Superstition is a mystic belief that one event leads to the occurrence of another without any scientific explanation. Some superstitions are fixed very firmly in our minds and many of us believe that there is a way to avoid bad luck. Here are origins of some common superstitions that we may often give in to spontaneously in our daily lives.
Some people say "touch wood" while knocking on a wooden table or chair to ward off any evil effect of bad luck. The origin is unknown, although there is a belief that you should knock on wood to express thanks for the elves who may bring you good luck. Some attribute it to touching a wooden crucifix when testifying upon oaths in the ancient religious ritual.
When someone sneezes, a common response is "Bless you". One possible origin is that Roman citizens dreaded sneezing when a terrible plague raged. They considered it a sign of impending illness. Pope Gregory urged his people to say "God bless you" to keep sneezers from getting sick.
Another superstition is that if 13 people gather, one of them will die in the following year. Therefore, "13" is an inauspicious number. This is in fact very similar to the reason that Chinese people do not like the number "4", as it sounds like the word "death" in Chinese. It is particularly frowned upon when you say it in the first lunar month of the Chinese New Year. In fact, Chinese New Year in Hong Kong is particularly superstition-ridden. For example, you should not break anything or buy new shoes during the first lunar month, as it will bring bad luck in the whole year. On the New Year's Day, you should not wash your hair; otherwise your good fortune will be washed away too.