Many people in American believe in superstitions and both good and back luck. From carrying a lucky penny and good luck horseshoes to knocking on wood and crossing your fingers, good luck charms and superstitions come in different forms for different people.
With St. Patrick’s Day rapidly approaching, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino recently analyzed Google search volume for more than 200 different superstitions to find the most popular superstitions in every state across the country. They also surveyed over 1,000 Americans to learn more about their belief in superstitions.
Listed below are the most popular superstitions in every state across the United States:
1. Alabama – Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
2. Alaska - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
3. Arizona- Owls being a bade omen or bad luck
4. Arkansas - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
5. California – Lucky pennies bring good luck
6. Colorado – Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
7. Connecticut - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
8. Delaware - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
9. Washington D.C. - Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
10. Florida – Ladybug landing on your as a sign of good luck
11. Georgia - Ladybug landing on your as a sign of good luck
12. Hawaii - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
13. Idaho - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
14. Illinois – Having a good luck horseshoe
15. Indiana – Having a lucky rabbit’s foot
16. Iowa - Lucky pennies bring good luck
17. Kansas - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
18. Kentucky - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
19. Louisiana - Lucky pennies bring good luck
20. Maine - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
21. Maryland - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
22. Massachusetts – Four leaf clover as a sign of good luck
23. Michigan – Lucky prime numbers for good luck
24. Minnesota - Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
25. Mississippi - Having a lucky rabbit’s foot
26. Missouri - Lucky prime numbers for good luck
27. Montana – Bad luck comes in threes
28. Nebraska - Bad luck comes in threes
29. Nevada – Lucky prime numbers
30. New Hampshire - Bad luck comes in threes
31. New Jersey - Ladybug landing on your as a sign of good luck
32. New Mexico – Lucky prime numbers
33. New York – Black cat cross your path as a sign of bad luck
34. North Carolina - Black cat cross your path as a sign of bad luck
35. North Dakota - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
36. Ohio - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
37. Oklahoma – Owl as a bad luck omen
38. Oregon – Owl as a bad luck omen
39. Pennsylvania - Ladybug landing on your as a sign of good luck
40. Rhode Island - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
41. South Carolina - Black cat cross your path as a sign of bad luck
42. South Dakota – Bad luck comes in threes
43. Tennessee - Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
44. Texas - Lucky pennies bring good luck
45. Utah - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
46. Vermont – Bad luck comes in threes
47. Virginia - Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
48. Washington – Having a lucky rabbit’s foot
49. West Virginia - Bad luck comes in threes
50. Wisconsin - Bad luck comes in threes
51. Wyoming - Throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck
As you can see from the list above there are some trends for superstitions that pop up across many states across the country and some states that have their own unique superstition that they believe in.
Listed below are the 5 most common superstitions across the country:
1. Throwing salt over your shoulder
2. Bad luck comes in threes
3. Having a luck rabbits’ foot
4. Friday the 13 th being a sign of bad luck
5. Ladybugs being a sign of good luck
Throwing salt over your shoulder was the most popular superstition in seventeen states in America, easily making it the superstition that Americans believe in the most. Bad luck coming in threes was the second most popular superstition in the country with it being the most popular in six different states across the country. Next on the list was both having a luck rabbits’ foot and Friday the 13th being a sign of bad luck each being the most popular superstition in four different states across the country.
After analyzing the most popular search trends for superstitions in America, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino also surveyed over 1,000 Americans to learn how they feel about superstitions and good and bad luck. They wanted to see more than just what people were searching and dive deeper into what people actually believe in for both good and bad luck.
When asked about whether or not Americans currently believe in superstitions, the survey found that 65% of Americans are superstitious. Of those who report being superstitious, 83% said that they believe in good luck as compared to only 50% said that they currently believe in bad luck. Search terms related to Friday the 13th was the most common for people who believe in bad luck.
They also wanted to learn more about St. Patrick’s Day, and whether or not Americans believe that holiday to be a good luck holiday and if they feel any other days are unlucky. Of those surveyed, 37% said that Friday the 13th is a day that typically bring bad luck. For St. Patrick’s Day, 34% of Americans said they believe it to be a luck day that they celebrate. On top of that, 60% of those surveyed said they plan to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day because they believe in the luck of the Irish.
Infographic by: paysbig
