Q: Like for example, in my family, a black cat is a bad sign. Are there superstitions like this?
A: If a child is born with a birth mark of any kind- it can be said that the mother didn't eat something in her pregnancy that the baby wanted whilst in her tummy! The bad eye - is used and abused so much and although the bad eye exists it doesn't exist to the amount of responsibly shirking that goes with it, people often don't resolve or deal with character flaws and actions because of this! If the baby looks like its father the mother is supposed to love him a lot- for sure not all the time! Owls and black cats are bad omens and so are bearers of bad news. Bad dreams can be grossly misinterpreted. Ghosts and spirits are also bad news. Egyptians will never leave a slipper or a shoe turned upside down, or a pair of scissors open; these are signs of bad luck. They never throw bread on the floor, and if found will be picked up and put aside in a corner so that it is not trodden on. its a very superstitious culture with a lot of different sayings, which tell moral and stories i.e the son of a duck is a floater- i.e the child is like its parents - auc published a series of books with the best graphics ever of egyptian sayings and what they mean in English - they are really great On a lighter note, the phenomenon of the stranglehold of superstitious beliefs on society was examined and analysed by certain commentators. Sawt Al-Umma reported that a study conducted by the National Centre for Social and Criminological Studies showed that, "63 per cent of Egyptians believe in superstitions. Belief in magic is shared by both educated and non-educated people. Eleven per cent of those who believe in superstitions are actors, politicians, cultured people and athletes." Here is a google book that should help you out in the subject http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WaEBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA252&lpg=PA252&dq=egyptian+superstitions&source=web&ots=seGQFIFg92&sig=T2lFOS8711rZIZtbYbd0c9VXNao&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result x