A
ctually I think I got it for free in the giveaway bin outside of McKay's (a store where you can turn in your old CDs, Books, Video Games & DVDs for $$$ or store credit). It's called "Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things" by Charles Panati.
I intended to use it for a weekly post "jump off" point, kind of like CardioGirl's Question of the Week. (I keep stealing crap from her blog. She should take it as a compliment.☺)So here's the first installment of Did you know?
The origin of the "Knock Wood for good luck" superstition began in 2000 B.C. in North America by the American Indians.
The Native Americans believed that boasting of a future event (like winning a battle or a great harvest, for example) basically insured that it wouldn't happen. In order to negate the "bad juju", they touched the bark of an Oak Tree.
The Oak Tree was chosen because, apparently, the oak tree was most often the tree struck by lightning and they assumed that the Sky God lived there so they appeased him for bragging by knocking on -
...This is how you can tell that I live with a 14 year old. I was about to say "by knocking on his wood" but I could hear Evan in my head saying "Heh heh, you said 'his wood'"
*rolling eyes*
Whatever, now you know where the superstition came from.
You're welcome.
☺
That's a very specific date ......
ReplyDeleteI try to be specific when sharing useless knowledge. :-)
ReplyDeleteI do! I do take it as a compliment! Thanks Angelika!
ReplyDeleteI did not know where that came from but once in a while I'll hear someone say, "Touch wood." I always assumed that they were messing up the phrase "Knock on wood," but I see that's not the case.
Thanks for the knowledge and I like this idea of a DYK weekly feature. I have that jingle from NBC in my head, "The More You Know." Remember those, a shooting star crossed over the words, "The More You Know"?
CG - Yes, I remember that old NBC jingle. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I forgot last Friday, LOL. I was doing the school shopping.
School starts tomorrow! Whooooooooo hoooooooooo!