Why you can't walk under the stairs: the essence of an ancient superstition

Fans of superstition have in their arsenal signs for all occasions. You can't sit on the corner of the table if you want to get married. For example, you should not go forward after a black cat has run across the road in order not to attract bad luck. You should not sweep away crumbs from the table as it leads to poverty.

However, in addition to well-known superstitions, there are those whose origin and meaning are puzzling. For example, people say that one should not walk under the stairs. The essence of the sign was analyzed by the publication How Stuff Works.

In the cities it is easy to see stairs on the way: there is construction going on, and damaged buildings after Russian shelling are being repaired. Superstitious people bypass stairs. And there are several reasons.

First, let's deal with the practical reasons. Most people do not want to walk under ladders, because it's just dangerous. If the step-ladder is up, most likely someone is standing on it and working.

Another explanation is associated with Christianity. Although the church has a negative attitude to superstitions, the greatest number of signs connected with religious motives.

One explanation concerning the ladder and failure is rooted in religion. Many believers honor the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This belief at the dawn of Christianity made them sacred, along with the triangle. A ladder leaning against a wall forms the shape of a triangle, and walking up it would be considered a "violation" of the Trinity. In medieval times, this offense was considered blasphemy.

Others see the stepladder at the wall as resembling a gallows. Ladders used to be propped up, forcing the person going to the scaffold to climb high enough to reach the rope.

Another theory has to do with the belief of the Egyptians. According to this version, if you walk under a ladder, you can accidentally see "God" going up or down.

Also OBOZREVATEL told why the old superstition about the ban on laundry on Monday promises a lot of trouble.

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