August 2, 2006
"Knock on Wood" - a Catholic phrase?
Where did the phrase "knock on wood" come from? I always assumed superstition, but maybe not:
The phrase "knock on wood" is believed by many to have come from the Catholic Church, when old-time rosaries and crucifixes were made from wood and were used frequently during times of stress and trouble.
Therefore, holding onto or rubbing the wooden rosary became a common way for Christians to deal with hardships and the term eventually evolved into "knock on wood" for good luck.
If only we would "knock on wood" a little more as a society!
God bless,
Jay
Even if we don't remember to knock on wood, we should remember to bless each other everyday. A good way of doing this is at www.onlineblessings.com.
Posted by: Reverend William at August 3, 2006 8:05 PMWow! I'd never heard of that. I actually broke that superstition in myself. It was getting ridiculous; I would tap my foot twice against the ground in a pinch. I just had to satisfy the urge to "knock on wood." I'm still glad I broke the habit, even if just training myself to "knock on a crucifix" would have been easier. :o)
Posted by: Lindsay at August 16, 2006 9:29 PMInteresting where the phrase actually came from. Also interesting how millions of ignorant people rely on a piece of wood to solve all of their problems. Even more interesting is how millions of people fail to educate themselves on where their faith actually came from. There are big surprises for the simple minded if they only opened up their minds.
Jason
Posted by: Jason at March 9, 2008 8:27 AM
