Superstition
Scissors have a widespread place in cultural superstitions. In many cases, the specifics of the superstition may be specific to a given country, region, tribe, religion or even situation.
- Africa
- In parts of North Africa, it was held that scissors could be used to curse a bridegroom. When the bridegroom was on horseback, the person enacting the curse would stand behind him with the scissors open and call his name. If the bridegroom answered to his name being called, the scissors would then be snapped shut and the bridegroom would be unable to consummate his marriage with his bride.
- Asia
- In Pakistan, some believe that scissors should never be idly opened and closed without purpose. This is believed to cause bad luck.
- North America
- United States
- In New Orleans, some believed that putting an open pair of scissors underneath your pillow at night was a sound method for sleeping well, even if one might be cursed.
- United States
- Eastern Europe
- It is believed in some Eastern Europe countries that leaving scissors open causes fights and disagreement within a household.
Famous quotes containing the word superstition:
“The best road to correct reasoning is by physical science; the way to trace effects to causes is through physical science; the only corrective, therefore, of superstition is physical science.”
—Frances Wright (1795–1852)
“A superstition which pretends to be scientific creates a much greater confusion of thought than one which contents itself with simple popular practices.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)
“The superstition respecting power and office is going to the ground. The stream of human affairs flows its own way, and is very little affected by the activity of legislators. What great masses of men wish done, will be done; and they do not wish it for a freak, but because it is their state and natural end.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)