However, one thing I learned early on during my tenure in Taiwan is that one man's superstition is another's religion. The rituals associated with Ghost Month, for example, might seem quaint and silly to non-Chinese, but they are performed with deadly earnest by those seeking protection from 'hungry ghosts'. Priests and practitioners would be more than happy to regale a listener with woeful tales concerning those whose lives were deleteriously affected by spirits of the nether-world which had not been satisfactorily placated with gifts (i.e. bribes) of food or funny-money.
Correlations can undoubtedly be found in all ritualized conduct meant to enhance and improve the standing of one-self or one's group in the ebb and flow of cosmic energy or deitific favor. From burning 'ghost money' to knocking on wood, the rituals of superstition are predicated on belief in the efficacy of the ritual. The power of belief is a contentious conundrum for those seeking rational explanations for the routine phenomena of life. Belief is immanent to the mysterious workings of the human mind which, as is evident at nearly every turning, is only too rarely rational.
Thus, we come to the crux of this disquisition's biscuit: 'The Curse'. Actually, there are two which I mean to discuss: one on the Chicago Cubs and one on the Boston Red Sox. (For non-baseball fans, I need to explain that due to the parochial nature of baseball supporters 'The Curse' is always referred to in the singular as the other is inconsequential to the 'home' team, whether in Fenway or Wrigley.) These curses have been in affect for decades. What now makes them especially remarkable is that both teams were up against their respective curse as they each attempted to win their league's championship pennant and appear in the Fall Classic - the World Series.
