If a cross falls on its own from a wall is that a bad omen? <GeekMaster>

We say no.

This belief might have arisen due to a popular superstition that we are all aware of: If a mirror suddenly breaks or if it suspiciously falls off the wall, this can be a sign of a future death.

The same idea is being connected to a portrait falling off the wall.

The book Italian Superstitions cited some examples of bad omens associated with a cross:

  • Placing two objects inadvertently in a cross
  • Putting a crucifix on a bed
  • Picking up a cross from the ground
  • Making the sign of the cross with the left hand
  • A sacristan's cross falls during a funeral

These are all examples of superstitions or what Stuart Vyse, PhD, and the author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition, calls magical thinking.

Count yourself lucky if you're NOT superstitious. In a world where we prize science, it may not be something to be proud of, Vyse said.

In your quest to understand superstition, WebMD's The Psychology of Superstition might help you.

Tuesday, February 09 2016