Superstitions around the world

Different countries have different superstitions .For example, in England, its unlucky to
see one magpie on its own, but in Korea, its the opposite .If you see a magpie in the
morning you will get good news that day .Another Korean superstition says that you
mustnt wash your hair in the morning of an exam .If you wash your it, you wont
remember what youve learned.
In Russia, mirrors can be lucky or unlucky. If you look in a broken mirror, you will
have bad luck. If you leave something at home by mistake and have to go back for it,
you will have bad luck .But you wont be unlucky if you look in a mirror when you
go home to get it.
Sometimes, cities have their own superstitions. At Salamanca University in Spain, there
is a superstition about a stone carving on one of the walls. If students touch this
carving before a test, they will do well. But if they forget to touch it, they wont pass
the test.

The Stone carving

at university of
Salamanca

How many British superstitions do you Know?

Match the beginnings and endings of these superstitions
1 If you open an umbrella indoors,
2 If you see two magpies
3 If the sky is red in the evening
4 Something bad will happen to you
5 You will have a male visitor
A if you walk under a ladder
B itll bring bad luck
C If you drop a knife ( and a female visitor if you drop a fork)
D youll be lucky
E the weather will be good the next day.

Superstitions
Complete the text use the correct form of the verbs in the bracket.
Different countries have different superstitions , like in Uk and Japan for instance , if a
black cat (walk) in front of you , you ( have ) good luck . But in the
USA and many other countries its the opposite, if a black cat .(cross) your
path , it .(bring)you bad luck .However, many superstitions are almost the

same the world over . For example , if you .(break) a mirror , you .
(be)unlucky for seven years , but if you (touch) wood , it ..
(prevent) bad luck.
There are also superstitions about numbers .If you ..(look) at the seats on
some airplanes , you..(not find) the number 13. In Japan the number 4 is
unlucky because it is pronounced the same as the word for death . However, dates
where numbers are the same ( for example 12/12/12) are very lucky. If a Japanese
couple .(decide) to get married they .try to have the
wedding on such a date.

Liste to the song and complete the gaps with the words below . Use some words more
than once .Does the singer think superstitions are a good thing or a bad thing? How do
you know.
Baby devil

face luck problems song things wall

SUPERSTITION "
VERY

SUPERSTITIOUS, WRITINGS ON THE

VERY

SUPERSTITIOUS, LADDERS BOUT' TO FALL ,

THIRTEEN

MONTH OLD

SEVEN

YEARS OF BAD

..,

WHEN

YOU BELIEVE IN

BROKE THE LOOKIN ' GLASS

THE GOOD THINGS IN YOUR PAST

THAT YOU DON 'T UNDERSTAND ,

THEN

YOU SUFFER ,

VERY

SUPERSTITIOUS, WASH YOUR

RID

ME OF THE

KEEP
YOU

SUPERSTITION

AIN 'T THE WAY

AND HANDS ,

DO ALL THAT YOU CAN ,

ME IN A DAYDREAM , KEEP ME GOIN ' STRONG ,

DON' T WANNA SAVE ME , SAD IS MY

WHEN

YOU BELIEVE IN

THAT YOU DON 'T UNDERSTAND ,

THEN

YOU SUFFER ,

SUPERSTITION

VERY

SUPERSTITIOUS, NOTHIN ' MORE TO SAY,

WAY,

THIRTEEN MONTH OLD .., BROKE

THE LOOKIN ' GLASS,

WHEN
THEN

SEVEN

YOU BELIEVE IN

YOU SUFFER ,

AIN 'T THE WAY, YEH , YEH

V ERY SUPERSTITIOUS , THE ON HIS

YEARS OF BAD ..

GOOD THINGS IN YOUR PAST

THAT YOU DON 'T UNDERSTAND ,

SUPERSTITION

AIN 'T THE WAY, NO, NO, NO