XII научно-практическая конференция Старт в инновации

АВТОНОМНОЕ ОБЩЕОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ

МУНИЦИПАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

ГОРОДА ДОЛГОПРУДНОГО

ЛИЦЕЙ №11 «ФИЗТЕХ»

XII научно-практическая конференция

Старт в инновации

Superstitions.

Автор работы

, 10 класс

Научный руководитель

2013 г.

I. Introduction.	3
II. Theoretical part.	4
1. The most popular superstitions.	4
2. Halloween.	7
3. Food Superstitions and Table Superstition.	8
4. Wedding Superstitions.	8
5. Sport Superstitions.	9
6. Theatre superstitions.	11
7. Church and superstitions.	14
III. Practical part.	16
1. Comparison between British and Russian superstitions.	16
2. The survey.	17
IV. Conclusion.	22
LITERATURE	23

Contents.

I.  Introduction

What is that – a superstition? Some think that a superstition is anything that people believe that is based on myth, magic, or irrational thoughts. They are beliefs that are steeped in lore or tradition, and it is usually difficult to pinpoint the exact origin. The superstitions are also known as old wives’ tales, legends, and traditions. They may involve animals, graveyards, ghosts, inanimate objects, or even other people. Superstition is also believed to be a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason, knowledge or experience. The word is often used negatively to refer to folk beliefs which are deemed to be irrational.

The word «superstition» is first used in English in the 15th century, modeled after an earlier French «superstition». The earliest known use as an English noun occurs in Friar Daw's Reply (ca. 1420), where the four general sins are enumerated as Seditions, superstitions, be gluttons and proud. The French word, together with its Romance cognates (Italian «superstizione», Spanish «supersticion», Portuguese «superstição», Catalan «superstició») continues Latin superstitio. From its first use in the Classical Latin of Livy and Ovid (1st century BC), the term is used in the pejorative sense it still holds today, of an excessive fear of the gods or unreasonable religious belief, as opposed to religion, the proper, reasonable awe of the goods.

II.  Theoretical part.

1.  The most popular superstitions.

The most famous superstition in both Russia and Britain is the superstition connected with a black cat. Lucky to meet a black cat. Black cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England. A black cat crossing the road means bad luck in Russia and almost all countries except the British Isles. Some people dislike black cats. If a black cat does cross the road you should turn around or cross your fingers and touch your button. It was believed that witches used black cats as to spy upon people and do their bidding. In some areas, people actually believed that a witch could turn herself into a black cat. This all started in the 17th century and unfortunately, many poor cats were burned because of this erroneous belief. But not always a black cat symbolizes bad luck. That’s why in Russia nobody wants to meet a black cat, crossing his way. If you see a cat washing its face you are going to have a visitor or if you want to guard your house from theft you must have a black cat and it will save it. In Russia if you are presented with a cat, you should give some money for it. That’s why if you own a black cat, touch one, are greeted at the door by one, or if a black cat enters your home... then they all bring good luck to you.

There is a funny superstition about White Rabbits. They are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the Rabbit itself. During Easter the Easter Bunny often comes to give out chocolate and small Easter eggs.

There’s a superstition: It’s possible to see one’s own future in the tea leaves. When you make tea with tea leaves, like in “the old days”, you turn the tea cup upside down after having finished drinking it. Then wait until the water disappeared, look at the shape of the tea leaves. The first thing you see in the cup is a prediction of what will happen to you. To see a man means to have a visitor, to see a heart – future happiness. See two hearts – marriage, dots indicate money. If two women pour tea from the same tea cup, one of them will become pregnant within a year. When preparing a nice cup of tea, you shall never put milk in the tea before sugar because to put the boiling water into a teapot before tea will bring bad fortune. In Russia the most common tradition is to use coffee instead of tea to know what will happen. When the cup of coffee is empty you need to turn it upside down and you will see different pictures and figures which will tell you about your destiny.

It is unlucky to open an umbrella indoors. Opening an umbrella indoors is said to result in 21 days of bad luck. Some traditions hold that it is only bad luck if the umbrella is placed over the head of someone while indoors. The Russian superstition says that if you open an umbrella in the living room or bedroom it will be the reason of tears and crying.

In the old days umbrellas were used just as a sunshade, but today they’re used when it rains. Because of the connection with the sun, and because the umbrella has the circular shape of the sun it became very important not to open the umbrella in a dark area, as for example inside the house. Also it’s a bad luck to give an umbrella as a gift or put it on the table or on the bed as well as dropping it on the floor.

Breaking a mirror gives 7 years of bad luck according to the Russian and British beliefs. The reason behind this belief is probably the old idea that a person’s soul is in their reflection, so if you broke a mirror your soul will be damaged too. But there are some ways of making up for this bad luck. If you pick up all the pieces of the broken mirror and throw them away into a river, then the misfortune will be “washed away”. It’s bad luck for two girls to look in one mirror, they will fall in love with one man and suffer.

The number thirteen is considered to be unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day. Friday is considered to be an unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. In England there is no more ominous day, than Friday 13th. In the morning many people wake up with an unpleasant presentiment and the whole «black Friday» they are afraid of the broken mirror, spilt salt and oil. The feeling of horror which possesses the citizens of Britain is explainable. For example, some people lock their homes, switch off the phones and do not open the door, waiting for this day to pass.

People of the 21st century try to find any explanations for mystical things, whether your computer, printer or car is broken. Those who fear the number influence are suffering from “triskaidekaphobia”. Some people claim that the number is bad luck because 13 people sat down for the Last Supper before Jesus was crucified, and with this in mind few hosts will serve dinner with thirteen at the table. There are also other interpreters who confirm that exactly on Friday Eve and Adam tasted the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, on the same day Cain killed Abel. Friday the 13th of any month is very ill-omened, and Friday the 13th of March is the worst of them all. Number 13 is the favourite number of Satanists. Friday the 13th, according to ancient beliefs, is connected with awakening of dark forces. 13 is called “a baker’s dozen” and people try to avoid it. So, buildings have no 13th floors, airlines — flights with № 13. In planes and cinemas there are no seats with number 13. People do not do anything important on Friday: do not sail ships, do not sign contracts. In the end of the 18th century this superstition was so strongly extended, that the English government decided to prove the absurdity of this sign. They constructed the ship, named it "Friday" and sailed on Friday. But such is the irony of fate: the vessel together with the crew was missing. Surgeons are afraid of this day too. Some of them cancel the operations on this day. British doctors are assured that the risk of failure on Friday, 13th, increases twice. As for Russia, there they have one more day that means bad luck. It’s Monday. You cannot borrow money on Monday otherwise you won’t have it back. On Friday pregnant women can’t brush their hair.

The number seven also has some superstition connected to it. It took God seven days to create the world, and any association with the number is lucky.

It is lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves in Britain and a five-leaf lilac flower in Russia. Legends claim that the four-leaf clover was the only thing Eve was able to bring with her when she was expelled from paradise. Cattle are thought to graze best and grow fattest when feeding in a field of clover. And if you find a lilac with five leaves you should make a wish, eat it and the wish will come true.

The horseshoe is possibly the most common good-luck symbol in use today. Some people put them on or above their front door. Horseshoes were made of iron and iron was supposed to give protection against witches, fairies and devils. There are two explanations to it. The first one says that the devil is doomed to rush about from one end to another. The second legend says that once a blacksmith decided to punish a devil and banned him from entering the house with a horseshoe. But the horseshoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horseshoe if it is upside down.

You should never walk under ladders, and never pass people when going up or down stairs. In Russia there is another interpretation of this superstition. You must not walk through two electric poles which form the Russian letter “Л” People seemed to believe that to climb a ladder or to walk up the stairs means luck because this is the way up to God. Going under a ladder might mean the opposite. If you do have to go under a ladder you can keep your fingers crossed to avoid bad luck.

It’s a bad luck to place your shoes on the table or on the bed. There is a strange tradition of throwing an old shoe after a person when they left their home. This is the way of wishing them good luck. But Russian say that it is bad luck to sit on the table because you will die soon.

Many believe that if all of the candles on a birthday cake are blown out with one breath, while making a silent wish, the wish will come true.

Spilling salt is said to cause a fight or argument during the day. Often people will throw salt over their shoulder after they spill it, in order to blind the devil, who sits at your left shoulder. These superstitions are the same as in Russia.

When you speak of bad luck, it is said that one should always knock on wood. Also knocking when speaking of good luck apparently helps with having good luck. This is an old Celtic tradition related to the belief of wood *****ssian people also knock at their forehead and spit over the shoulder three times.

Before travelling a person should, apparently, sit on their luggage.

When two people break a wishbone, it is said to lead to good luck for the person with the larger piece.

2. Halloween.

In Britain, one of the best known days of the year is the 31st of October. The day of Halloween, a feast for the dead. People used to believe that it was necessary to fight against the forces of cold and death in order to survive the tough winter months ahead.

Nuts were used to predict who you were going to marry. You had to put nuts into the fire side by side, then give them names. It was a good sign if they glowed and burnt together. Apples were used to foresee luck and fortune. One would bow one’s head into a bucket with water and some apples, and try to catch an apple, the bigger apple would bring you greater fortune.

Do not to go hunting on Halloween night as you may injure a wandering spirit.
Don't look at your shadow in the moonlight or you will be the next to haunt a graveyard.

If you hear footsteps behind you on this night, don't look back. It may be the dead following you. Turning back could mean that you will soon join the dead.
It is best not to sit under a Hawthorn tree on All Hallows Eve. If you do, you might become enchanted and carried away by the fairies.

Want to meet a witch? Put your clothes on inside out and go for a walk backwards.

When you begin a journey on Halloween, be sure to finish it before sunset or you may not reach your destination. If you can not complete your journey, then be sure to carry a piece of bread sprinkled with salt in your pocket to ensure that witches will stay away.

If you are out walking late at night on Halloween and you should hear footsteps behind you, it is said that you should not look back for it may be the dead following you. If you do look behind you and see the undead, you will die within the year.

Be sure to sprinkle salt and oatmeal on your child's head on Halloween night to keep them from being possessed.

In Russia this festival is not so common as in Britain. But there is another one which is the most popular – The Old New Year. Girls and boys usually put on their fancy dresses and go from house to house with boiled rice with raisin and honey.

At midnight girls like to tell fortunes and to find out if they are going to get married this year or not.

3. Food Superstitions and Table Superstitions.

When you've finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out. In Russia there is a tradition to paint eggs. People believe that Easter eggs have wonderful properties and can never be spoiled. The Easter egg thrown in a burning building, stops a fire.

In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house!

If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if you drop a fork a female visitor. In Russia people believe that if you leave a spoon on the table you will have a visitor. Crossed cutlery on your plate leads to a quarrel. Leave a white tablecloth on a table overnight and expect death.

4. Wedding Superstitions.

The bride and the groom must not meet on the day of the wedding except at the altar.

The bride should never wear her complete wedding clothes before the day.

For good luck the bride should wear “something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new”.

The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold of their home.

The man must also remember never to give a pair of shoes to his beloved or girlfriend, because this symbolizes that she might walk away from him some day.

Once a wedding ring has been placed on the finger, it is considered bad luck to remove *****ssian people believe that it’s bad luck to lose your wedding ring or to give it to somebody.

If there are a lot of people at the wedding party it means that the couple will live a long happy life.

Who is the first to come into the house that person will be the head in the family.

5. Sport Superstitions.

People can be also superstitious at work, at study or while they are playing some kind of sports. For example, If you are doing a job in public view, it is thought that the evil eye is upon you. It will be counteracted by the passer-by saying 'God bless the work'. Or if you are going to pass the exam, it would be nice to hear «Break your leg! » (In Russia «Ни пуха, ни пера! »).

Sportsmen are quite superstitious. These are beliefs for some kinds of sports:

Baseball

Spitting into your hand before picking up the bat is said to bring good luck. A wad of gum stuck on a player's hat brings good luck. It is bad luck if a dog walks across the diamond before the first pitch. Some players believe it is good luck to step on one of the bases before running off the field at the end of an inning. It is bad luck to touch the baselines while running off and onto the field between innings. Lending a bat to a fellow player is a serious jinx. Some players actually sleep with their bat to break out of a hitting slump or stay in a groove. If a pitcher is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter, never speak of it while it's going on.

Basketball

The last person to shoot a basket during the warm-up will have a good game. Wipe the soles of your sneakers for good luck. Bounce the ball before taking a foul shot for good luck.

Bowling

To continue a winning streak, wear the same clothes. The number 300, a perfect score, on your license plate will increase your score. Carry charms on your bowling bag, in your pockets, or around your neck for good luck.

Fishing

Fish may not bite if a barefoot woman passes you on the way to the dock. Spit on your bait before casting your rod to make fish bite. Throw back your first catch for good luck. It is bad luck to change rods while fishing. Don't tell anyone how many fish you've caught until you're done or you won't catch another.

Football

Double numbers on a player's uniform brings good luck. It's bad luck for a professional football player to take a new number when he is traded to another team. A mascot is an important good luck symbol.

Golf

Start only with odd-numbered clubs. Balls with a number higher than 4 are bad luck. Carry coins in your pockets for good luck.

Ice Hockey

It is bad luck for hockey sticks to lie crossed. It is bad luck to say “shutout” in the locker room before a game. Players believe they'll win the game if they tap the goalie on his shin pads before a game. Many players must put their pads and skates on in exactly the same order every day.

Rodeo

Always put the right foot in the stirrup first. Avoid wearing the color yellow. Always shave before a competition (for men only!)

Tennis

It's bad luck to hold more than two balls at a time when serving. Avoid wearing the color yellow. Walk around the outside of the court when switching sides for good luck. Avoid stepping on the court lines.

As you see, the most superstitious are baseball players. Baseball is a sport with a long history of superstition. From the very famous Curse of the Bambino to some players' refusal to wash their clothes or bodies after a win, superstition is present in all parts of baseball. Many baseball players—batters, pitchers, and fielders alike— perform elaborate, repetitive routines prior to pitches and at bats due to superstition. The desire to keep a number they have been successful with is strong in baseball. In fact anything that happens prior to something good or bad in baseball can give birth to a new superstition. Some players rely on a level of meta-superstition: by believing in superstitions they can focus their mind to perform better. Many players and fans also believe that superstitions propagate their own fulfillment by influencing players and fans.

The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition evolving from the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004. While some fans took the curse seriously, most used the expression in a tongue-in-cheek manner.[1]

The curse was said to have begun after the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth, sometimes called The Bambino, to the New York Yankees in the off-season of .[2] Before that point, the Red Sox had been one of the most successful professional baseball franchises, winning the first World Series and amassing five World Series titles.[3] After the sale they went without a title for decades, as the previously lackluster Yankees became one of the most successful franchises in North American professional sports.[4] The curse became a focal point of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry over the years.

Red Sox fans attempted various methods over the years to exorcise their famous curse. These included placing a Boston cap atop Mt. Everest and burning a Yankees cap at its base camp; hiring professional exorcists and Father Guido Sarducci to "purify" Fenway Park; spray painting a "Reverse Curve" street sign on Storrow Drive to change it to say "Reverse the Curse" (the sign wasn't replaced until just after the 2004 World Series win); and finding a piano owned by Ruth that he had supposedly pushed into a pond near his Sudbury, Massachusetts farm, Home Plate Farm.

In Ken Burns' 1994 documentary Baseball, former Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee suggested that the Red Sox should exhume the body of Babe Ruth, transport it back to Fenway and publicly apologize for trading Ruth to the Yankees.

Some declared the curse broken during a game on August 31, 2004, when a foul ball hit by Manny Ramírez flew into Section 9, Box 95, Row AA and struck a boy's face, knocking two of his teeth out.[39]Sixteen-year-old Lee Gavin, a Boston fan whose favorite player was Ramirez, lived on the Sudbury farm owned by Ruth. That same day, the Yankees suffered their worst loss in team history, a 22-0 clobbering at home against the Cleveland Indians.

6.  Theatre superstitions.

Have you ever heard about theatre superstitions?

Theater Folk are a superstitious lot, and considering the amount of things that can (and do) go wrong in a performance, it’s not surprising that folklore has popped up giving an explanation to these occurrences. These myths go above and beyond walking under ladders and opening umbrellas inside (although those are adhered to as well!); these are specifically for those working in the arts. In this list I delve into the world of theater superstitions and try to provide the reasons for their existence.

Saying the word ‘Macbeth’ in a theater will result in extreme bad luck.

Shakespeare's play Macbeth is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its name (the euphemism "The Scottish Play" is used instead). Actors also avoid even quoting the lines from Macbeth before a performance, particularly the Witches' incantations. Outside of a theatre and after a performance the play can be spoken of openly. If an actor speaks the name "Macbeth" in a theatre prior to a performance, he or she is required to leave the theatre building, spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock to be allowed back in.[1] There are several possible origins for this superstition. One is the assumption that the song of the Weird Sisters is an actual spell that will bring about evil spirits. Another is that there is more swordplay in it than most other Shakespeare plays, and the more swordplay must be rehearsed and performed, the more chances there are for someone to get injured. Yet another idea is that the play is often run by theatres that are in debt and looking to increase patronage. Another superstition is the belief that the Globe Theatre was burned down during a performance of Macbeth, but it is revealed that this was actually during a performance of Henry VIII.

There is also a legend that the play itself was cursed because the first time it was ever performed, the actor playing Macbeth died shortly before or after the production (accounts vary).[citation needed] Another version of this legend claims that it was the actor who played Lady Macbeth who died during the play's first production run and that Shakespeare himself had to assume the role. There is no evidence that either version of this legend is factual.[2]

Another legend claims that the original production of the play used actual witches and witchcraft, and so the play is cursed

·  Superstition: To wish someone ‘Good luck’ before a show is bad luck.

Generally, it is considered bad luck to wish someone good luck in a theater, the expression “Break a Leg” replaces the phrase “Good luck”. There are many theories of the origin of this superstition of wishing luck to the actors, but here are a few:

- After a good performance during Elizabethan England, actors were thrown money on the stage and they would kneel down to collect the money thus ‘breaking’ the line of the leg.

- Similarly, for the curtain call, when actors bow or curtsy, they place one foot behind the other and bend at the knee, thus ‘breaking’ the line of the leg.

- If the audience demands numerable curtain calls and the actors are moving on and off stage via the wings they may ‘break the legs’, ‘legs’ being a common name for side curtains/masks.

·  It is considered bad luck to whistle on or off stage, as someone (not always the whistler) will be fired.

The reason for this superstition was that before the invention of walkie-talkies or comms, the cues for the theater technicians were coded whistles given by the stage manager. If one was whistling backstage it could call a cue before its due, which could have disastrous outcomes resulting in someone losing their job whether it be the whistler, the stage manager or the technician.

·  There should always be a light burning in an empty theater to ward off ghosts.

Conventionally, the light is placed downstage center, illuminating the space when it is not in use, to keep ghosts with enough light so that they can see, which keeps them at bay. This is another superstition with a practical value: The backstage area of a theater tends to be cluttered with props, set pieces and costumes, so someone who enters a completely darkened space is prone to being injured while hunting for a light switch. It prevents those still living from having to cross the stage in the dark, injuring themselves and leading to new ghosts for the theater. It’s also known as the “Equity Light” or “Equity Lamp”.

·  Ghosts haunt theaters and should be given one night a week alone on the stage.

Depending on your theater the stories will change, but there is one specific ghost, Thespis, who has a reputation for causing unexplained mischief. Thespis, of Athens (6th BC) was the first person to speak lines as an individual actor on stage, thus the term “Thespian” to refer to a theatrical performer was born. To keep the ghosts of the theater subdued, there should be at least one night a week where the theater is empty, this night is traditionally a Monday night, conveniently giving actors a day off after weekend performances.

·  It is bad luck to have mirrors on stage. 

The myth is that many believe that mirrors are a reflection of the soul and breaking one can mean seven years bad luck, not only for the breaker but for the theater itself. However, having a mirror on stage can cause technical issues, such as reflecting light into the audience or into places never intended to be lit. It can also be a source of distraction for vain actors. The mirror superstition has since been challenged with the successful musical Chorus Line, and its famous mirror scene.

·  It’s considered good luck traditionally to give the director and/or the leading lady, after closing night, a bouquet of flowers stolen from a graveyard (never give flowers before a performance – They are yet to earn them so it’s bad luck!)

Graveyard flowers are given on closing night to symbolize the death of the show, and that it can now be put to rest. The rational origin is that theater was, as most people who have worked in the industry will tell you, never a greatly profitable profession and despite being macabre, graves were a great source of free flowers.

·  Peacock Feathers should never be brought on stage, either as a costume element, prop or part of a set as chaos will ensue.

Many veteran thespians tell stories of sets collapsing, curtains catching alight and other disastrous events during performances with peacock feathers. The feather is said to represent a malevolent ‘evil eye’, that bestows a curse on the show. The association between peacock feathers and the evil eye is best illustrated by the Greek myth of Argus, the monster whose body was covered with a hundred eyes, these eyes were transferred to the tail of the Peacock.

7. Church and superstitions

In keeping with the Latin etymology of the word, religious believers have often seen other religions as superstition. Likewise, atheists and agnostics may regard religious belief as superstition.

Religious practices are most likely to be labeled "superstitious" by outsiders when they include belief in extraordinary events (miracles), an afterlife, supernatural interventions, apparitions or the efficacy of prayer, charms, incantations, the meaningfulness of omens, and prognostications.

Greek and Roman pagans, who modeled their relations with the gods on political and social terms, scorned the man who constantly trembled with fear at the thought of the gods, as a slave feared a cruel and capricious master. "Such fear of the gods ("deisidaimonia") was what the Romans meant by 'superstition'. For Christians just such fears might be worn proudly as a name: Desdemona.

The Roman Catholic Church considers superstition to be sinful in the sense that it denotes a lack of trust in the divine providence of God and, as such, is a violation of the first of the Ten Commandments. The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" states superstition "in some sense represents a perverse excess of religion" The "Catechism" clearly dispels commonly held preconceptions or misunderstandings about Catholic doctrine relating to superstitious practices:

Superstition is a deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e. g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand is to fall into superstition.

Some superstitions originated as religious practices that continued to be observed by people who no longer adhere to the religion that gave birth to the practice. Often the practices lost their original meaning in this process. In other cases, the practices are adapted to the current religion of the person. As an example, during the Christianizing of Europe, pagan symbols to ward off evil were replaced with the Christian cross.

III. Practical part.

1.  Comparison between British and Russian superstitions.

Similarities///

The subject of superstition	Russia	England
A broken mirror	Bad luck	Bad luck
Friday, 13	Unlucky day	Black unlucky day
Number “7”	Lucky number	Lucky number
A horseshoe	Good luck	Good luck
Spilling salt	Quarrel	Quarrel
To break a chicken bone	To share happiness with a partner	To share happiness with a partner
A dog rolling on the floor	Rain	Rain
Sitting down before going anywhere	Lucky journey	Lucky journey
A sparrow flies into the room	Death	Death
A dog’s barking	death	Death
To meet a crow	Bad luck	Bad luck
To have peacocks’ feathers	death	death
A ladybird	Good luck	Good luck
To go under the ladder	Bad luck	Bad luck
To spit over the shoulder three times	Against evil eye	Against evil eye

Differences///

Superstition	Russia	England
A black cat	Bad luck	Good luck
To open an umbrella indoors	Tears	21 days of bad luck
Monday	A bad day	-
A five-leaf flower of lilac	Good luck	-
Shoes on the table	-	Bad luck
To sit on the table	Bad luck	-
To knock on the wood 3 times		Against evil eye
A cat is sharpening its claws on a table leg	Bad weather	Fine weather
A child rides on a bear’s back	-	Good health
To see a spider in the house	To get a letter	To have new clothes
Uttering the word "Macbeth" in a theatre	-	Bad performance
To drop the scenario on the floor	Bad performance	-

2.  The survey.

We often remember and hear superstitions from people in various situations, regardless of the fact whether we believe in them or not. It is known that Russians are very superstitious and attentive to various signs.

We decided to check this opinion and conducted a survey among the students and teachers of our school, as well as our parents. The survey consisted of five questions: "How old are you?", "Do you believe in superstitions?", "In which particular superstitions do you believe?", "Do you do anything to avoid harm from bad luck?" and "Do you have any talismans?". According to the responses to the first two questions, we compiled a graph that shows how superstitious people are, depending on their age:

Looking at the graph, we can conclude that the most superstitious people are adults (70 percent of respondents said that they believe in all superstitions or some of them), and the least superstitious are teenagers.

We compared our results with the results of a similar survey conducted in the UK (age of respondents - over 13):

It is obvious that in the UK a totally different situation has formed - teenagers are more superstitious than adults.

Interestingly, according to the survey in the UK, women are more superstitious than men by 13%, and depending on the kind of activity the most superstitious are health workers, students and people of creative professions.

We decided to find out in which superstitions exactly students and teachers of the Lyceum and our relatives believe. It turned out that the most popular one is the superstition that if a black cat crosses the road, it will bring misfortune - 30.5% of the respondents voted for it. The rest of the signs have no more than 5 votes, and some respondents did not answer at all - they totaled 69.5%. Also popular among younger students is a superstition, that is you want to get five, you need to put a nickel under a heel. There were unusual superstitions, such as one of the young children wrote that if the animals and birds are silent, then we are not alone. And someone of the older guys said that to beat the director is a bad luck superstition.

According to the survey the majority of people believe in bad superstitions. And do they do something to protect themselves? Do they believe that it will protect them? Do they have mascots? The answers to these questions can be obtained by looking at the resulting graphs:

It turns out that despite the fact that most of the respondents do not do anything to protect themselves from harm from bad luck, more than half of them have mascots. Probably because the talismans for these people are the things which remind them some pleasant moments in their life, or the person who presented them. Also some small items can serve as talismans. Psychologists argue that holding such items in hands can be overcome with excitement and nervousness, although these items do not have any magical properties.

So we studied in detail the extent to which people in Russia are superstitious on the example of our school pupils, teachers and parents, reviewed the results of the survey conducted in the UK, found that there are more young superstitious people, than in Russia, but have not found out who is more superstitious - the Russians or the British. The last graph gives the answer to this question:

Thus, we have found out that the view that Russian people are very superstitious and attentive to the different signs is right, and proved it in the practical part of our work.

IV. Conclusion.

In our work we’ve examined lots of superstitions, made a research to find the most interesting ones. After we  had compared them, it became clear, that

1)      While some superstitions have the same meanings in Britain and in Russia, some are extremely different( the proportion is 60%/40%)

2) The most superstitious people in Russia are adults (70 percent of respondents said that they believe in all superstitions or some of them), and the least superstitious are teenagers.

3) In the UK a totally different situation has formed - teenagers are more superstitious than adults.

4) The most popular superstition is about a black cat crossing the road,  - 30.5% of the respondents voted for it.

5) Despite the fact that most respondents do not do anything to protect themselves from harm from bad luck, more than half of them have mascots.

6)     The Russians are more superstitious, than the British are.

Literature.

1.  www. *****/index. - The Superstitions in Britain

2.  www. ***** superstitions-in-britain/ - Superstition in Britain.

3.  fuv. hivolda. no/prosjekt/***** - Superstition in Britain.

4.  www. *****/638.shtml - Черный кот. Народные приметы.

5.  www. *****/eng/The superstitionBritain. html – English Topics. The Superstitions in Britain.

6.  www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/customs - British Superstitions.

7.  http:// www. en. *****/dic. nsf/enwiki/ - Энциклопедический словарь.

8.  http:// www. *****/Literature/pyatnica13.html

9.  http://www. /halloween-superstitions - Halloween Superstitions.

10.  http://*****/?issue_id=119&id=145 – Английские праздники.

11.  В. Мезенцев – О суевериях всерьез. – 1989.

12.  – Черный кот с пустым ведром. Народные приметы и суеверия. -2006.