Superstitious

I find it ironic that good ol' Webster's has the following definition of 'Superstition' when, in most Christian circles (and perhaps other faiths), the word 'superstition' raises some red flags.



Superstition:

"(1) Any belief that is inconsistent with known facts or rational thought, esp. such a belief in omens, the supernatural, etc. (2) Any action or practice based on such belief."

Though Webster's folly here is a subject for a different post, I share the views of C.S. Lewis, Madeleine l'Engle, Donald Miller, John Eldredge and other Christian art-lovers who recognize the place of imagination and myth in deepening our knowledge of His mysteries; their power in revealing Truth at heart (not just head)-level. God help us when, for Christians, fact, logic and intelligence become enemies of story and imagination, and begin to mutually exclude one another. What drab and hidden lamps we then become...

That said, my intended post for today has nothing to do with faith-building myth, but rather, plain old superstition. (A distinction Webster's apparently can't make). As I sift through childhood, forming mental piles of what to pass on and what to leave within, I'm remembering some favorite superstitions I actually believed at some point during childhood.

NOTE: Don't blame these on my parents; they might have been responsible for some of them, but I can't remember where others came from! :-)

Vampires: Whenever a low-lying fog hangs across the road, a vampire has recently passed by.




Tomtens: Tomtens are a Scandinavian tradition. Helpful and protective, they are secretive peacemakers between farm inhabitants and the wiles of wild woodland creatures beyond. Brilliant in capturing snow-bound rabbit footprints and turning them into a source of unending childhood wonder.



Bears:Bears live beneath sidewalks. Didn't you know? If you step on a crack, you'd better watch your ankles!






Eating Before Prayer: Forget to pray over your sandwich? Better stick close to the bathroom because you won't be feeling well very shortly. Food rots in your stomach if you don't pray over it first.




Santa: And last, but by no means least, Santa, of course! At Grandma's, we kids would rush downstairs to the basement at the prompting of shooshing parents and aunts and uncles... Soon, we could hear the jingle bells, the reindeer hooves, and Santa's black, heavy boots in the kitchen hallway. It was never a problem that Grandma didn't have a fireplace; he knew her well enough to just come on in the front door. When he left? ALL the gifts were beneath the tree... SO fun!

Which ones will we keep? Well, I'd say anything overly fear-based is probably on the outs. That leaves at least two bearded guys... maybe a stray bear or so if I can't resist. :-) I have to say though... even with the fear-based beliefs, there was little long-term injury with years of childhood magic. What superstitions did you buy into as a young child? Are there any you didn't pass on, and why?