There’s a common belief that killing a cricket will bring bad luck. When you were young, you may have been scared of crickets chirping in your room. You probably wouldn’t think twice about squishing one if it came in. Now that you’re older, you start to question some of those weird traditions people have believed for a long time. Maybe killing crickets really doesn’t determine your luck after all!
Before you go on a cricket killing spree or completely dismiss this notion as silly superstition, you might want to consider the origins of this folklore and if there are any consequences to tempting fate. The truth may surprise you.
The Origins of The Superstition
The idea that killing crickets brings bad luck likely originates from European folklore. People believed crickets were fortune tellers who could predict the weather and harvest. Killing one was thought to anger the gods, bring misfortune, and cause weather catastrophes.
As Europeans explored the world, they brought this superstition with them. In the Southern United States, some thought crickets were good luck charms that brought wealth. Killing one would curse you with poverty. Others saw crickets as protectors of the home that warded off evil spirits. Squashing your little guardian angel angered spirits who would then torment you.
During the early 1900s, killing a cricket was thought to cause a mysterious death in the family or the death of livestock and crops. Entire families were terrified to harm a cricket for fear of the consequences. While these beliefs have faded, the notion that killing crickets is unlucky persists in some areas of the Southern U.S. and Europe.
Spiritual Symbolism of Crickets
Crickets have long been seen as a sign of good luck and fortune. Some people used to think crickets were like little angels, bringing messages from spirits. So it makes sense that killing a cricket was believed to bring bad luck. It was thought crickets carried important messages from the afterlife, so silencing them would stop those messages.
V Číně, crickets were revered for their musical chirping and kept as pets. Killing one was thought to bring misfortune.
In Polynesian cultures, crickets represented the spirit world and the chirping was believed to be communication from beyond. Killing one is akin to silencing the voice from beyond.
Even in European folklore, crickets were thought to bring harmony to a home with their gentle sounds. Destroying that harmony could anger spiritual forces.
Is It Bad Luck To Kill A Cricket?
Don’t worry about killing a cricket. The idea that killing a cricket brings bad luck is just an old superstition. Superstitions are “super” because they go “above” or “beyond” normal beliefs. They’re not really based on facts. So if a cricket happens to get in your house, it’s no big deal if it doesn’t make it back out.
On the other hand, I believe that superstitions may have started for a reason. Maybe someone had bad luck when cricket was around, so people thought they were unlucky. Or maybe a long time ago, someone’s house flooded after they killed a cricket that went in their home. So, who knows really where these ideas came from! There could be past experiences that led people to believe crickets were bad luck signs.
Generally, crickets are thought to bring good luck and prosperity. Their cheerful nighttime singing was seen as a sign of comfort and companionship. And some even believed that crickets brought money and fortune. So naturally, killing one was thought to reverse that good luck.
Today, most people don’t genuinely believe that squashing a cricket will curse them with bad luck. However, the myth has endured as more of a nostalgic tradition. Many still prefer to capture crickets and release them outside rather than killing them. Much like spiders or other insects.
Rationally speaking, there’s no reason to think that killing an insect, even one as iconic as a cricket, would somehow cosmically doom you to a streak of bad luck.
Common Reasons For The Superstition
Some of the origins of the “cricket equals good luck” myth include:
- Crickets’ chirping was considered a sign of financial gain or abundance on the way.
- In some cultures, crickets symbolized summer and the harvest. Killing one may have seemed like “killing the summer” or harvest.
- The association between crickets and luck dates back to ancient times in places like China, where crickets were kept as pets and revered for their melodic chirping.
- Folklore portrayed crickets as fortune-tellers. Their chirping was thought to predict future events.
Unless, of course, you accidentally kill your pet cricket – in which case your luck may be out for an entirely different reason! But in general, you can rest easy – killing a random cricket is unlikely to bring you any bad fortune.
At the end of the day..
..a cricket is just an insect trying to survive like any other creature. Unless the chirping is keeping you up at night, these little guys mean you no harm. However, if swatting them makes you feel uneasy, you can always gently capture and release them outside.
Either way, don’t let unfounded superstitions rule your life or make you feel like luck is against you. Create your own good fortune through the choices you make each day.