According to the definition of the Royal Spanish Academy, a superstition is a) “A belief outside the religious faith and contrary to reason” and b) “An excessive faith or excessive appreciation of something.” By Guadalupe German Lascurain
Sounds good, except that the religion of some may be the superstition of others , and vice versa. On the other hand, it would be unfair to classify as superstitions all beliefs that cannot be founded using the scientific method.
Since atheism it has been said that religion is nothing but systematized superstition; However, as the word “superstition” includes a negative judgment – since it carries the connotations of “infantilism”, “irrationality” and “primitivism” – organized religions do the impossible to demarcate from it.
Furthermore, it is possible to argue that not every religious person is superstitious, and that not every superstitious person professes a religion.
For the sake of objectivity, let’s try to point out the similarities and differences between these “uncomfortable relatives.” First, the similarities: Both traditional religions and superstitions assume the presence of immaterial forces that influence our lives such as: “God,” “gods,” “angels,” and so on.
Finally, both religious and superstitious people must perform certain acts (prayers, spells, rituals) and avoid others in order to ensure that they will not be victims of the supranormal forces.
Now, the differences. One theory says that the word “religion” comes from the Latin religionem , which means “respect or fear of the gods.” Another maintains that it comes from religion , since it implies linking or uniting the person with God. According to Cicero, its origin is in relegere (releer), a term that alludes to the tradition of reading sacred texts.
Instead, “superstition” comes from the Latin super and stare or “stay on,” that is, “survive.” And, for the ancient Romans, the word was related to the idea of transcending through the constant realization – not to say obsessive – of certain rituals.
In sum: while religion is proposed as a system that groups, links and orders (at least in theory), superstition is defined based on erroneous, unjustified or distorted beliefs.
OF BLACK CATS AND BROKEN PLATES
Here are several examples of widespread superstitions in the West:
“Tuesday the 13th is cursed.”
Some historians believe that this belief is due to the fact that Tuesday was the day of Mars, the Roman god of war, later considered by the Catholic Church to be “diabolical.” The horror to this day was so great that during the Middle Ages people did not even name him: he preferred to call him “the little malefic.”
“It is bad luck to open an indoor umbrella.”
Apparently, this superstition emerged in England during the 18th century. No one knows exactly why: some people say that if you open an umbrella inside your home it is as if you distrust the protection that your own home gives you, which attracts misfortunes.
“Crossing with a black cat is bad luck.”
During the Middle Ages it was thought that cats (and especially blacks) were helpers of the witches or reincarnations of the devil. Because of this superstition many cats were burned alive or tortured, and there are still people who fear them.
“ Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. “
For the ancient Romans, life was renewed every seven years. Since they thought that when breaking a mirror, health was ‘broken’, seven years had to pass before recovering it.
“You have to start the day with the right foot.”
Until relatively recently it was believed that everything related to the left side was malicious. This superstition has multiple corollaries, such as: it is necessary that your first step out of bed is with the right foot.
Oriental cultures have other superstitions that may seem even more ‘absurd’ to us. For sample are these four that come from Japan:
- If you cut your nails at night, you will not be able to meet your parents in the Hereafter.
- Also, if you cross your gaze with that of a raven, something bad will happen to you.
- If you appear in the middle of a photo of three people, you will suffer an early death.
WHY ARE WE SUPERSTITIOUS?
According to a study by the University of Kansas led by psychologist Scott Fluke, there are three main reasons why a person becomes superstitious: to convince himself that he acquires control over uncertain situations, to reduce feelings of helplessness in the face of uncertainty. of life itself and because adopting superstitious behaviors is easier than acquiring coping skills.
THUS…
The persistence of superstitions is due to a deep psychological need: to give coherence and meaning to the facts that, without the protection of some form of faith, are presented as random and chaotic.