Do you ever knock on wood? It’s a superstition that’s popular all across North Carolina. Bug did it recently, and it got me to wondering where it originated.
It turns out that knocking on wood is a type of protection spell. It probably came from Celts, who believed trees served as homes to spirits and gods. Touching wood roused the Celtic gods, who offered protection and good fortune.
The practice may have also been used to banish evil spirits. Tapping on wood prevented the spirits from overhearing boasts of good luck and reversing fortunes.
I’ve used it my whole life to avoid tempting fate. It’s something my daddy did too. When there was no wood around, he’d rap his knuckles on my head. He did the same to Kodecker.
Brandon takes it a bit more seriously than the rest of us. Anytime someone says something he feels may bring about a streak of bad luck, he starts looking for the nearest piece of wood.
So how about you? Do you knock on wood?
