According to Merriam-webster.com, superstition is a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck.You may have heard someone say that you can’t walk under a ladder because you’ll get bad luck, or you should avoid stepping on cracks to avoid “breaking your mom’s back.”

Here at Hawthorne High School, our students have some irrational superstitions of their own. For example, the cheer team believes that you cannot step on the first step of a specific staircase in the school because it will bring you bad luck. As crazy as it sounds, people who have stepped on it, were brought bad luck such as a kick in the face, or a sprained ankle.

As well as the cheerleaders, the HHS drama department has an urban legend of their own. They believe that there is a phantom living under their stage. Often times, they hear a banging noise on the pipes, and other odd noises. They don’t know what it wants, so they just leave it alone, and hope that bad luck doesn’t come their way.

On the other hand, there are some very common superstitions that bring you good luck. For example, if you find a penny heads up, pick it up. There is an old rhyme, “See a penny, pick it up/ and all day you’ll have good luck/ See a penny, let it lay/ and you’re luck will pass away.” Also, putting an acorn at your window can keep lightning away from your house. These kinds of superstitions make people feel more comfortable by believing in them because it’s supposed to bring good fortune to you.

Some people strongly believe that all superstitions are true, but there are some that are very bizarre. Like how a cat will try to take the breath from a baby, or the ever-so common superstition, that a cat has nine lives. In Japan, the children are warned to hide their stomachs during thunderstorms because if they don’t, the god of thunder, Raijin, will come for them and steal their belly buttons to eat it. As you can see, these types of superstitions are difficult to believe in because they’re so far-fetched.

When someone’s mirror breaks, do you really get seven years of bad luck? Does something really happen when a black cat crosses your path? Some superstitions may seem insane, but for those who believe, they’re all too real. After all, superstitions are in the mind of the beholder.