You’ve heard of black cats, broken glass, and stepping on cracks, but have you heard of jumping over waves for good luck? And did you know that yellow flowers can symbolize death? These superstitions are perfect little traditions to share with your friends this Halloween while also manifesting some luck for finals week!
Let’s be real.
Seasonal depression hits college students like a truck. Quarter exams, studying until 1:00 am, getting the seasonal cold, and overdosing on pumpkin spice lattes instead of going to the gym can make fall hard to romanticize.
With Halloween just around the corner, there isn’t any time to get a costume, and even if there was, we are too broke to buy one. Even though this article can’t magically create the aesthetic Halloween we all dream of, little superstitions are fun ways to add treats to some of your trickiest days!
What’s So Super?
Superstitions have been passed down from generation to generation since the dawn of time. Before we had NCLEX exams, our ancestors had famines and feminist women who studied medicine, or “witches,” as they were popularly known. According to ye ol’ Google, acting in accordance with superstitions was our ancestors’ way of influencing survival outcomes, many of which were based on ancient religious practices and pagan beliefs. Basically, adherence to superstitions was thought to help you avoid evil spirits.
So, where does that leave us today? Depending on your beliefs, superstitions could be just as real as manifestation, or the act of creating a mindset that can change your destiny. Some superstitions have little to no explanation but are believed to work anyway. That’s the mystery!
Fingers Crossed!
According to Caribbean folklore, if your right palm is itchy, you could be in luck for some unexpected cash! But if your payments are due soon, your left palm might have the unlucky itch of losing money. So, if your left palm is always itchy after a Starbucks run, you now know why.
When it comes to preparing for finals, eating 12 grapes at midnight means good luck for the new year in Spain. Even though it is traditionally done on New Year’s Eve, the twelve lucky grapes, or las doce uvas de la suerte, can be a way to manifest good luck for upcoming exams! But according to Spanish culture, it isn’t as easy as just eating 12 grapes and calling it a night: the grapes must be eaten one at a time, with each of the 12 clock chimes.
While researching this, I was curious about how one could practice this tradition in a dorm room, even though the TCU clock tower doesn’t ring; however, just setting an alarm the midnight before exams and eating them as fast as you can before 12:01 am is still a great way to manifest luck. This tradition is a fun way to manifest before exams!
Bad Vibes
Have you ever chewed gum late at night while studying calculus? Well, in Turkey, they say your gum could actually turn into guts! According to Turkish folklore, if you chew gum at night, your gum may magically transform into dead flesh. To add to the creepiness, the origins of this superstition are unknown; that’s right, the “gory gum” is just a “fun” little tradition they have in Turkey!
Other than the gory gum, another superstition that is considered bad luck is saying “Macbeth” before opening night. If you are a Shakespeare nerd like me, you might have heard of The Tragedy of Macbeth, but you may not have heard that the history behind this superstition is riddled with witchcraft and angered spirits that caused unexpected accidents in the past. According to legend, the original play incorporates actual spells that are believed to anger spirits. Over the years, many production mishaps, injuries, and even deaths have been believed to have been linked to the curse. So, if you want to freak out your fellow theater majors, this is the perfect fun fact!
The power of Manifestation
The truth is…
These superstitions aren’t magic.
They are cultural symbols that provide comfort to those who believe in them. In reality, it’s all about your mindset. Knowing the history behind Macbeth would probably make you nervous on opening nights, and hearing about the gum from a friend may gross you out.
The luckiest thing that you can do for yourself isn’t eating 12 grapes or having itchy palms, but rather studying for your exams, taking breaks, and reminding yourself that finals are just tests at the end of the day. That is the real manifestation.
So, normalize manifesting a witch who practices self-care!
Get that pumpkin spice latte, study with your coven, and, of course, sleep!