Are you superstitious? Do you believe in ghosts? The undead? All around the world there are beliefs and common myths concerning unlucky numbers, days, actions and events, and now I’m here to present you with the best of the fearful bunch.

I’ll begin with one of the most obvious ones, Friday the 13th, there’s no clear definition of when it originated but there are numerous reports of it being an unlucky day, one fine example is that of Gioachino Rossini, the famous composer whom was said to have a fear of both Fridays and of the number thirteen, and he just happened to die on Friday the thirteenth of September, 1868. The number twelve is said to be divine due to things such as the twelve months of the year, twelve hours in a day, twelve apostles of Jesus and more; the number thirteen undoes this and is considered irregular, if you have a fear of the number thirteen you are considered to have triskaidekaphobia.

In Spanish cultures there is a similar belief regarding Tuesday the 13th, there is no definitive origin of the reason it is on a Tuesday and not a Friday, but there is a common saying “en martes ni te cases ni te embarques,” which tells you not to get married or start a journey on any Tuesday.

I’m sure most of us know other popular superstitions within western culture, such as one should refrain from walking underneath any ladders, this came from the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity, breaking a triangle is considered blasphemous. There’s the black cat that due to its connection to witches and black magic strikes fear in the hearts of those with a mystical nature. The number 666 is related to Satan, breaking a mirror gives you several years of bad luck, and bad luck always comes in threes.

What you might not be aware of is the others that exist in the Spanish culture: Salt was once a symbol of friendship, and it is believed to break that friendship if any of it is spilt. Wine too can cause problems when it leaves it’s intended destination, to rectify this one must dab it on the forehead or on the earlobe if it’s champagne. You should never take a used broom to a new house, never place bread upside down, and never place your hat on top of your bed.

I don’t want to cause anybody to live in fear, and I hope that everybody takes these all with a grain of salt; if you do treat them with too much of your everyday life then I sincerely apologize, I’ll end with something that might pick you back up:

In Russia, if a bird ‘does its business’ on you, your car or your house, it is supposed to make you rich, the more birds that treat you as a bathroom, the better.

Do you believe in black magic? Do you think it’s all just a load of baloney? Do you believe in any others that I didn’t mention?