Unit 1. Superstitions and Prejudices.

Discussion point:

In Britain as well as in other countries the objects and actions have superstitions attached to them:

What is the superstition?

Is there the same superstition in your country?

Can any superstitions be explained logically?

What other superstitions are there in your country?

Do you agree that people have a lot of superstitions about animals? What are they?

 

II. Read the following situations and say which of them are associated with superstitions and which of them are associated with customs and traditions:

 

In parts of Northern England and in Scotland the first man to enter a house on New Year’s Day should be a dark-haired man, otherwise ill-luck will follow. It is also advisable that the person should bring with him a gift – a piece of coal, a fish, a bottle of whisky or a piece of bread are traditional gifts.

The first of April is the day of playing practical jokes or sending friends on fool’s errands. It is a season when all people, even the most dignified, are given an excuse to play the fool.

In Africa the animal that causes the greatest number of deaths is the crocodile. And in one of the villages near the Bogol River in Northern Ghana you can find a man who is called the crocodile man by everyone. The crocodile man is very popular among the village people for he appears whenever there are dangerous crocodiles and catches them. Everyone believes that his magic power helps him to become a crocodile for a short time.

Lewes, Sussex, is noted for its Guy Fawkes celebrations, now a highly organized event attracting thousands of visitors. There are torchlight processions and pageantry, with official Bonfire Societies to help with the various displays.

 

 

Look at the pictures given below and say what these superstitions foretell and which of them foretell good / bad

Luck.

Read the definition of the word “superstition” and answer the following questions:

superstition [su:p ‘st n] 1) irrational belief or practice, either cultural, personal or religious, usually founded on ignorance or fear, and characterized by obsessive reverence for omens, lucky charms, etc.; 2) any irrational belief, esp. with regard to the unknown.

a) Do you agree that superstitions are irrational?

b) … are founded on ignorance or fear?

c) What is the difference between a belief and a superstition?

d) Are the following examples of cultural or personal superstitions?

1) A boy has to have a certain lucky pen to write an exam.

2) A girl who’s getting married refuses to see her future husband on the day of the marriage, until they meet at the church. She also believes that she has to wear ‘ something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

3) A seven year-old girl’s tooth falls out, so she puts the tooth under her pillow.

4) A gambler always puts money on grey horses.

5) A businessman consult an astrologer before making an important decision.

6) A footballer always puts his clothes on in a certain order before a match.

7) On Christmas Eve, a child puts a mince pie and a glass of brandy out for Father Christmas.

8) A person thinks’ if I get to the end of the road before that bus, I’ll have a good day.

 

Work in Pairs. Ask your partners:

e) which superstitions they know;

f) if they believe in superstition;

g) which of the superstitions can be explained logically;

h) if they are cultural, personal or religious.