most popular superstitions around the world

If your absolute favorite stone is the Opal youre out of luck literally since this stone is said to bring bad luck to whoever wears it. This superstition stemmed from the best selling novel Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott in 1829 where Lady Hermione was falsely accused of being a demon as she dies shortly after a drop of holy water accidentally falls on her opal jewelry and changes its color. This book had such an effect on the image of the Opal that shortly after its publication the Opal market crashed and Opal prices dropped by 50%.

Friday the 13th has been a source of superstition ever since the 19th century. Though its origin is shrouded in speculations and theories its impact is quite evident. Many people will purposely avoid doing anything significant (like business meetings socials banquets etc) due to the belief that the day is cursed and its a source of ill fortune.

Some people believe in order to bring good luck and to keep nightmares away you must hang a horseshoe in the bedroom or on a door knob with its ends pointing upwards. This belief stems from the fact that a horse shoe has seven holes which is considered to be a lucky number and is made of iron so it can supposedly ward off evil spirits that may haunt you in your dreams.

Youve probably heard of swiss cheese cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese but have you heard of Groaning Cheese? In Medieval England expectant mothers made what they called a Groaning Cheese which was a large wheel of cheese that matured for nine months as the unborn baby grew. When the groaning time or time of birth came the whole family would celebrate by eating this cheese until nothing but the outer rind was left. The newborn would then be passed through the rind on Christening day to be blessed with a long and prosperous life. What a cheesy superstition!

In some parts of Turkey you may want to think twice before whipping out the chewing gum. There is a belief that if you are chewing gum at night it is actually rotting dead flesh.