“Touch Wood” or “Contact Wood” is a very common phrase and most of us, use it all the time. This piece of superstition is something, that numerous world societies follow. But, none of us know why.
So basically, you make a thumping sound so that the spirit or the devil cannot hear what you are stating. It gives a method for securing oneself. It’s to spare ourselves from something terrible happening.
Contacting wood after an announcement can either relate to keeping the fortune talked about unblemished. This may also keep the insidious outcomes of the announcement under control.
It has old agnostic beginnings where individuals used to adore trees and the supplier of life. This happens because vegetation shapes the lowermost strata of the evolved way of life.
Let’s talk about different communities’ perceptions about this belief.
The Christians and Jews
Amid the introduction of Christianity, a considerable lot of these agnostic convictions were fused into the day by day lives of individuals and subsequently turned into a typical practice.
Amid the investigation time frame, the Jews went to wooden sanctuaries to spare themselves. Just a man knowing a particular arrangement of thumps were permitted to enter. This code framework spared hundreds of Jews. Henceforth, thumping on wood should be a harbinger of good fortunes and expectation. Additionally relating to a representative place where criminals/spirits couldn’t come in.
As time passed, these conventions saturated the lives of average folks. They contacted wood to wish good fortunes for themselves.
As we probably are aware, customs change after some time. Accordingly, this thumping on wood changed into individuals SAYING “Touch Wood” rather than thumping on real wooden substances.
The Irish and Greeks
To touch on wood or to contact the wood is done to avoid unfortunate results, dispose of shrewdness spirits, to fix something that could be risky or to bring good fortune.
One can likewise touch on wood three times in the wake of looking at something fortunate. This may also be done to avert the insidious spirits who may intentionally destroy it.
It is accepted by some, that the superstition goes back to old agnostic circumstances and the conviction that spirits or gods lived in trees. Touching on the tree or contacting it would recognize them and call upon them for assurance from adversity. It was additionally observed as a thank-you motion to the spirits or divine beings for bringing good fortunes and favors.
Irish fables express that the demonstration of contacting wood sends a thank you to leprechauns for some good fortunes. The Greeks worshiped the Oaktree since it was consecrated to Zeus and the Celts put stock in spirits living in trees. Contacting those trees brought good fortune.
The Cross for touch wood
The same number of early agnostic convictions turned out to be a piece of Christian convictions. This superstition may have been one of them.
A few people trusted that touching on wood was related with the Cross. A Jewish adaptation of the superstition follows back to the Spanish Probe of the fifteenth century. The Jews fled to wooden-manufactured synagogues for asylum and thought of a particular thump code to be let in. These shelters spared numerous lives, and it at that point ended up normal to thump on wood to bring good fortune.
By the 1800s, even youngsters’ amusements included rhymes about thumping on wood for good fortune. By the 1900s, the Americans and English were doing likewise.
Today, it is worthy to touch on wood-like surfaces for good fortune. There are even times when we simply say “Touch-Wood” even though there’s no wood around. It has become a sign of good luck.
Read Also: Have You Ever Wondered Where Do Superstitions Come From?
