Why Is It Bad Luck to Break a Mirror?

By: Laurie L. Dove  | 
broken mirror
According to superstition, breaking a mirror also breaks the soul into pieces. Paper Boat Creative/Getty Images

After months of searching, you found the perfect apartment and it's finally time to move. But just as you're about to pat yourself on the back, something terrible happens: You trip over a crack in the sidewalk and the large, antique mirror you're carrying slips from your grasp. Before you can even fully understand what's happening, the mirror hits the concrete and cracks into hundreds of pieces. Your first thought? Well, we probably shouldn't repeat it here. Your second? Seven years of bad luck.

But why the bad luck? Will breaking a mirror really heap misfortune upon your head? According to superstition, the answer is yes. Although the exact origins of the belief are inexact, potentially centuries-old lore holds fast to the idea that a mirror is a projection of one's appearance — and one's soul. Breaking a mirror would mean breaking the soul into pieces. The soul, now severely damaged, isn't able to fully protect its owner from bad luck.

Advertisement

Or in an alternate explanation, the damaged soul seeks revenge against the one responsible for its injuries. The means of revenge varies, but often includes the loss of a close friend or the death of someone in the household [source: Radford]. The "seven years" part is likely due to ancient Romans believing the body renews itself every seven years [source: Drazin].

The idea that broken mirrors can bring bad luck most likely stems from the ancient Greeks, who believed spirits lived in reflective pools of water. In fact, the fate that awaited Greek mythological figure Narcissus may have grown out of this belief. Narcissus fell in love and it was his undoing; so besotted was he with his own reflection in still waters that he pined for himself (or, by some accounts, the visage of his late twin sister) until he died [source: Encyclopedia Britannica].

Regardless of the way it started, the notion that breaking a mirror brings bad luck is prevalent in cultures around the world, ranging from Greek and Chinese to Indian and American. Whether you subscribe to the superstition or not, breaking a mirror is bad news — if only because of the mess it creates.

Advertisement

Originally Published: Jun 17, 2015

Mirror Bad Luck FAQ

 
What does a broken mirror symbolize?
People from many cultures, including Greek, Chinese and American, believe that a broken mirror is an indication of bad luck.
What happens if you accidentally crack a mirror?
Nothing really happens, except that you might have to clean up a mess and buy a new mirror. However, if you are superstitious, then a broken mirror is a sign of bad luck.
What does the breaking of mirror indicate?
According to superstition, breaking a mirror results in seven years of bad luck. It is believed that the only way to counteract this is to remove the pieces from the house and bury them under moonlight.
Is breaking a glass a bad omen?
No, unlike a broken mirror, a broken glass is not a bad omen. In fact, some cultures see it as a sign of good luck.
 

Lots More Information

Related Articles

  • Encyclopedia Britannica. "Narcissus." Oct. 30, 2014. (Dec. 20, 2014) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/403458/Narcissus
  • Drazin, Israel. "Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets." (Nov. 23, 2022) https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/PerLtdiAKx0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA281&dq=romans+life+renews+itself+every+seven+years
  • Radford, E. "The Encyclopedia of Superstitions." Barnes and Noble. 1961. (Dec. 20, 2014) https://books.google.com/books?id=r7AZ4U2HA3UC&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=Hole,+Christina.+++The+Encyclopedia+of+Superstitions.++mirror+bad+luck&source=bl&ots=wlRcKA7WUM&sig=vpb7pkn9UyEobrGjdrNVVVLMo2c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ju6qVN-bHJeioQShnYDADA&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Hole%2C%20Christina.%20%20%20The%20Encyclopedia%20of%20Superstitions.%20%20mirror%20bad%20luck&f=false
Featured

Advertisement

Loading...