The word superstition is often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions. It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently) unrelated prior events.
Due to the pejorative implications of the term, items referred to in common parlance as superstition are commonly referred to as folk belief in folkloristics.Superstition is a pejorative term for any belief or practice that is considered irrational: for example, if it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown. “Superstition” also refers to actions arising from irrationality.
This superstition came to us straight from the Greeks. Originally, making a toast to a guest of honor had two different meanings depending on if that guest was deceased or alive and able to bask in the glory of the moment with you.
Toasting a living person was considered a prayer you were making to the gods, usually for good health or fortune to be bestowed on the person. Greek gods liked to party and as such, a watery toast was pretty lackluster in their opinion. Not only would the toast likely be ignored, but it could actually anger the gods to the point of bestowing ill fortune upon the parties involved.
Water was perfectly acceptable in a toast to the dead, however. Deceased Greeks were believed to go to the Underworld where they would drink from the Ameles Potamos, or River of Unmindfulness, AKA River Lethe, in order to forget their past transgressions. As such, a toast to a recently deceased person would almost always be with a glass full of water, to represent their journey along the river.
It was believed that mixing these actions and toasting a living person with a glass full of water could even bring about a watery death to those involved.
