The "Just Don't Sneeze Under A Ladder" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking my Facebook page as well as looking at the myriads of emails I have accumulated over the past few days.  Most of the emails go directly into the trash, especially those that I have no idea who may have sent them to me.  Then there are other emails that I know will be interesting so I click on them immediately.  I get emails a few times a month from a local eating establishment that always sends entertaining and interesting emails that really have very little to do with food.  Today was no exception since the email was titled "13 Superstitions That Still Scare the Bejesus Out of Us."  Now who could refuse viewing an email like that.  My first thought was why did they decide to list 13 superstitions when everyone knows that the number 13 is scary.  Sure enough, there was superstition #13 that said that the number 13 was unlucky.  Began saying that Apollo 13 was cursed from the start because of its flight number.  And, why do some buildings bypass the 13th floor when building.  Is floor #14 really really lucky if it follows floor #12?  And, do you really have bad luck on Friday the 13th?  I wonder if the Bible would have been written different had Judas Iscariot not been the 13th man at the Last Supper.  And, was Jesus crucified on Good Friday the 13th.  Many people have a deep fear of the #13 and I'm not sure if I am one of them or not.  Well, the other 12 superstitions are just as frightening; that is if you are really superstitious.  They are, in no particular order:

1. Spilling Salt:  Are you one of those people who have to throw a pinch of salt over your shoulder if you happen to knock a salt shaker over and salt spills out?  I am!  Did you know that by doing so you were blinding the demon waiting behind you.  In the Middle Ages, those living in Europe would leave a line of salt outside their door believing that witches would be compelled to count every grain before entering.  And, did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci, in his painting of the Last Supper, shows Judas knocking over the salt!  Oh, for Heaven's sakes!
2. Opening an umbrella indoors:  At one time in history owning an umbrella was a rare luxury reserved for royalty who used it to shade themselves from the sun's rays which contained invasive spirits.  Now that would be a great reason to open it anywhere.  Some believe that bad vibes are expelled when opening an umbrella indoors, but for me ... I don't believe in this superstition.
3. Horseshoes:  Supposedly the luckiest of all good-luck charms is the horseshoe. The ancient Greeks invented the horseshoe to protect the feet of their horses as well as to honor them as holy animals.  The "U" shape is associated with the crescent moon which is seen as a symbol of fertility and good fortune.  Just don't hang a horseshoe upside-down outside your home for it will surely burn to the ground.
4. Wearing black while mourning:  The devil's playground creates this superstition.  Years ago it was said you should avoid a person who had been around the dead since it was said to be contagious.  Some even said you should give away all your colored clothing while mourning a death.  I don't believe any of that stuff, but just don't wear white after Labor Day.
5. Black Cats:  Seems I just wrote of about black cats recently.  It was said that at one time witches were the caretakers of cats and that Satan was thrown out of heaven into a blackberry bush, thus the color black is associated with the devil, or Satan, and the notion that black cats are evil.
6. Getting out the wrong side of the bed:  You did know that getting out of bed on the left side has bad consequences?  Said to lead to death and destruction.  That's why hotel designers arrange guest rooms with the left side of the bed facing the wall.  Did you also know that exiting the bed on the same side you entered will cause your sleep to be disturbed?  Try it some time.
7. Knock on Wood:  Knocking on wood is said to bring good luck.  It was said that trees housed god's and nature's spirits who controlled the seasons.  So, knocking on the trunk of a tree would bring you good luck.  Also, many Christians rub on a wooden cross to offer penance or seek protection.
8. Walking under a ladder:  The Ancient Egyptians believed that a ladder perched against a wall created a sacred triangle ... and to walk underneath it disrupted spiritual energies.  In France convicts used to be forced to walk under a ladder as they walked to the gallows ... their final unlucky act.
9. Breaking a mirror:  I still feel bad when I break a mirror.  Seems your reflection will be trapped in the mirror and stunt your growth.  Could also imprison your soul.  Also said the Jewish families cover mirrors after the death of a loved one so as not to risk the departed soul wandering into the reflection and getting lost on its way to eternity.
10. Jumping the Broom:  Ever hear of this?  The African-American expression means getting married and follows an old custom that the newlyweds literally jump over a broom to prove that one of them is not an evil double.  
11. Rabbit's foot:  I actually had a keychain with a rabbit's foot on it.  Thought it would bring me good luck.  After my second accident I re-thought having the keychain.  Also said that many actors keep a rabbit's foot in their make up box, since make up was at one time applied with a rabbit's foot.  It as a performer's good-luck charm.
12. Sneezing:  Don't you say "God Bless You" after someone sneezes?  It was believed that a sneeze would expel your soul from your body, so you wanted to make sure that God would bless your soul.  And then in the plague years in Europe it was a grave omen to sneeze, thus the expression "nothing to sneeze at."  Had to do with spreading communicable diseases.  I do like the idea that Jerry Seinfeld had when he said you should say "You're so good looking" when someone sneezed.
13. And, the final superstition is ... the #13.

Believe any of this baloney?  I do!  Pretty creepy if you don't.  I feel sorry for you if you don't believe some of these.  YOU'LL BE SORRY!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.