An omen is a sign of things to come. Some people think that if you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck. Other people think that if you break a mirror, you will have bad luck. All these beliefs are called superstitions.
Many people carry good luck charms or do certain things to bring good luck. I remember my mother throwing salt over her shoulder if she happened to spill some of it on the floor or table. It is also believed to be bad luck if you open an umbrella in a house or step on a crack on a sidewalk.
Black cats are believed to be a bad omen or a good omen. A lot of the superstitions began many years ago and are still believed today. They have been passed down through families. Certain countries in the world believe black cats are bad luck and others think they are good luck. Let us take a look at the superstitions surrounding black cats.
Black Cat Superstitions
In Scotland, a strange black cat on your porch is a sign of upcoming prosperity (that means lots of money and success).
In some countries, if a black cat crosses your path, you will have GOOD luck. In other countries, it is bad luck.
Some people believe that if you talk nice to the cat or stroke the cat 3 times, it will make the bad luck go away and bring good luck. Others believe that if you take 12 steps backwards (from where you came), it will change to good luck.
In Ireland, when a black cat crosses your path in the moonlight, it means there is going to be an epidemic illness (many people are going to get sick and die).
Hundreds of years ago in Italy, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick person, that person would die.
Many years ago in England, fishermen's wives kept black cats in their houses while their husbands went away to sea in their fishing boats. They believed that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands while they were away.
It is not known where this superstition began. Stroking the tail of a black cat will cure a sty in the eye. (A sty is a sore on your eyelid.)
Here is another unknown country where this began. Thirteen cats in a theater are bad luck. Another superstition is that one black cat in an audience of an opening night at a theatre will mean a successful play.
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