Origin of Superstition — 1933
36 episodes broadcast in 1933.
Where the belief that a broken mirror brings seven years of bad luck began -- a Transco docudrama on the most famous of household omens.
The origin of the bogeyman -- the childhood terror the series traces to its folk roots.
The luck of a horseshoe nailed over the door -- and which way it must hang -- traced to its origin.
The origin of knocking on wood to keep one's luck -- a docudrama on the familiar good-luck gesture. (This 1933-02-03 slot also carries a distinct 'Whistling in Dressing Room'; the log lists both here.)
The theatrical taboo against whistling in a dressing room -- a backstage superstition the docudrama traces to its source.
The origin of the black cat crossing your path as an omen of ill luck.
Where the Christmas custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from, dramatized as a docudrama on the plant's old lore.
The belief that two people walking together must not let a post or pole come between them -- traced to its origin.
Why a rabbit's foot is carried for luck -- the docudrama follows the charm back through folklore.
The unluckiest date on the calendar: a husband lingering over his day-off breakfast reads the morning paper's date, and the show sets out to explain how Friday and the number thirteen came to be feared.
'See a pin and pick it up' -- the docudrama traces the luck of finding and keeping a pin.
Why we cross our fingers for luck: the docudrama reaches back to an early Christian who, facing execution by the sword, crosses his fingers and brings down fire from the sky on his would-be killer.
The taboo against disturbing the dead -- a docudrama on the belief and where it began.
The superstition about standing behind someone's chair, traced to its origin. (From this week the original WBBM broadcast moved to 9:30 p.m. [digitaldeli])
The opal's reputation as an unlucky stone -- unless it is your birthstone -- dramatized around the gem's long lore.
Why opening an umbrella indoors is thought to invite bad luck -- the docudrama traces the household superstition.
The wedding custom of throwing shoes (or tying them to the car) after the bridal couple, traced to its origin.
The old dread of a howling dog as an omen of death, dramatized as one of the darker beliefs in the series.
The luck of the four-leaf clover -- the charm the 1948 ABC re-run chose to relaunch the series -- traced to its beginnings.
The bridal rhyme -- 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' -- and the wedding-luck beliefs behind it.
On a warm beach, two lovers watch a star fall -- and the story leaps back to ancient China and a mortal who set out to become a god, tracing where the wish upon a shooting star began.
The sailors' rule against beginning a voyage on a Friday, traced to its origin.
The belief that turning back once you have set out brings bad luck -- a docudrama on the superstition of the interrupted journey.
Why laying a hat on a bed is thought to bring bad luck, traced to its folk origin.
Blowing out the birthday-cake candles in one breath to make a wish come true -- the origin of the birthday ritual.
The belief that bubbles floating on a cup foretell money coming your way, traced to its beginnings.
Wishing on the new moon -- and the luck of first glimpsing it over your left shoulder -- dramatized around the moon's lore.
The good-luck habit of turning a cap around backwards, traced to its origin.
'Unlucky in cards, lucky in love' -- the docudrama traces the gambler's proverb to its source.
The belief that an itching palm means money is on its way, dramatized around the old omen.
The ill luck said to follow the loss of a wedding ring -- a docudrama on the ring's superstitions.
The comforting proverb 'no news is good news' and the belief behind it, traced to its origin.
'Sing before breakfast, cry before night' -- the old warning against too-early cheer, dramatized as one of the series' lesser-known beliefs.
The luck bound up in a baby's first pair of shoes -- why they are kept, bronzed, or never lost -- traced to its origin.
Breaking the wishbone and the winner's wish -- the origin of the Thanksgiving-table ritual.
The series finale: the legend of the ghost ship, and the sailors' belief that sighting one foretells disaster.
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Other seasons: 1932 ·