WRITING PROMPT

Seven Years Bad Luck

Superstitions…silly or scary?

I never considered myself overly superstitious, but I won’t walk under ladders or open umbrellas indoors. I’m also fond of bad juju. Or, not having bad juju, that is. Maybe I am superstitious after all.

The big one for me is the superstition that you’ll have seven years' bad luck if you break a mirror.

I’ve only ever broken one mirror, and at that moment everything seemed to come to a stop. I was waiting for the immediate crumbling of my world, but nothing happened. I carefully picked up the pieces and threw them away. It didn’t stop me from worrying that the next seven years were going to be filled with all kinds of bad things. I’m always careful if I have to carry any kind of mirror. That one still bothers me.

According to a list of 25 common superstitions, a broken mirror isn’t actually as bad as it might seem.

Many religions believe a mirror shows the reflection of your soul. As such, breaking a mirror can have dire consequences. Don’t worry, though. There’s a simple and absolutely not-at-all wacky way to reverse your luck. Just gather up every single piece of the broken mirror and bury it under the moonlight.

Burying a broken mirror under the moonlight seems spooky in itself, and an accident waiting to happen. I think I’d pass on that part, and take my chances.

After reading through the list of common superstitions, I was reminded of my favorite one about the lucky penny. I love the rhyme: ‘find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.’ There seem to be variations in the rhyme, but that’s the one I know. It’s also said that it’s only good luck if the coin is heads up, but I’ve been known to pick one up no matter which side is up.

In response to the Sparks № 10 Prompt— Superstitions from Ellie Jacobson at Flint & Steel.