MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why do we “knock on wood” ?

Knocking on wood.

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why do we “knock on wood” ?

We’ve all done it before. You says something, but don’t want to jinx yourself or have bad luck so you immediately “knock on wood”. But where did this come from?

The most popular explanation for it says that it began back in Europe’s pagan days. The idea was to appeal to the tree-dwelling spirits in order to ward off bad luck or an expression of gratitude for good fortune. They believed that certain trees (oak, ash, hazel, hawthorn and willow) had a sacred significance to them and held a protective power.

 

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