From lucky pennies to avoiding black cats, these deeply ingrained beliefs from childhood continue to override logic in the most educated and rational boomers' daily lives, creating fascinating contradictions between what they know and what they can't help but do.
Ever catch yourself knocking on wood after saying something optimistic? I do it all the time, and honestly, it makes zero logical sense.
Last week, I mentioned to a friend that I'd been injury-free during my trail runs lately, and my hand immediately went searching for the nearest wooden surface. My friend, who's in her thirties, looked at me like I'd lost it. But when I visited my parents later that day, my mom did the exact same thing when talking about her garden surviving the recent frost.
That's when it hit me. These little superstitious habits we picked up from our boomer parents run deeper than we realize. They grew up surrounded by these beliefs, passed down from their own parents, and even though logic tells them otherwise, they just can't seem to shake them.
I've been observing this phenomenon in my own family and among friends' parents for years now, filling notebook after notebook with these quirky contradictions. Some of these superstitions are harmless fun, but others? They genuinely impact daily decisions in ways that would make any rational person scratch their head.
Let's explore the most common ones that still have a grip on the boomer generation.
1. Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck
My dad once spent an entire afternoon carefully wrapping and disposing of a broken bathroom mirror, treating it like hazardous waste. Not because of the sharp edges, mind you, but because he was genuinely worried about the bad luck curse. He's a retired engineer who spent his career working with data and facts, yet there he was, muttering about seven years of misfortune.
This superstition dates back to ancient times when mirrors were considered magical portals to the soul. The seven-year timeframe supposedly came from the Romans, who believed the body renewed itself every seven years.
Today? We know mirrors are just glass with reflective coating. Yet I've watched countless boomers panic over accidentally breaking one, some even keeping the broken pieces "just in case" there's a way to reverse the curse.
2. Walking under ladders is asking for trouble
Picture this scene from last month: I'm helping my neighbor, a 65-year-old retired teacher, with some yard work.
There's a ladder leaning against his house, creating the most direct path to where we need to go. Instead of walking under it, he makes a dramatic arc around it, adding an extra twenty steps to his journey. Every. Single. Time.
When I asked him about it, he laughed and said he knows it's silly, but why risk it? The fascinating part is that this one actually has some practical origins. Walking under ladders can be dangerous if tools fall or the ladder shifts. But the superstition has morphed into something about disrupting the sacred triangle formed by the ladder and wall. Most boomers can't even explain why they avoid it anymore. They just do.
3. Black cats crossing your path means bad news
A friend's mom literally pulled over and turned her car around last year because a black cat crossed the road ahead of her. She was running late for a doctor's appointment but decided being tardy was better than whatever doom that cat was supposedly bringing. She's a retired nurse who believes in science and medicine, yet that black cat had her completely spooked.
The irony? Many cultures actually consider black cats lucky. In Japan and Scotland, they're symbols of good fortune. But try telling that to someone who grew up being told they were witches' familiars or harbingers of doom. The programming runs too deep.
4. Opening umbrellas indoors will curse your household
During a recent visit home, I watched my usually practical mother nearly have a meltdown when my cousin's kid started to open an umbrella in the living room. She lunged across the room like she was preventing a catastrophe, startling everyone in the process. The kid just wanted to show us the rainbow pattern.
This one supposedly stems from ancient Egypt, where umbrellas were used to protect from the sun and opening one indoors was seen as an insult to the sun god. Or maybe it's from Victorian times when spring-loaded umbrellas could actually hurt someone indoors. Either way, the visceral reaction I see from boomers about indoor umbrellas is something to behold.
5. The number 13 is inherently unlucky
My parents' friend group includes a couple who've been married for 40 years. They refuse to travel on the 13th of any month. They won't book hotel rooms on the 13th floor. They even avoided buying their dream home because the address was 1313 Maple Street. These are educated, successful people who've let a number dictate major life decisions.
Hotels and apartments often skip the 13th floor entirely because of this widespread fear. Think about that. We've literally altered our building numbering system to accommodate a superstition that has no basis in reality. Yet trying to convince a boomer that 13 is just a number between 12 and 14? Good luck with that.
6. Finding a penny heads up brings good luck
I've seen my father, who has plenty of money in his retirement account, bend down with creaking knees to pick up a penny on the sidewalk. But only if it's heads up. Tails? He'll leave it there or sometimes flip it over "for the next person." He genuinely believes that heads-up penny will bring him luck for the day.
The phrase "find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck" is so ingrained in boomer culture that they physically cannot walk past that heads-up penny. Even when logic tells them that one cent has zero impact on their fortune.
7. Saying "bless you" after someone sneezes
Okay, this one might seem harmless, but watch what happens when someone sneezes and nobody says "bless you." The discomfort in the room is palpable, especially among boomers. They genuinely feel like something bad might happen if the blessing isn't offered.
This dates back to beliefs that sneezing opened your body to evil spirits or that your soul might escape. We now know it's just your body expelling irritants. Yet the compulsion to bless every sneeze remains unshakeable for most boomers. Some even say it multiple times if the person keeps sneezing, as if doubling down on protection.
8. Knocking on wood to prevent jinxing
This is the one I mentioned at the beginning, and wow, is it prevalent. Boomers will interrupt their own sentences to find wood to knock on. I've seen them knock on particle board, laminate, and even plastic that looks like wood. The material doesn't matter as much as the act itself.
The origins vary from culture to culture, some saying it's about invoking tree spirits for protection, others claiming it's to prevent evil spirits from hearing your good fortune. Whatever the source, watch any boomer talk about something positive in their life. That hand will start moving toward the nearest wood-like surface before they even finish the sentence.
9. Birthday candles must be blown out in one breath
Every boomer birthday party includes this moment of genuine anxiety. Will they get all the candles in one breath? Because if they don't, their wish won't come true. I've watched 70-year-olds take deep yoga breaths, strategizing their approach to those candles like their deepest desires depend on it.
The logical part of their brain knows that lung capacity has nothing to do with wish fulfillment. But tradition is tradition, and this one is so deeply embedded in birthday culture that skipping it feels wrong.
10. Horseshoes hung over doorways for protection
Drive through any neighborhood where boomers live, and you'll spot them. Horseshoes hanging over garage doors, front entrances, even inside homes. Always with the ends pointing up "to hold the luck in." Some of these horseshoes have been hanging there for decades, painted over multiple times, becoming permanent fixtures.
The belief that horseshoes bring good luck and protection goes back centuries, tied to both the luck of finding one and the iron's supposed ability to ward off evil. Today's boomers might not believe in evil spirits, but that horseshoe stays up, just in case.
Final thoughts
Here's what fascinates me most about these superstitions: the same generation that embraced science, technology, and rational thinking still can't let go of these irrational beliefs. They know it doesn't make sense. They'll even laugh about it. But changing the behavior? That's a different story entirely.
Maybe it's not really about the superstitions themselves. Maybe it's about connection to their past, to their parents and grandparents who passed these beliefs down. Or perhaps these little rituals provide comfort in an uncertain world, a tiny sense of control even when logic says there's none to be had.
Whatever the reason, these superstitions are likely here to stay. And honestly? I'm still going to knock on wood after writing this article. Just in case.
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