Believe It Or Not: The Most Common Superstitions In The UK

Superstitions are an age-former perception that the supernatural can shape our lives, influencing all the pieces from day to day occasions to main milestones. Despite gleaming some of these beliefs defy science and motive, many folks can’t support but imagine in these mystical rituals, hoping to ward off nefarious success or incite honest real-searching success. Whether it’s knocking on wooden, crossing fingers, or avoiding cracks within the pavement, superstitions supply a scheme of management over the unpredictable forces of destiny.

that are doubtlessly the most customarily held superstitions among Brits?

Within the UK on my own, 34% of adults admit to preserving superstitions revealing that the energy of these practices stays as stable as ever. However, that are doubtlessly the most customarily held superstitions among Brits?

To uncover, we possess analysed 30 of doubtlessly the preferred superstitions, ranking them in conserving with go searching interest to resolve doubtlessly the most in total believed and researched. We furthermore seemed at search quantity all over UK cities when it comes to these superstitions to identify the UK’s most superstitious metropolis.

The most customarily believed superstitions within the UK

Infamous	List of superstitions	Total UK yearly search quantity
1	Friday the 13th	413,640
2	Daumen drücken	155,400
3	Four leaf clover	107,040
4	Shatter a leg	77,760
5	666	54,840
6	Knocking on wooden	53,040
7	Itchy fingers	42,720
8	Crimson sky at night	36,960
9	Rabbits foot	34,920
10	Broken contemplate	22,680

1. Friday the 13th

The most in total held superstition within the UK is the belief Friday the 13th brings nefarious success. Over the final year there possess been 413,640 Google searches for this ominous date. Even as some folks remain more cautious on for the time being, others go as a ways as avoiding their favorite routines entirely. This ache is identified as paraskevidekatriaphobia.

The origins of this superstition are rooted in religious connotations. However, the mixed ache of Friday the 13th is a relatively fresh phenomenon, gaining traction only within the past century. Historically, it changed into lawful the amount 13 that changed into thought of depressed, which explains why many planes skip row 13 and excessive-upward push constructions on the full exclude a 13th floor.

The conclusion in this depressed day is deep-rooted in every single place in the UK, being doubtlessly the most steadily Googled in every metropolis analysed. Ironically, for these that develop no longer imagine in this superstition, Friday the 13th could perchance bring honest real-searching fortune – it’s miles identified for having more cost effective flight costs!

subsequent time Friday the 13th rolls around, try to embrace it”

A spokesperson at VSO provides, “Although Friday the 13th is widely believed to bring nefarious success, there might perchance be little evidence to imply that the percentages of pains are higher on this date. A little bit analysis possess tried to link Friday the 13th with an amplify in avenue accidents, but these claims possess largely been debunked. Truly, it has been suggested that the ache of nefarious success could perchance in level of truth motive folks to assemble depressed choices, ensuing in mishaps. So, subsequent time Friday the 13th rolls around, try to embrace it – it would prove to be your fortunate day!”

2. Fingers crossed

Crossing your fingers has lengthy acted as a signal of ample-searching success, so remarkable so that it has turn into ingrained in everyday culture – there might perchance be even an emoji for it. Whether you physically noxious your fingers or honest notify the words “fingers crossed,” it’s widely believed to bring honest real-searching fortune and cease nefarious outcomes.

Despite its reputation, the superstition generates much less online curiosity than “Friday the 13th,” with only 155,400 Google searches per year in comparability. 

This gesture is believed to sign back to Pagan and early Christian traditions. On the initiating, two folks would noxious their fingers together to invoke honest real-searching success, but over time it has evolved real into a solo act. Crossed fingers possess been as soon as outdated to ward off deplorable, but at the present time, it’s miles the hopeful gesture for honest real-searching fortune that has stood the test of time.

3. Four leaf clover

But another smartly-identified image of ample-searching success is the elusive four-leaf clover, which ranks as the third most smartly-preferred superstition within the UK, receiving 107,040 annual Google searches. 

This perception could perchance furthermore furthermore be traced back to Ireland, where used monks, identified as Druids, outdated shamrocks – three-leaf clovers – of their rituals, believing that they possessed magical powers. The rarity of the four-leaf clover, with only about 1 in 10,000 clovers having this extra leaf, has seemingly contributed to its unwavering status as an very honest real success charm. 

The most superstitious cities within the UK

Despite superstitions being widely believed in every single place in the UK, some cities are a ways more superstitious than others. Here is on the full rooted within the locations’ history and culture.

Infamous	List of superstitions	Yearly searches per 10,000 folks
1	Manchester	537.0
2	Belfast	524.1
3	Leeds	466.7
4	Plymouth	447.3
5	Wolverhampton	436.7
6	Southampton	414.3
7	Edinburgh	410.3
8	Derby	386.0
9	Coventry	384.1
10	Glasgow	383.4
11	Blackpool	375.9
12	Reading	366.0
13	Bradford	360.8
14	Preston	340.9
15	Swansea	339.6
16	Southend-on-Sea	325.1
17	Kingston upon Hull	321.0
18	Birmingham	313.3
19	Luton	311.6
20	Bristol	309.1

1. Manchester

Claiming the title of doubtlessly the most superstitious metropolis within the UK, Manchester’s residents witness for superstitions roughly 537 times per 10,000 residents yearly. As with remarkable of the country, doubtlessly the most smartly-preferred superstitions among Mancunians embody Friday the 13th, fingers crossed, and four-leaf clovers. However, Manchester’s deep-rooted football culture is seemingly to be a key part within the back of the metropolis’s heightened perception in success and rituals. Superstitions play a core feature for every followers and avid gamers, with Manchester Metropolis, one of many metropolis’s most iconic teams, identified for its player’s adherence to varied pre-match rituals. This sporting have an effect on seemingly amplifies the metropolis’s attachment to such beliefs.

2. Belfast

Belfast carefully follows Manchester, with 524 superstition-related Google searches per 10,000 residents each year. While the phrase “the success of the Irish” reflects Ireland’s lengthy-standing perception in success, it’s miles intelligent that the four-leaf clover only ranks as the third most-searched superstition – without reference to originating in Ireland – within the back of Friday the 13th and fingers crossed. Belfast’s affluent Irish heritage, steeped in tales of spirits, omens, and mystical beliefs, seemingly fuels the contemporary day interest in superstitions.

3. Leeds

Leeds ranks in third place, with around 467 superstition-related searches per 10,000 residents, yearly. Such as Manchester, Leeds has a stable sports culture, that manner match-day rituals and fortunate charms play a first-rate feature in residents’ lives. The metropolis’s most customarily searched superstitions contemplate these of the cease two cities: Friday the 13th, fingers crossed, and four-leaf clovers.

4. Plymouth

Plymouth ranks in fourth for doubtlessly the most superstitious UK cities, with an average of 447 Google searches per 10,000 residents each year. Even as Friday the 13th is perchance the most customarily searched superstition – remarkable esteem in varied cities – Plymouth residents scream a stronger interest within the success related to numbers, spanning beyond the depressed quantity 13. The 2d most searched time length is the four-leaf clover, even as the amount 666, believed to recount the satan, takes third place. This implies that residents of this metropolis are particularly superstitious via numbers and their seemingly to have an effect on success, relatively than explicit actions or rituals.

5. Wolverhampton

Rounding out the cease five is Wolverhampton, where superstition-related searches attain roughly 437 per 10,000 residents each year. Such as Plymouth, residents of Wolverhampton are more intrigued by the seemingly success or pains related to numbers as towards gestures or rituals. The head three most searched superstitions embody Friday the 13th, four-leaf clovers, and the amount 666. 

What about the capital cities?

Surprisingly, Edinburgh ranks only seventh on the checklist, without reference to being one of doubtlessly the most alarmed cities in Europe. With the ghostly Edinburgh Fortress and its deep history of witchcraft, one could perchance furthermore honest query superstition to be more prevalent here. However residents here only google superstition-related phrases around 410 times each year per 10,000 folks.

Londoners seem removed from attracted to these beliefs, with only 211 searches per 10,000 residents

Diagram more hideous is that London does no longer seem within the cease 20. Given its mysterious history – much like the chilling, unsolved case of Jack the Ripper – it would but again be easy to purchase that superstitions would thrive in this metropolis. But, Londoners seem removed from attracted to these beliefs, with only 211 searches per 10,000 residents yearly.

A spokesperson at VSO provides: “It appears as despite the truth that encounters with the mystical don’t essentially amplify superstition. In these cities with one of the most spookiest histories, there’s surprisingly much less interest in superstitions. Despite only a quarter of UK adults claiming to possess viewed a ghost, a third easy imagine in superstitions, suggesting that the 2 develop no longer go hand in hand.”

Sources and methodology

To uncover doubtlessly the preferred superstitions within the UK, we gathered a seedlist of widespread British superstitions. We outdated eight varied search phrases for every superstition and mixed the total search quantity using Google Keyword Planner. The superstitions possess been then ranked in conserving with doubtlessly the most to least searched.

To uncover doubtlessly the most superstitious cities within the UK, we hunted for every of the superstitions using the same eight search phrases, but seemed at particular particular person cities. Over again, cities possess been ranked in conserving with these with doubtlessly the most intelligent to lowest search volumes.