More than nine in ten people in the UK follow at least one superstition in a bid to generate good luck, according to new research, and a psychologist says these rituals can genuinely work by acting as a placebo for confidence.
The study by tombola arcade found that 92% of people follow at least one luck-chasing superstition. It also revealed that one in 12 admit they have avoided showering or bathing for 'several days' because they believed it could bring better luck.
Most common good-luck rituals
Touching wood is the most commonly followed good-luck ritual, followed by crossing fingers and avoiding walking underneath a ladder. A previous YouGov survey found that 34% of people in the UK describe themselves as either 'very' or 'somewhat' superstitious.
One in six refuse to throw away an item they associate with good fortune, while one in seven said they had changed their route to an important event.
Psychologist's view on superstition
Psychologist Dennis Relojo-Howell at Psychreg said: "High pressure moments strip away our sense of control. Superstition offers a way to feel like we're doing something, even when the outcome is genuinely out of our hands."
He added: "It's less about magical thinking and more about managing anxiety. Believing you're lucky often works like a placebo for confidence. If you walk into an interview or a test convinced things tend to go your way, you're likely to appear calmer and more composed, which can genuinely shape how others respond to you."
Relojo-Howell also said: "Rituals like touching wood or crossing fingers survive because they're comforting and low effort. They give people a small sense of urgency before big moments, and because they're shared culturally, they also connect us to something familiar, even in a society that's otherwise become quite secular and rational."
Cultural significance of superstitions
Micala Sansom, social and community manager at tombola arcade, said: "While luck means different things to different people, our findings show many superstitions are so deeply ingrained in our culture that we no longer think of them as superstitions at all. From wishing for a smooth journey to hoping for success in a job interview, it seems many of us would welcome a little extra luck when the stakes feel highest."
She added: "At their core, superstitions are attempts to make sense of uncertainty or gain a feeling of control over situations that are largely beyond our influence. They often stem from age-old fears, beliefs or gaps in our understanding of the world."
Top 10 superstitions people follow to improve luck
- Touched wood – 38%
- Crossed fingers – 37%
- Avoided walking under ladders – 24%
- Avoided saying something for fear of jinxing it – 16%
- Carried a lucky charm – 16%
- Saluted to a magpie – 16%
- Wished on a star – 15%
- Avoided cracks in the pavement – 12%
- Worn a lucky item of clothing – 10%
- Avoided crossing on the stairs – 10%
