264.WHY IS FRIDAY THE 13TH CONSIDERED UNLUCKY?
Man has always had superstitions about numbers and about days. Some were supposed to be lucky; some, unlucky. Why the number 13 came to be considered unlucky no one really knows, though there are some theories about it. One explanation has to do with Scandinavian mythology. There were 12 demi Gods. According to this legend, Loki appeared, making the 13th. Since Loki was evil and cruel and caused human misfortunes, and since he was the 13th demigod, the number 13 came to be a sign of bad luck.
263.WHY DO WE THROW RICE AT THE COUPLE?
This custom is not only found all over the world, but it goes back to very ancient times.
The marriage ceremony, like so many other important events in life, is full of symbolism. (This means that we perform certain acts as symbols of things we wish to express, instead of expressing them directly.)
262.WHY DO SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEAUTIFUL VOICES?
Do you know that when you use your voice, you are really acting like a musical virtuoso? You are performing on one of the most difficult and complicated musical instruments known to man. And the reason you can do it is that you learned when you were young and have been practicing it.
Consider just the vocal cords, which are only part of the apparatus which produces our voice. Controlling them is a matter of the utmost precision. Sixteen muscles, the most delicate muscles in the body, move our vocal cords. They can assume about 170 different positions! Just the right amount of air has to be blown upward to make them vibrate in a certain way.
