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A broken mirror brings seven years of bad luck. While some people believe in this saying, others consider it pure superstition. Read this article to find out where the saying comes from and what lies behind it.
Broken mirrors bring bad luck: The story behind it
While some broken pieces bring good luck, a broken mirror means bad luck—seven years of it. We did some research and found two different approaches that explain the origin of this saying.
- The mirror contains the soul of the person looking into it: This version is considered the most widespread approach. A mirror shows the exact image of the person looking into it. In earlier times, many people found this detailed copy of themselves eerie. It was believed that a person’s soul resided in their reflection.
- If the mirror broke, the soul was also destroyed. Superstition held that the soul needed seven years to heal and would therefore bring seven years of bad luck upon the person.
- A slightly modified version of this was the belief that the mirror must be a kind of doppelganger or twin.
- Mercury in the mirror: An alternative explanation would be that in earlier times, mercury was used to make the mirror surface. If the mirror broke, the toxic substance was released and could have health consequences.
- This connection was not known at the time, so it was assumed that breaking a mirror brought a kind of curse upon the person.
- Conclusion: Today, the physical functioning of a mirror can be explained scientifically, and mercury is no longer used in its manufacture. So if you break a mirror, you should carefully sweep up the shards and dispose of them.
Superstition: Things that bring bad luck
According to superstition, mirrors are not the only things that can bring bad luck. We have done some research and found other objects and events:
- Black cats: According to superstition, if you encounter a black cat crossing the street from left to right, you should be cautious.
- Walking under a ladder: It can also bring bad luck to walk under an upright ladder.
The origin of this superstition is unclear.
- Friday the 13th: If the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday, the likelihood of something negative happening to you on that day is supposedly particularly high.
- By the way: Superstitions don’t just bring bad luck to individuals. There are also objects or events that bring good luck. These include, for example, a four-leaf clover, a ladybug, a horseshoe, or the shards of a plate or cup.
