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.