A widely held stereotype in the Chinese-speaking world is that Westerners believe in science, value logic, and demand evidence for everything. Unlike the Chinese, they supposedly have little interest in praying to Heaven, consulting divination, studying feng shui, or calculating birth charts. The Chinese, on the other hand, are often portrayed as the ones who turn superstition into a full-blown art form. However, reality tells a very different story.
High-profile figures regularly practice rituals to ensure good luck and avoid bad juju
In October 2024, on the eve of the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump walked into a McDonald’s, stepped behind the fryer, rolled up his sleeves, and began making French fries. At one point, he accidentally spilled some salt. Without hesitation, the former president grabbed a pinch and tossed it over his left shoulder. Then he turned to the camera and said: “I’m very superstitious. Now that I’ve thrown the salt, I’m all right.” The crowd froze for a second, then burst into laughter. But here is the thing: Trump was completely serious.
In the West, when people spill salt, they quickly grab a pinch and throw it over their left shoulder. According to an old belief, the devil likes to lurk behind a person’s left shoulder, so tossing salt in that direction blinds him. Salt was precious in ancient times, so spilling it meant wasting good fortune. In Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the overturned salt cellar beside Judas symbolizes precisely that.
Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, described him in his memoir Let Trump Be Trump as perhaps the most superstitious person he had ever met. Trump would toss salt over his shoulder before a meal and touch an aircraft’s body before boarding to invite good fortune—a habit he maintained for years. His 2016 campaign team refused to celebrate early to avoid bad juju, drafting the victory speech only after winning. This resembles Western actors saying “Break a leg!” instead of “good luck,” wishing for a bad outcome so the exact opposite occurs.
In 2025, Trump postponed his tariff announcement from April 1 to April 2 because April 1 was April Fools’ Day, fearing people would think he was joking. He openly admitted: “I’m a little superstitious.” Trump is no exception; he’s a vivid example. The stereotype is merely a well-tailored outer layer that hides deeply ingrained habits underneath.
Buildings and event schedules often deliberately avoid numbers tied to ancient misfortunes
Let us start with the most famous example of Western superstition: the number 13. In the West, 13 occupies roughly the same place as the number 4 in the Chinese-speaking world: unlucky, ominous, and best avoided entirely.
Walk into a building in the United States, Britain, or many European cities. Press the elevator button, and you may see something strange: after the 12th floor, the elevator goes straight to the 14th. The 13th floor has vanished as though it never existed at all.
The same avoidance applies to hospital rooms, airplane seat rows, and hotel room numbers. This systematic fear even has an official psychological term: triskaidekaphobia. Things worsen when the 13th falls on a Friday, creating a double dose of bad luck. Estimates suggest that on Friday the 13th, people avoid driving, flying, or undergoing surgery, leading to economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars.
| Unlucky Event / Origin | Rooted Cultural Context | Historical or Mythological Source |
| The Unlucky 13th Guest | Christian Tradition | Judas was the 13th person to sit down at the Last Supper before betraying Jesus. |
| The Unwanted Intruder | Norse Mythology | Loki crashed a feast as the 13th guest, leading directly to Baldr’s death. |
| Friday the 13th Impact | Modern Economy | A double dose of bad luck causing massive financial losses from canceled plans. |
Everyday actions and common objects are bound to ancient fears and protective gestures
Suppose a Westerner says something a little too optimistic or makes a prediction about the future that sounds far too confident. What do they do? They quickly reach over and knock on a table, the back of a chair, or even their own head, while saying: “Knock on wood.” Psychologically, this matches the Chinese habit of saying “呸呸呸” or “I didn’t say that!” after speaking too confidently. In both cases, the person realizes they may have tempted fate and quickly bows their head.
Scholars trace this custom to pre-Christian pagan beliefs. Ancient Europeans believed that trees possessed spirits, with oak trees considered especially sacred. Knocking on wood announced your presence to the tree spirit, asking for protection or expressing gratitude for its favor. When Christianity spread through Europe, the custom adapted: believers claimed that knocking on wood meant touching the wood of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, thereby invoking divine protection.
Similar physical habits exist for avoiding bad luck or requesting good fortune across various daily situations:
- Black cats: In medieval Europe, black cats were believed to be the messengers or incarnations of witches. Seeing one cross your path was like having a curse drawn directly across your way.
- Walking under ladders: A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle with the ground. In Christian tradition, the triangle symbolizes the Holy Trinity, so passing beneath it violated sacred space.
- Shooting stars & candles: Shooting stars were viewed as traces left by traveling angels, while birthday candles originated in ancient Greece on Artemis’s altar, carrying wishes upward via smoke.
- Fountain coins: Tossing coins into water originated in ancient Rome to bribe water spirits. Today, Rome’s Trevi Fountain collects over a million euros annually from visitors seeking return trips, love, or marriage.
Astrology and birth chart calculations continue to thrive despite centuries of modern scientific progress
Even today, in an age where rationalism is widely celebrated, astrology columns have never disappeared from Western newspapers. More interestingly, astrology has made a strong comeback among younger generations over the past decade. Many people say they don’t believe in it, yet they know their zodiac signs by heart. When meeting someone new, they ask: “What’s your sign?” Before falling in love, they check whether their birth charts are compatible.
Psychologically, this is remarkably similar to asking someone in the Chinese-speaking world: “What’s your Chinese zodiac sign?” or “What day were you born? Do our birth charts match?” Astrology has more than two thousand years of history in the West, beginning in Babylon, refining through Greek philosophy, and entering Roman courts. The Enlightenment tried to sweep it away, but astrology survived comfortably, adopted an Instagram filter in the digital era, and continues influencing new generations today.
To be continued…
Translated by Katy Liu and reviewed by Tatiana Denning
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