As you take mirror or glass remnants into the pros for repair, you can’t help but think, “Is this bad luck? Do I even believe in all this superstition?”
The idea is that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck, but breaking glass is considered good luck in many cultures. These superstitions were born out of several generations and somehow linger to this day. Breaking mirrors or glass won’t bring any type of luck (good or bad), but it’s still fun to know the origins.
According to Snopes, the idea that breaking a mirror meant bad luck stems from the fact that your reflection is in a mirror. In other words, you’ve “broken” yourself. The seven years is simply a number tied to this woeful fate. However, there’s also good news for the superstitious. You can cancel that bad luck by tossing salt over your left shoulder!
Broken Glass
In many cultures and countries, including Russia and India, accidentally breaking glass is an omen of good luck. It’s also a famous part of Jewish wedding ceremonies, meant to honor the memory of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem 2,000-plus years ago. However, today’s Jewish brides and grooms consider it just another fun tradition.
For many cultures, accidentally breaking glass is a sign of good luck simply because it happens so often. Glass is regularly handled and regularly broken, so pretending it’s good luck is a way to ease the annoyance of suddenly finding your matching glassware short one piece. Others say broken glass is a sign that tension was in the air, and it’s been eased via the broken glass instead of broken relationships.
When Good Goes Bad
Some communities consider broken glass bad luck. In Saudi Arabia, it’s usually met with a cry of, “May you be safe!” The breaking itself isn’t a bad omen, but the worry that someone might get hurt makes the shards unwelcome.
In some households where there are two competing cultures (i.e. Arabic and Egyptian, where broken glass is good luck), there might be a flurry of activity to simultaneously celebrate the breakage while wishing away any bad juju that might stem from it.
Ultimately, broken glass and broken mirrors don’t mean much besides the need for a swift cleanup and perhaps a repair if the broken piece is expensive or special. In today’s disposable world, many glass and mirror pieces are considered a loss and replaced with new items. However, for costlier pieces and keepsakes, such as frameless shower doors or antique mirrors, you might want to invest in a quality repair.
Contact Murray Glass for all your glass and mirror repair needs, and good luck is sure to come your way via efficient, affordable, high-quality results.
Schedule a Consultation Now
[contact-form-7 id=”1339″ title=”Contact form blog”]
