Folklore & Superstition
Folklore and Superstition covers the topics of good luck, bad luck and uncommon wisdom. Discover more about topics like conspiracy theories, urban legends or voodoo.
Inside LA's Forest Lawn, Where the Biggest Celebrities Rest in Peace
Is Human Composting the Greenest Burial Option?
What's With Germany's Strict Burial Regulations?
Try a Tattoo Without the Commitment
Ways to Keep Your Old Tattoos Looking Fresh and New
The Nose Knows: 5 Questions to Ask Before a Septum Piercing
What Are the 10 Largest Cities in the World by Population?
Sacred Pipes Mean Way More Than Peace for Native Americans
Chautauqua Has Promoted Free Speech and Learning for Nearly 150 Years
Januarius, Februarius, Mars, Aprilis? How Each Month Got Its Name
New Oxford Dictionary Will Document African American English Lexicon
How Are Words Removed From a Dictionary?
Celebratory Yard Signs Are Having a Major Moment
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia! You Know the Jingle, Now Hear the Chia Pet Story
Has Guinness World Records Set Any World Records?
5 Family Traditions for New Babies
5 Family Anniversary Traditions
5 Family Traditions for Daughters
The Firm vs. the Family: How Does the British Monarchy Really Work?
What's the Difference Between a Duke and an Earl?
Having a Cherokee Ancestor Doesn’t Necessarily Make You Cherokee Too
How the Millennial Generation Works
Millennials Are Making Birthday Cards a Thing Again
Nope, Boomers and Xers Don’t Work Harder Than Millennials
What Do A.M. and P.M. Stand For?
The 'X' Factor: Why Some Advocates Prefer 'Latine' to 'Latinx'
Why Do We Say White Collar and Blue Collar?
Mexico's Night of the Radishes, a Quirky Christmas Tradition
How the 19th Century Invented Modern Christmas
Official White House Christmas Ornaments Are a 40-Year Tradition
What Are the Most Common Last Names in the World?
A Look at the White House's Most Memorable Weddings
The Immigrant Paradox: Why Acculturation Should Not Mean Assimilation
There's More Than One Way to Be Monogamous
Hey Dad! The Famous Fathers Quiz
Famous Mothers Quiz
Why Are the Biblical Gog and Magog Considered Sinister?
The Sacred History of 'Mormon Underwear'
What Does 'Shana Tova' Mean?
Reading the Rails: What Was the Hobo Code?
Afrofuturism: Where Technology, Culture and the Black Experience Meet
Who Is Karen and Why Is She So Mad?
Quiz: Finish That Jingle!
How One Woman Unexpectedly Became the Voice of Siri
There's a Healthier Way to Consume Your Media
Learn More
La Pascualita stands silent and still in the window of a bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico. Many say she isn't plastic, but the embalmed corpse of the store's former owner.
By Lauren David
We all grew up playing 'Ring Around the Rosie.' But what does it even mean?
The legend of the weeping woman has been terrifying children for generations. But experts tell us there's much more to La Llorona's legend than just scaring kids.
By Lauren David
Advertisement
You may have wished upon a star, but have you ever wished upon a rock? Find a lucky wishing stone and give it a try.
By Muriel Vega
The Flower of Life is one of those patterns that shows up in repeatedly in nature and architecture. But what does it mean and why is it considered part of "sacred geometry?"
By Alia Hoyt
Smudging, or the creation of sacred smoke, for the purpose of cleansing energy and promoting healing and wisdom, has become increasingly popular, but what is it exactly?
By Katie Carman
Why have numbers like 2/22/22 been fascinating humans for more than 2,000 years? It has a lot to do with our brains' desire to find meaning and connection.
Advertisement
If you travel to the small Island of the Dolls in Xochimilco, near Mexico City, listen closely. You may hear the whispered conversations of the dolls that hang around.
They're ghostly warriors who stride through jungles and towns in brilliant costumes, holding torches. Flee now or risk their wrath.
Some people were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Others were in the right place but at the wrong time. And a few just had bad luck thrust upon them.
By Dave Roos
It's oddly comforting and intuitive to think things happen for a reason. And it's something that both creationists and conspiracy theory enthusiasts do.
By Robert Lamb
Advertisement
Have you ever felt like a movie or TV show eerily predicted an actual event? There's a name for that.
By Diana Brown
InfoWars publisher Alex Jones has millions of followers. He regularly espouses conspiratorial stories. Are they fact or fiction?
By Diana Brown
Humans have sought to explain solar eclipses since before the advent of modern science. What curious explanations have we invented?
Much mystery surrounds the Georgia Guidestones, including the true identity of the man who commissioned them to be built and the identity of their destroyer.
Advertisement
Did ancient humans eat neighbors for nutrition? One archaeologist calculated just how much energy different human body parts contain.
This creepy Internet sensation might be just a 21st-century version of folklore, but did he really drive kids to kill?
By Oisin Curran
Comedian Chris Rock once joked that his father's prescription for any ailment was Robitussin. And his dad wasn't alone: Plenty of families swear by various folk remedies handed down through the generations. Problem is, they simply don't work.
By Bambi Turner
The words "superstition" and "rationality" don't often make for very good bedfellows. But as these things go, every belief has to start somewhere, and sometimes a superstition's origins are shockingly sensible — albeit a little outdated.
By Bambi Turner
Advertisement
Every year a bunch of guys in top hats pull a wriggling rodent out of a hole and allow him to predict the weather. And we all take this seriously. Is Phil the groundhog really accurate or is he secretly giggling at us?
Driving through Vermont's scenic countryside, you might see an anomaly in the architecture odd enough to make you do a double take. What's the story behind those strangely angled windows?
By Debra Ronca
Four-leaf clovers, rabbit's feet, heads-up pennies — all lucky charms for many people. Another common lucky charm? The horseshoe.
By Debra Ronca
It's an iconic holiday ritual: two kids fighting over a wishbone. Each struggles to crack the bone and get the bigger piece, ensuring good luck. What's behind this rather odd piece of folklore?
By Debra Ronca
Advertisement
The "Bloody Mary" ritual, long popular on the sleepover circuit, supposedly causes a ghastly apparition to materialize in a darkened room. Where did this legend come from? Was there a real Bloody Mary?
By Debra Ronca
Knocking on wood, crossing your fingers, fear of black cats ... are some superstitions common around the world, or are they specific to certain cultures?
By Debra Ronca