touch wood

tamelyn feinstein

To touch wood or knock on wood is a superstition action to ward off any evil consequences or bad luck, perhaps because of some recent action you’ve taken or untimely boasting about your good fortune (“I’ve never been in danger of drowning, touch wood”); it can also be a charm to bring good luck.

The origin is unknown, though some writers have pointed to pre-Christian rituals involving the spirits of sacred trees such as the oak, ash, holly or hawthorn. There is, I’m told, an old Irish belief that you should knock on wood to let the little people know that you are thanking them for a bit of good luck. There’s also a belief that the knocking sound prevents the Devil from hearing your unwise comments.

There is even a Jewish version in which around the 1500’s, the Jews were in flight and their temples (synagogues) were a safe haven. In order to protect those inside, the Jews had a special code, which had to be knocked on the wooden doors to gain access. Since this saved many lives, knocking on the wood became a sign of good luck.

~ from www.worldwidewords.org

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