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LESSON NOTES Culture Class: American Superstitions and Beliefs #1 Spilling Salt and a Lucky Penny

CONTENTS

2 English 2 Vocabulary 2 Sample Sentences 2 Cultural Insight

# 1

1. Spilling salt

2. Lucky penny

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary English Class

to do something in order to to counteract prevent or reduce the effects verb of another action

commodity a product or raw material noun

an angel who watches over guardian angel a specific person or place noun

facedown with the face or front down adverb

SAMPLE SENTENCES

This antidote should counteract the Water and sunscreen are valuable snake's venom. commodities when you are in the desert.

I thought for sure you'd get caught. You After getting his exam results, the boy lied must have a guardian angel watching facedown on his bed for a while. over you.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

"Spilling salt "

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #1 - S PILLI NG S ALT AND A LUCKY PENNY 2 In the U.S., it's believed that "spilling salt" will bring you bad luck. In order to counteract the bad luck, throw some salt over your left shoulder. Some people believe it's bad luck because Judas is said to have spilled salt at the Last Supper when he betrayed Jesus Christ, or, more likely, because salt was once an expensive commodity.

"Lucky penny"

In the U.S., it's believed that if you find a penny faceup (showing the side with Abraham Lincoln's profile) on the ground, you should pick it up. It's because metal and money are said to bring wealth. Some people say that when you find a penny face up, that means a guardian angel is protecting and watching over you.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #1 - S PILLI NG S ALT AND A LUCKY PENNY 3 LESSON NOTES Culture Class: American Superstitions and Beliefs #2 Stepping on Cracks and a Rabbit's Foot

CONTENTS

2 English 2 Vocabulary 2 Sample Sentences 2 Cultural Insight # 2

1. Stepping on a crack

2. Rabbit's foot

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary English Class

the column of bones down spine the back noun

to occur; to change to come about direction verb

abundance a large amount, wealth noun

hind at the back or behind adjective

SAMPLE SENTENCES

As a doctor, she knows all the bones of The book club came about because we all the spine. love reading.

I have chips in abundance, but no salsa! Be careful around the hind legs of a horse, as they might get scared and kick you.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

"St epping on a crack"

In the U.S., there is a children's rhyme that goes "step on a crack, break your momma's back." There have been many variations of this rhyme, though breaking your mother's back is

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #2 - S TEPPING ON CRACKS AND A RABBIT'S FOOT 2 by far the most common. A 1925 poem even stated that if children stepped on a crack, bears would chase them.

"Rabbit 's foot "

In the U.S., it's believed that the left hind foot of a rabbit brings good luck. In many stores, you can buy a rabbit's foot dyed bright colors and attached to a keychain. It's because rabbits are often associated with abundance due to their breeding habits. This tradition may have come from Celtic traditions, African American folklore, or somewhere else altogether.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #2 - S TEPPING ON CRACKS AND A RABBIT'S FOOT 3 LESSON NOTES Culture Class: American Superstitions and Beliefs #3 Walking Under Ladders and Horseshoes

CONTENTS

2 English 2 Vocabulary 2 Sample Sentences 2 Cultural Insight # 3

1. Walking under a ladder

2. Horseshoe

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary English Class

underneath below preposition

sacrilege, mocking god or blasphemous the divine adjective

a term used by early Christians to describe non- pagan monotheistic people and adjective their ways

to drain to flow out until empty verb

SAMPLE SENTENCES

The chair was underneath a sheet so that The Catholic Church believes swearing is it wouldn't get dirty. blasphemous.

Greek and Roman gods are often called After he unclogged the sink, the water the pagan gods. drained out.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

"Walking under a ladder"

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #3 - WALKING UNDER LADDERS AND HORS ES HOES 2 When you're in the U.S., make sure not to walk underneath a ladder. It'll bring you bad luck. It's probably because walking under a ladder is dangerous. However, some people believe it's because the ladder forms a triangle, a symbol of the Holy Trinity, and walking through it is blasphemous.

"Horseshoe"

In the U.S., it's believed that hanging a horseshoe, especially above a doorway, is good luck. Make sure to hang it so that it makes a "U" shape—otherwise, the luck will drain out. It's because, supposedly, the iron in the horseshoe repels and causes pain to any evil spirits that try to enter the house.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #3 - WALKING UNDER LADDERS AND HORS ES HOES 3 LESSON NOTES Culture Class: American Superstitions and Beliefs #4 Friday the 13th and Knocking on Wood

CONTENTS

2 English 2 Vocabulary 2 Sample Sentences 2 Cultural Insight # 4

1. Friday the 13th

2. Knock on wood

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary English Class

strange, scary, and creepy unnatural adjective

to order to command, to demand verb

to hit something with one's to knock knuckles to make a loud verb sound

a possible winner of an in the running award or contest idiom

SAMPLE SENTENCES

You should try to blink more; people think The king ordered them to stop, but it was you're creepy. too late.

The lights were on, I knocked, but no one His movies got good reviews so I'm sure answered the door. he'll be in the running for an Oscar.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

"Friday t he 13t h"

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #4 - FRI DAY THE 13TH AND KNOCKING ON WOOD 2 In the U.S., it's believed that a Friday that falls on the 13th day of any month is an unlucky day. The origins of this superstition aren't clear. It's possible that since some Christians believe 13 is an unlucky number and Friday an unlucky day, Friday the 13th is especially unlucky.

"Knock on wood"

In the U.S., it's believed that by knocking on wood after talking about the future, you can either prevent that event from taking place or ensure that it will happen. It's probably because in many cultures, it's believed spirits live in trees. Knocking on wood is a way to avoid tempting fate—You knock on wood to remind yourself that the future is still uncertain.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #4 - FRI DAY THE 13TH AND KNOCKING ON WOOD 3 LESSON NOTES Culture Class: American Superstitions and Beliefs #5 Opening an Umbrella Inside and Four-Leaf Clovers

CONTENTS

2 English 2 Vocabulary 2 Sample Sentences 2 Cultural Insight # 5

1. Opening an umbrella inside

2. Four-leaf clovers

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary English Class

a system of dealing with pragmatism things in the most sensible noun and realistic way

unwieldy difficult to carry and handle adjective

a person who moves to immigrant another country noun

the probability something chances will happen noun

SAMPLE SENTENCES

Pragmatism can be useful, but it can also The box was so large and unwieldy, I be unimaginative. ended up dragging it the rest of the way home.

Chinese immigrants to the United States I can't believe we ran into each other here! often settle on the West Coast. What are the chances?

CULTURAL INSIGHT

"Opening an umbrella inside"

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #5 - OPENING AN UMBRELLA I NSI DE AND FOUR-LEAF 2 CLOVERS In the U.S., it's believed that opening an umbrella indoors will bring bad luck. Bringing an already opened umbrella inside, however, is totally fine. It's most likely because of pure pragmatism. Umbrellas used to be larger and more unwieldy, so opening them inside could cause accidents or break things inside the house.

"Four-leaf clovers"

In the U.S., it's believed that four-leaf clovers will bring luck. The more leaves, the better! This superstition has its origins in pre-Christian Ireland, where the Druids believed that three-leaf and four-leaf clovers helped them see evil spirits approaching.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM CULTURE CLAS S : AMERI CAN S UPERS TI TI ONS AND BELI EFS #5 - OPENING AN UMBRELLA I NSI DE AND FOUR-LEAF 3 CLOVERS