|THE DEN|
There are so many superstitions in our country with logic that we had no idea about. Read on some of them to bust them now!
Twitching Eyes
Belief - The right eye twitch has been considered good for men, while the left one brings good news for women.
Logic - Since it is related to the eyes, there are many scientific reasons behind the twitching of the eyes. However, there is no technical or scientific fact-based validity to the superstition. Hence it is completely based on blind faith. Moreover, eye twitching could be due to stress, alcohol, tiredness, allergies, strain, or solely due to dry eyes.
Black cat crossing path brings bad luck
Belief - If a black cat crosses your path, you are doomed.
Logic - In the past, people used to travel in carts pulled by domestic animals. Passing through the woods at night, the animals on the carriage used to get scared and act chaotic. Therefore, travellers warned others not to proceed when a cat passed their way, as they resemble wild cats such as leopards, cheetahs, and tigers. Although today this is of no use as the American comedian Groucho Marx once said: "If a black cat crosses your path, it means that the animal is going somewhere”.
Sweeping after dark
Belief - It is said that sweeping at night or after dark will cause Goddess Lakshmi to leave the house which will result in decrease in wealth.
Logic - In ancient times there was no electricity and lamps or candles were the only source of light. In such dim light, the chances of ornaments and precious household items being swept away by dirt were high, so people swept the floor of their house only during the day and refrained from sweeping after sunset. Furthermore, Despite the complete electrification of homes over time, the superstition survived as it was passed down from generation to generation in the form of a belief system and became a tradition now.
Myna - one for sorrow, two for joy
Belief - One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told, i.e, if you see one myna you will be surrounded with sorrow while seeing two mynahs will bring joy and so on.
Logic - It’s just a fun rhyme and nothing more than this.
Chewing on Tulsi leaves is disrespectful to Goddess Lakshmi.
Belief - People believe that one should swallow Tulsi leaves and not chew them as the plant represents Goddess Lakshmi and chewing will be disrespectful.
Logic - Tulsi leaves contain mercury, which is not good for enamel and therefore should not be chewed. When chewed, the mercury content in Tulsi is released into the mouth, which can damage teeth and cause discoloration.