Superstitions

Latest Episodes:

NASA Superstitions Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

Just because you leave the planet doesn't mean you leave superstitions behind. Since the early days of space travel, NASA astronauts have been taught to observe specific rituals before going to space. Because if they don't, they may wind up lost in space…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Birthday Superstitions Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

From a certain point of view, birthday celebrations can be seen as a little... ritualistic. Candles, special songs, birthday cake... Where did all these practices come from? And what are they meant to protect us against?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cutting Your Nails Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Your luck can change drastically depending on what day of the week you cut your nails. Fortunately, there’s a playful rhyme to help you remember. And if you forget? A broken nail will be the least of your worries…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

In a ritual that can be found around the world, invoking the rabbit on the first day of a new month brings good luck. And in this story, a teenage witch is about to discover just how much fortune she can find…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Evil Eye Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

When you become successful, all eyes are on you. But there is one eye above all others that will always be watching, waiting to take away your success.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clocks Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Timekeeping devices have been around for millennia. But at what point did we stop seeing them as tools... and start seeing them as a reminder of our own mortality?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Yo-yo Drought Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

Toys are supposed to be harmless and fun — their arrival signaling playtime, not disaster. But in 1930s Syria, one toy was thought to cause a devastation so severe, it was banned from the country. If yo-yos could control the weather… what else could they control?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thunder and Lightning Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

Meteorology is an advanced study, but not a precise one. So when the heavens themselves seem determined to destroy you, who wouldn't turn to some seemingly ridiculous rituals?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whistling on a Ship Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Sailors are a superstitious lot, and refraining from whistling might sound like a typical warning from an old salt. But if you're not careful, an errant whistle can blow up a storm.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Confetti at Weddings Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Why do we think weddings have to be commemorated with tiny flakes of paper? And what are the consequences for getting too wrapped up in the idea of "the perfect wedding"?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices