Superstitions

I was reading a bit about creepy Japanese myths and legends the other day (http://io9.com/14-terrifying-japanese-monsters-myths-and-spirits-1498740680) and it made me think about some of the supernatural that I grew up around.  My upbringing may have been thoroughly Christian, but there were certainly touches of the magical to be found (outside of the religious tradition).  These touches are most visible in superstition.  I can't say where the superstitions come from that I grew up with (so their origins aren't important to me as a person or for this specific post), but there are a few that are ingrained into my psyche.  I wonder what they've done to me as a person. 

1) Knock on wood - The basic idea (for those that don't know) is that if you say something good is going to happen, you knock on wood to ward off the jinx (bad luck, or mischievous spirits or something).  I wonder if it makes my thought process, or at least the words I speak, less positive.  Does it make the believer afraid of being positive? 

2) Spilling salt - When one spills salt, you are supposed to take a little of the spill and throw it over your shoulder to avoid bad luck.  I'm kind of back and forth on this one.  Maybe it's because of working in food service for a while...  I can't see any really bad repercussions from this one except for instilling that little bit of fear.  Doing something so little wrong having serious consequences could mess you up a bit I guess.

3) Santa - Alright, I don't believe in this anymore and haven't for a long time, but it's fascinating thinking back to that transition time.  I remember telling myself I didn't believe, but still being unable to sleep on Christmas Eve and sitting up with my brother, sure that we heard hoofs on the roof.  That seems a little more wonderful, letting kids dream and believe in magic. 

4) Black cat crossing your path - This is generally viewed as a bad omen.  Not sure if the cat is supposed to literally walk across the path in front of you (usually how I imagine it) or if it's just seeing the cat.  I can't say that this affects me when it happens, but it gets in there and makes me stop and think about it.  Usually the thought goes away pretty quickly, but I imagine if something bad happened to me on one occasion, it'd fuck me up.  Maybe it messes with me less since I grew up with cats...

5) Dice - Alright, this is much less of a common superstition for the general population, but wargamers everywhere have it.  Everyone has those dice that roll better for them than others.  People have different beliefs connected to the idea that the dice has only a certain number of sixes (on a six-sided dice) in it (okay, this is more common with d20s), or picking up dice showing high or low to make their next roll.  We all know how statistics function (wargames are based on statistics), but somehow these superstitions develop.

The basic point I'm driving at is that I am not a superstitious person, but there are certain things that I do that were ingrained in me at some point in my life.  They aren't things I always do, but when I catch myself doing them these days, I often say "It can't hurt."  It's incredible how many superstitions exist in the world and how they manifest.  When I'm putting together my fictional world and use elements of the magical or the supernatural, it makes me think about how many more superstitions my characters would have.  Some might even be functional.  It's like modern vampire stories where the beasts laugh at garlic, but are still harmed by holy water.  Who knows how these beliefs develop, but people like to feel as though they are in control of their environment.  I can't help but believe that in a world much further beyond our control, real superstition of the everyday variety would be pervasive.

Apparently people have been visiting my blog from some rather diverse locales.  Do you have a superstition you believe in or practice through habit?  I'd love to hear about it (Americans are welcome to share too).