Superstitions are a curious thing. They’re passed down onto us almost as habits from our parents, yet we rarely know their actual origins and, even more curiously, we rarely ever think to ask. They’re just there; suddenly, kids don’t cross paths with black cats anymore and start knocking on wood to ward bad luck off.<\/p>\n
A lot of the superstitions people still look into are kind of universal \u2013 it’s not always possible to discern one singular origin. Still, depending on the region, some superstitions are more popular than others, and some have been there longer.<\/p>\n
There are slight differences even between the different regions of the United Kingdom. So let’s talk about the different superstitions that are popular in Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales \u2013 and how much of a difference there is if any.<\/p>\n
The Scots have a lot of superstitions, and they believe in a lot of them to this day. See, the people of Scotland were infamously obsessed with witchcraft between the fifteenth and the eighteenth centuries, so that may be a reason why those beliefs have stuck to them so strongly.<\/p>\n
They have a lot of various popular superstitions that have lasted through the ages; let’s talk about the ones to do with their obsession with Satanism and witches.<\/p>\n
Rowan trees: <\/strong>their paranoid fear of witches resulted in the superstitious habit of planting rowan trees on their properties \u2013 toward the witches off. It was considered sacred by the Celts, so it was supposed to somehow help.<\/p>\n Black sheep: <\/strong>the saying about being the black sheep of your family comes from Scotland, as it turns out. They were convinced that colour black is satanic and that it was foretelling them of oncoming disaster.<\/p>\n \n Now, the Irish are famous for being extremely superstitious \u2013 especially when it comes to fairies. You just don’t mess with the fairies \u2013 and I’m quoting here.<\/p>\n They’re also really obsessed with luck. Like, most of their remaining superstitions are about luck \u2013 be it bad or good.<\/p>\n Disturbing a fairy fort might kill you: <\/strong>and, as I’d said, they do fear their fairies. The wrath of their revenge could vary anywhere from sleepless nights to actual murder, so I kind of understand why.<\/p>\n Breaking a looking glass, knocking your chair over when you stand up, if there’s no candle in the window throughout Christmas and probably many, many others <\/strong>will result in bad luck. Go ask. But, I guess, the breaking the mirror superstition originates here. (Does everyone have that, or is it just the Russians and the Brits?)<\/p>\n \n The Welsh are a small group at this moment, but they still have their own unique language, location and culture. And superstitions are also a part of the culture, so, of course, they have some of their own.<\/p>\n A lot of their superstitions are based around the miners; that was the main industry of the region. They are also really obsessed with dark, otherworldly stuff.<\/p>\nIrish Superstitions<\/h2>\n
Welsh Superstitions<\/h2>\n