Most Common Superstitions in Every State

Most Common Superstitions in Every State

When it comes to gaming, it never hurts to have a bit of luck on your side. From carrying a lucky penny and horseshoes to knocking on wood and crossing your fingers, good luck charms and superstitions come in many different forms.

Superstitions of all types are common, but which superstitions are the most common in each state? We decided to do a little digging and analyze Google search volume to find the most popular superstitions in every state across the country.

Superstitions by State

From crossing your fingers to walking under a ladder, our analysis included more than 200 different superstitions, but throwing salt over your shoulder was by far the most popular. It’s unclear exactly when this belief began, but you’ve probably done it yourself or have seen a cook do it when preparing a meal.

Throwing salt over your left shoulder is a popular superstition that is believed to reverse bad luck brought on by spilling salt. According to our analysis, this term was the most common in 17 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Bad Luck Comes in Threes

When you think of the phrase “bad luck comes in threes,” is it simply a random pattern of unfortunate events or something more meaningful?

While there isn’t anything scientific to back up this superstition, it is the second most popular term in our analysis with six states (Vermont, South Dakota, Montana, New Hampshire, Nebraska and Wisconsin) searching for the term the most.

The third most common term was a tie between “lucky rabbit’s foot” and “Friday the 13^th.” Washington, Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana are searching the most for “lucky rabbit’s foot” while Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee and Minnesota appear to be the most superstitious about Friday the 13^th. 

Good Luck and Bad Luck Superstitions

Our analysis included a mixture of terms associated with both good luck and bad luck. For example, Friday the 13th was the most common term in Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, Minnesota while terms related to good luck ladybugs were the most common in New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Florida. 

We were curious to find out more about Americans’ feelings toward good luck and bad luck, so we surveyed 1,000 Americans across the country. According to respondents, there’s a big divide when it comes to good luck and bad luck. In fact, 83% believe they’ve experienced good luck while only 50% say they’ve experienced bad luck. Maybe there’s something to be said for optimism and good luck after all.  

However, once we asked about specific lucky and unlucky days, responses were pretty evenly matched. For example, 37% say they believe Friday the 13th is an unlucky day while 34% feel St. Patrick’s Day is a lucky day. Even though one-third believe St. Patrick’s Day brings good luck, nearly double that amount (60%) say they wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Either that extra 24% actually believe wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day brings good luck and don’t want to admit it, or they’re just trying to avoid getting pinched.

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Methodology

Using the Google AdWords platform, we analyzed search volume trends for more than 200 terms related to superstitions associated with both good luck and bad luck. The results represent the most disproportionately popular terms in every state. In February 2021, we also surveyed 1,016 Americans between the age of 18 - 75 to ask them about their belief in superstitions. 60% were female and 40% were male and the average age of respondents was 38.

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