National Defy Superstition Day
Face your fears and put those superstitions to a test. Walk under ladders, open an umbrella indoors, step on a crack or gather a group of 13 together.
Stepping under a ladder on Friday 13th while clutching a horseshoe the right way up is a great way of starting off National Defy Superstition Day! It’s interesting to consider the different little quirks and habits people practice, often without thinking about it or knowing why, simply because they grew up doing it. This day is here to encourage folks to take a look at their interesting superstitions – and break the habits that bind them!
History of National Defy Superstition Day
From throwing salt over your shoulder when someone spills it, to worrying about black cats crossing a path, the world is full of superstitions. Superstitions have been around for centuries, often based on particular cultures or even more specific to local areas. Superstitions may have developed as people from various cultures were looking for explanations for happenings, or to act as warnings to keep people from engaging in risky behavior.
Whatever the reason, superstitions, like having bad luck for seven years if a mirror gets broken, are an interesting peek into the way humans act and their interesting attachment to the supernatural.
National Defy Superstition Day was established to give folks the chance to let their rational mind overcome these strange dictates to prove once and for all that a solo magpie or treading on cracks in the pavement have no influence on your life. As it turns out, your mom’s back will probably be okay!
To keep with the spirit of things, National Defy Superstition is set to be celebrated each year on the 13th day of September. And if this day happens to fall on a Friday? Well, it’s just that much more enticing!
How to Celebrate National Defy Superstition Day
A great opportunity to face those fears, National Defy Superstition Day is always worth celebrating. Turn the day into something especially fun by getting on board with some of these superstition defiant ideas and activities:
Host a National Defy Superstition Day Gathering
Some people may wish to celebrate this auspicious day by holding a “Defy Superstition” party. Guests must, of course, dress with superstitions in mind, like wearing silver and gold jewelry together. Have dinner around a table set for thirteen, making sure to seat those single guests right on the corner. Also, invite some folks to bring umbrellas and then open them while indoors.
See How Many Superstitions Can Be Broken
In observance of National Defy Superstition Day, why not challenge yourself to see how many superstitions you can break in the day? Step on those cracks, walk under that open ladder, lay a handbag on the floor, don’t knock on wood, and do pick up a penny that is resting with the tails side up.
Other superstitions that might be broken on this day could be to give someone a bouquet of flowers that contains an even number (an odd number is considered lucky), sweep over a single person’s feet with a broom, or be exposed to the number 666 whenever possible. Get creative and think of some other activities and practices that can be done in observance of National Defy Superstition Day.
Learn More About Superstitions
Many historians and cultural experts have studied various cultures, their superstitions and the reasons behind them. National Defy Superstition Day would be a clever opportunity to glean more information about the origins of some of these unique and interesting practices.
In celebration of the day, consider heading over to the library or locally owned bookstore to check out some books about superstition, including titles like these:
- Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time by Michael Shermer (1997)
- Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens and Superstitions by Zolar (1996)
- Superstitions, Folklore, Myths and Legends: The Origins, History and Facts of Popular Wives’ Tales by Scott Matthews (2022)
- Superstitions: A Guide to Habits, Customs and Beliefs by Peter West (2021)
