Why Is a Broken Mirror Bad Luck?

Humans were superstitious about their reflections long before the invention of the mirror as we know it today. The ancient Greeks believed it was unlucky to see one's reflection, exemplified by the story of Narcissus, who fell in love with the sight of his reflection in a stream and died, pining, at the water’s edge [source: Britannica].

Despite Narcissus's tragic tale, the ancient Romans couldn't help but figure out how to see their reflections without trekking down a flat body of water. They used convex, highly polished metal surfaces as mirrors [source: Britannica]. These were highly prized possessions, which may explain why breaking a mirror was considered such bad luck.

The earliest mention of the broken mirror superstition in English is a 1777 account claiming that breaking a mirror is "a very unlucky accident" because mirrors were part of an "ancient kind of divination" and "formerly used by magicians in their superstitious and diabolical operations" [source: Brand]. Since then, broken mirrors have been popular in British culture, as seen in this poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

She left the web, she left the loom

She made three paces thro' the room

She saw the water-flower bloom,

She saw the helmet and the plume,

She look'd down to Camelot.

Out flew the web and floated wide;

The mirror crack'd from side to side;

'The curse is come upon me,' cried

The Lady of Shalott.

The misfortune associated with breaking a mirror lasts only seven years since the ancient Romans believed life’s changes happen in seven-year cycles [sources: Drazin, Oliver].

Another explanation for the seven years of bad luck is that the cost of a new mirror would equal seven years of a servant’s work, should that servant be unlucky enough to damage a mirror while cleaning [source: Denham Wade].

Nothing happens if you break a mirror, except you might have to clean up a mess and buy a new one. However, a broken mirror is a sign of bad luck if you are superstitious.

Some people believe that a mirror reflects more than just one’s physical appearance — it also reflects one’s soul. Therefore, breaking a mirror would mean breaking the soul into pieces [source: Winsham]. Now severely damaged, the soul can't fully protect its body from misfortune.

In an alternate explanation, the damaged soul seeks revenge against the one responsible for its injuries. The type of misfortune varies but may include the loss of a close friend or the death of someone in the household [source: Radford].

According to superstition, breaking a mirror results in seven years of bad luck. Here's how to minimize the misfortune:

Unlike a broken mirror, broken glass can sometimes be a sign of good luck — but it depends on who you ask. According to some English superstitions, breaking glass is a death omen [source: Opie].

However, according to Greek tradition, breaking plates at a celebration will ward off evil spirits, and stomping on a wine glass is an important Jewish wedding tradition.