Why Are We So Scared of Things?

Many people believe that the number 13 is unlucky. The fear is so widespread that most high-rise buildings in the U.S. do not have a 13th floor. There/Their/They’re are a lot of theories about where this fear comes from, but our favorite goes back to when our ancient ancestors learned to count. By counting each finger plus each foot as one unit, they could count up to 12. Anything beyond 12 was a terrifying unknown. (Why didn’t they count there/their/they’re toes? Yeah, we are wondering that too!)

It’s said that breaking a mirror brings bad luck. Why? People used to think they could see there/their/they’re souls when they looked in a mirror. So if you broke one, your soul would shatter into pieces. (That’s gotta hurt!) Of course, there/their/they’re is another, more practical, explanation for this superstition: Hundreds of years ago, glass mirrors were very expensive. If you were a servant who broke a mirror, that was bad luck indeed. (Like “That will come out of your pay!” bad luck.)

Black cats can be cute, but you have to admit—there/their/they’re a little creepy too. In fact, if a black cat crosses in front of you, it’s said to be a bad omen. That superstition can likely be traced back to Europeans in the Middle Ages who believed that evil spirits traveled around inside black cats. Perhaps it was there/their/they’re glowing yellow eyes? Or maybe it was because they were sometimes associated with witches? In some other cultures, though, cats were revered—whether black, white, orange, or striped. Ancient Egyptians even buried some of there/their/they’re cats like royalty!