Thereareoveronemillionsuperstitions(迷信)andmostpeoplebelieveatleastoneortwoof them.
Manypeoplearesuperstitiousaboutnumbers.Theythinkthatthereareluckynumbersandunluckynumbers.
Thenumber13isoftenconsideredunlucky.Insomepartsoftheworldbuildingshaveno13thfloorandstreetshavenohouseswiththenumber13.InJapan"4"isconsideredunluckybecauseinJapanesetheword"four"ispronouncedthesameastheword"death".
Japanesenevergivegiftsoffourknivesfournapkinsorfourofanything.
Whataretheluckynumbers?Sevenisaluckynumberinmanyplacesand"8"isconsideredaluckynumberinJapanandChina.InChinabusinessesoftenopenonAugust8andmanycouplesregistertogetmarriedateightpasteightonAugust8.
Superstitionsaboutnumbersaresowidespreadthatsomepeople--callednumerologist--makealivingbygivingadviceaboutnumbers.
In1937whentheToyodafamilyofJapanwantedtoformacarcompanytheyaskedanumerologistif"Toyoda"wouldbeagoodnameforthecompany.Thenumerologistsaiditwouldnotbe.Heexplainedthat"Toyota"wouldbeabetternameforthecompany.Thefamilytookhisadvice.Asaresultmillionsofpeopledrive"Toyota"andnot"Toyoda".
Therearemanyotherkindsofsuperstitions.Therearesuperstitionsabouteatingsleepingsneezinganditching(抓痒).Therearesuperstitionsaboutanimalsandholidaysandhorseshoes.
Thereareevensuperstitionsaboutsuperstitions.Thosesuperstitionswilltellpeoplehowtoreversebadluck.
WhentheJapanesebumpheadstheyimmediatelybumpheadsagain.AccordingtoaJapanesesuperstitionthefirst-bumpmeanstheirparentswilldiebutthesecondbump"erases"thefirstbump
Toreversebadluckingeneralpeopleturnaroundthreetimesturntheirpocketsinsideoutorputtheirhatsonbackwards.
IntheUnitedStatesbaseballplayerssometimesweartheircapsbackwardswhentheirteamislosing.Itlookssillybutthebaseballplayersdonotmindifithelpsthemwinthegame.
1.Itcanbeinferredthatsuperstitionsaboutnumbersare .