Superstition about
numbers
According
to Oxford Advanced Learner¡¦s Dictionary, superstition is an idea
or a practice based on the belief that cannot be explained by human
reasons or physical laws. Among
various superstitions, people are much more familiar with
superstitions about numbers. The
well-known numbers are four
and thirteen.
Both in
Taiwan and Japan, number
four
represents an omen which brings bad luck, for it
sounds exactly the same as the word ¡§die¡¨. Westerners
do not see number four as an ominous sign but cannot get rid of the
thought that number
thirteen
is evil. The cause of this superstition is related to Christianity.
The story about The Last Supper between Jesus Christ and his
disciples is widely known to Western people. Thus, they tend to
avoid being the thirteenth in every social situation. In
short, superstition is a kind of irrational fear of what is unknown
or mysterious. It roots in a society so deeply that most people
unconsciously abide by it.
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