#4 Knocking on Wood

Have you ever said something, then immediately “knocked on wood” to make sure you didn’t jinx yourself? It’s not just you. “Knock on wood” is a phrase and an action that is frequently used in America today, and it may be the most popular superstitious ritual. 18,000 respondents to a poll on the crowdsourcing website Ranker.com selected their top superstitions. Knocking on wood was listed as the top practice.

Despite the fact that this is a widely held myth, the original source just required people to touch the wood, not knock on it. Oftentimes, wood from the Cross itself would be claimed by medieval churches to be in their possession. Churchgoers believed that by tapping the wood, they would establish a connection with the divine and be blessed as a result.