ORthey come back every now and then. Tomorrow is friday 17 and for all the superstitious will have a very bad day spent touching wood and lucky charm croissants.
Friday 17th is Anti Superstition Day
These popular beliefs of the past which obviously have no scientific basis, are still very rooted in society and fighting them is a bit the goal of CICAPthe Italian Committee for the control of claims on pseudo-sciences, which has been organizing the “Anti-Superstition Day”.
Believing strongly in bad luck affects life
The appointment aims to communicate to the general public in an ironic and de-dramatizing way what for experts is a fact: «Being superstitious is bad luck».
Tomorrow is Friday the 17th and for all the superstitious it will be a bad day spent knocking wood and lucky croissants (Getty)
Phrase that the national secretary of CICAP jokes Massimo Polidoro, professor of Psychology of the unusual at the University of Milan-Bicocca, but which poses a more serious question.
“When a person believes than an object, a phrase or an action are capable of bringing bad luck, it does nothing but condition itself. And considering himself unlucky, he unknowingly modifies his behavior ending up causing those unfortunate events that scare him».
First Friday 17 of 2023
Because of this first Friday 17 March 2023 And first Anti-Superstition Day of the yearthe Cicap will enter the universities to ridicule the related superstitions to graduation, university enrollment or academic life.
To break the Superstition
To access appointments, for example, it is often necessary to complete a real “Obstacle course for the superstitious”. Like going under an open stairway, breaking a mirror, break the classic chain letter and so on.
In some cases the participants must perform a total of 13 gestures and actions considered highly dangerous by the superstitious and will be able to receive an Anti-Superstitious diploma.
Italy country of superstitious
Do you find that they can make you smile, but that try to be a cheerful way to reveal the absurdity of certain rituals which, if taken too seriously, end up negatively affecting people’s lives.
From the latest surveys of Eurobarometerthe survey and analysis service of the European Commission, dedicated to science and research, a figure emerges that says a lot about the habits and beliefs of the average Italian.
In our country 58 out of 100 people admit to being attracted to ‘irrational ideas and superstitions’, compared to 40 per 100 of the European average. We’re not the most superstitious country in Europe, but we’re still a nice third place, behind Latvia (60%) it’s at one step away from the Czech Republic (59%).
The CICAP against irrationality
For this reason, CICAP has been involved since 1989 to fight irrationality, superstition and prejudice with the weapons of science and reason.
Normally the Committee does this through books, articles, radio and television interventions, experiments, surveys, conferences, conventions, courses and workshops but, sometimes, even with unusual and fun experiences like the Anti-Superstition Day.
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