Similar idea in Judaism.
In Jewish tradition, whenever you are thinking about how well things are going, you must give yourself a “Kinehora.” If you don’t, you tempt fate to provide the opposite.
Giving yourself a kinehora is akin to knocking on wood. Whenever you boast about something or make a favorable observation, you can avoid tempting fate by performing this action or mentioning it. Or if you encounter something that might cause bad luck, like crossing paths with a black cat, you can counteract it by touching wood.
Where did this practice originate? Early believers felt spirits dwelled in trees. By knocking on wood, you could alert them to help you. A Jewish version dates back to the Inquisition, when Jews gave a coded knock on wooden temple doors in order to enter safely. Again, this practice crosses many cultures just like the Evil Eye.
In Jewish tradition, whenever you are thinking about how well things are going, you must give yourself a “Kinehora.” If you don’t, you tempt fate to provide the opposite.
Giving yourself a kinehora is akin to knocking on wood. Whenever you boast about something or make a favorable observation, you can avoid tempting fate by performing this action or mentioning it. Or if you encounter something that might cause bad luck, like crossing paths with a black cat, you can counteract it by touching wood.
Where did this practice originate? Early believers felt spirits dwelled in trees. By knocking on wood, you could alert them to help you. A Jewish version dates back to the Inquisition, when Jews gave a coded knock on wooden temple doors in order to enter safely. Again, this practice crosses many cultures just like the Evil Eye.
FreeSpirit1 · 51-55, F
rinkydinkydoink · M
craig7 · 70-79, M
@romell The origin of that old superstition was that doing so was seen as an affront to the Holy Trinity - by walking through the "trinity" of the triangular shape formed by a ladder,a wall and the ground.Of course there was a different problem walking under a ladder in old comedy movies,where the person who did it would wind up with a can of paint spilling over them.
rinkydinkydoink · M
My wife learned quite a few old superstitions from her maternal Nana and Opa in Germany. Here is one that expounded on the "cat before your path" one - -
In some cultures, like Germany, the direction a black cat crosses your path can have different meanings. A black cat crossing from left to right is considered good luck, while crossing from right to left is considered bad luck.
SW-User
@Akimbo75 Not nearly as much as going around a black cat when it crosses your path 🤦🏼♂😅
BlueSkyKing · M
thepeculiarpanda · 36-40, M
Tumbleweed · F
mindstruggle · 31-35, F
nobodyishome · 31-35, F
EndlessHorizon · 46-50, M
“Never share food with a ginger. That’s old-school Italian.”
EndlessHorizon · 46-50, M
@Akimbo75 I thought it was funny when I heard it too.
Donotfolowme · 51-55, F