earthly thing. Certainly
the left-shoulder glance could in no way affect the nature of things.
All the facts in nature would remain the same as thought the glance
had been over the right shoulder. We see no connection between the
left shoulder glance and any possible evil effects upon the one who
saw the moon in this way.
A girl counts the leaves of a flower, and she says: "One, he comes;
two, he tarries; three, he courts; four, he marries; five, he goes
away."
Of course the flower did not grow, and the number of its leaves was
not determined with reference to the courtship or marriage of this
girl, neither could there have been any intelligence that guided her
hand when she selected that particular flower. So, counting the seeds
in an apple cannot in any way determine whether the future of an
individual is to be happy or miserable.
Thousands of persons believe in lucky and unlucky days, numbers, signs
and jewels.
Many people regard Friday as an unlucky day -- as a bad day to
commence a journey, to marry, to make any investment. The only reason
given is that Friday is an unlucky day.
Starting across the sea on Friday could have no possible effect upon
the winds, or waves, or tides, any more than starting on any other
day, and the only possible reason for thinking Friday unlucky is the
assertion that it is so.
So it is thought by many that it is dangerous for thirteen people to
dine together. Now, if thirteen is a dangerous number, twenty-six
ought to be twice as dangerous, and fifty-two four times as terrible.
It is said that one of the thirteen will die in a year Now, there is
no possible relation between the number and the digestion of each,
between the number and the individual diseases. If fourteen dine
together there is greater probability, if we take into account only
the number, of a death within the year, than there would be if only
thirteen were at the table.
Overturning the salt is very unlucky, but spilling the vinegar makes
no difference.
Why salt should be revengeful and vinegar forgiving has never been
told.
If the first person who enters a theater is cross eyed, the audience
will be small and the "run" a failure.
How the peculiarity of the eyes of the first one who enters, changes
the intention of a community, or how the intentions of a community
cause the cross-eyed man to go early, has never been satisfactorily
explained. Between this so-called cause and the so- called effect
there is, so far as we can see, no possible relation.
To wear an opal is bad luck, but rubies bring health. How these stones
affect the future, how they destroy causes and defeat effects, no one
pretends to know.
So, there are thousands of lucky and unlucky things, warnings, omens
and prophecies, but all sensible, sane and reasoning human beings know
that every one is an absurd and idiotic superstition.
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_ingersoll/superstition.html
http://jksalescompany.com/dw/superstitions.html
