LADDER

Yay!  We got a new roof yesterday...and Rachel walked under the worker's ladder just like the lady above!  I made her walk back under it and then walk around it.  Just got me thinking....why is that a superstition?  You all know how I love to learn about superstitions.  Well, my sister-in-law gave me a superstition book for Christmas to go along with my already purchased "Dictionary of Superstitions."  I thought it would be fun to look up the ladder superstition in my new book "Superstitions - 1013 of the Wackiest Myths, Fables, and Old Wives' Tales" by Deborah Murrell.

Everyone seems to know the superstition that is it unlucky to walk under a ladder.  But why?  There are three main theories:

The least likely is that a ladder forms a triangle with the wall it leans against and the ground.  Since Christians believe in the Trinity, walking through a triangle would be disrespectful.

The second theory is also based on Christianity, but it refers to the ladder used to take Christ from the cross after his death.  Some people say the devil was lurking there triumphantly, and trouble will come to those who walk through a triangle.

The third theory is that people who were about to die on the gallows had to climb up a ladder to get there.  This does relate to earlier references that claim walking under a ladder would lead to death by hanging. 

If I had to bet money on it, I would guess you shouldn't walk under a ladder in case it fell, or someone up there dropped something on you.  LOL - Happy Monday