Cats, Owls and Superstitions! Oh My!

Our everyday lives are surrounded by superstitions and while some are full of lies, others are tested to find out just how true they really are. Owls are looked upon as wise birds while cats (particularly black ones) are looked upon as something to fear.

We have all heard the superstition "step on a crack, break your mother's back" and probably un-admittedly tried it out several times as teenagers, but it never worked did it? Superstitions grab a hold of us and we fear the strangest things, we move a certain way, walk a certain way and even toss salt over our shoulders.

Superstitions, facts and myths:

Black Cats-

Black cats are feared all over the world except for in Britain where are they are supposed to bring good luck to people. Thousands of black cats in our own lands were tortured, thrown into baskets and then thrown into fires during the Salem Witch Trials. They were believed to be a part of the black magic used by the witches at that time. Many people tried to prove that black cats could shape-shift, even into a person such as a witch.

An old saying says that if a black cat passes your path you will have bad luck but did you know if three passed your path you would have good luck?

Most Christians are afraid of black cats because they are linked to one of the things Christians dislike most, Paganism.

Owls-

Owls are old and wise and their eyes give off a vibe that sends a chill up your spine. They are in all parts of the world, considered good luck. They were said to be the messengers for sorcerers and witches; it was claimed that they would dance on the grave of the deceased with them. Once you saw an owl, a witch would soon approach after it. If an owl was screeching and hooting then a baby was about to be born.

Here are some owl superstitions and myths from around the world:

England- It was believed that if you burned the eggs of owls until they were nothing but ash then you could use the ash as a potion to help improve your eyesight. In India, owl's eggs were also used for improving eye sight, except for they were eaten rather than burned.

Greeks and Romans- Owls were believed to be able to transform into witches and at night they would swoop down and suck on the blood of newborn babies.

To this day, The Aborigines of Australia believe that owls are the spirits of women and are held very sacred in their culture.

The Intuits of Greenland hold owls sacredly too; they look to them for guidance.

Other Halloween Superstitions:

Spider on a wall- dead one calling
Ring a bell- scare the dead away
Peel an apple- get the longest peel from top to bottom, get the longest life.
Light a candle- flame turns blue a ghost is close to you
Chill up your spine- a spirit is walking on your future grave
Point at a grave and your finger will rot off
Burn a candle in a jack o' lantern and scare off evil spirits.

Superstitions are always fun to read and that may be all they really are is funny reading material. But how do you decipher what is really real and what is made up?

http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/superstitions.htm
http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/halloween-superstitions#module10285342
http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-superstitions.shtml
http://www.halloweenhowl.com/owl-superstitions.shtml