life:

On the first Friday the 13th of 2012 — are you feeling superstitious?

It’s not clear exactly where the idea that a black cat crossing your path means bad luck came from, but cats have definitely had a reversal of fortune the last couple of millennia. Cats were revered in ancient Egypt, personified by the goddess Bastet. In the Middle Ages in Europe, however, it was the lowly mouse that became to be associated with Jesus Christ and his humble followers, while its natural predator, the cat, became an omen of evil and a creature that consorted with black magic and witches. The black cat in particular became further linked to chaos and destruction when it was adopted as the symbol of the anarcho-syndicalist movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Still, it’s worth noting that in many countries around the world, a black cat crossing your path means good luck, not bad.

(see more — Where Superstitions Come From)