Learn English with Mr. Duncan - Lesson 43 (All about you!)

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You know the world of English is a fun and exciting place to be.

I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.

Hi everybody this Misterduncan in England. How are you today?

Are you OK? I hope so! Are you happy? I hope so!

In today's lesson we will examine another part of the human condition.

Together we will enter the world of superstition.

The word superstition means the irrational or absurd belief or fear that something we do or say may cause an event to occur that will affect us in the future.

There are two types of superstition.

Good Fortune or Good luck and Bad Fortune or Bad Luck.

The word superstition comes from the ancient language of Latin and literally means Stand Over.

It would be true to say that most cultures around the world have their own particular superstitions and beliefs and many of them have been around for thousands of years and some are still around to this very day.

There are other words connected with superstitionsuch as Belief Curse Folklore Hokum Jinx and Omen

A person who believes in superstition can be described assuperstitious.

They really do believe something will happen to them if they do or say something in a certain way.

These days we tend to use the word in a negative way.

Some people think that anyone who believes in this must be gullible or weak minded.

Being superstitious can involve an action or an objector both.

Touching a certain thing, such as wood or carrying part of an animal can relax or reassure you.

Saying a certain word a number of times can give you a psychological boost and relax your mind. Are you superstitious?

Despite the negative attitude towards superstition, there are still quite a few people who strongly believe in it. Here are some examples of superstitions that exist both here in the UK and around the world.

Touching something made of wood is supposed to bring you good luck in the future.

I think I will pass my English exam next week.

Touch Wood.

Throwing salt over your left shoulder will bring good luck.

This comes from the belief that the Devil sits behind you, on the left, so the salt would go into his face.

Making a wish when you pull out a loose eyelash.

The belief here is that after finding an eyelash, you souldblow it away and make a wish.

Hanging a horse-shoe on your wall.

The idea behind this is that all your good luck will be caught in the shoe like a cup and therefore will last forever.

If you see one of these in a field, keep it safe.

Some people believe that a four leaf clover can bring you lots of good luck.

Keeping a rabbit foot in your pocket is supposed to bring good luck.

Unfortunately it does not bring much luck to the poor rabbit that only has three feet left.

Oi, that's mine, I want it back!

Beware of walking under a ladder.

It will bring you bad luck in the future.

Putting anew pair of shoes upon a table is considered very bad luck.

A black cat walking past you.

The black cat is often a symbol of evil, so to have one walk past you is especially bad.

Although some people have the opposite view and consider the black cat as a bringer of good fortune or a lucky charm.

Opening an umbrella indoors is considered very bad luck.

Many people still believe in this particular superstition.

The number thirteen.

Many people consider this number to be very unlucky.

If the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday, then this is considered as an unlucky day.

Some people will actually stay at home on this day so as to avoid any bad luck or misfortune.

In China, the number four is considered unlucky because in the Chinese language four has a similar sound to the Chinese word for death.

In Chinese houses the word luck is hung on the wall upside down so the good fortune does not run away.

In Brazil, if you put the sugar into the cup before the coffee, then you will become rich.

In Thailand the number six is supposed to bring bad luck because it is believed that it can reverse or undo your good fortune.

In Japan a white snake is considered lucky and seeing one will bring you good fortune for the rest of your life.

These days people tend not to take superstition very seriously.

Some see it as a weakness or a way of blaming something else for our own faults.

But there are still many people around who follow another type of belief system

Religion

People who follow a particular religion are often described as superstitious because they believe that forces, which cannot be controlled by anyone, affect their lives.

However it may be unfair to use term with religion because the religious belief goes much deeper into the persons character and it affects many more aspects or areas of their life.

So perhaps grouping religion and superstition together could be for many people, very unfair and even offensive.

Well that is all from me today.

May I wish you good luck until next time we meet through the mystical power of the world wide web.

This is Misterduncan in England saying, stay lucky and watch out for those black cats and ladders. Ta-ta for now.

Thank you for watching.