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Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Curse of Broken Mirrors

Published October 22, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

The hosts explore the superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck and trace its roots through ancient Greek and Roman beliefs about reflections and souls. They discuss how mirrors evolved from reflective water and polished metal to glass, why mirrors came to be associated with the soul, and where the "seven years" idea may have originated. The episode also covers various folk remedies for broken-mirror bad luck, and other mirror- and glass-related superstitions surrounding death, demons, and marriage rituals, tying it all to the Halloween season.

Topics Covered

Superstitions Mirrors Bad luck Ritual symbolism Religion and spirituality Funerary customs Marriage rituals Cultural inheritance Halloween Folklore

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Quick Takeaways

  • The belief that breaking a mirror causes seven years of bad luck is tied to ancient ideas that reflections reveal or embody the soul.
  • Greeks and Romans were wary of reflections, first in water and then in early metal mirrors, which they treated as spiritually significant objects.
  • The "seven years" of bad luck likely stems from Roman beliefs in seven-year life cycles and the high cost of mirrors, which could equal seven years of a servant's wages.
  • Various folk practices-like quickly disposing of, burying, or grinding up broken mirror pieces-developed as ways to mitigate the supposed bad luck.
  • Other mirror and glass superstitions include covering mirrors after a death, fearing souls or demons might be trapped or escape, and using mirrors in marriage divination rituals.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and setup of broken mirror superstition

Hosts and show framing

Josh and Chuck welcome listeners to a "Short Stuff" episode[0:32]
• They mention themselves, producer Jerry, and jokingly say "not Dave, but still Dave"

Reference to previous mirror content

Chuck recalls that they previously did a whole episode on mirrors[0:43]
• He notes there is "no way" they didn't talk about breaking mirrors in that earlier episode
Josh characterizes this episode as an expanded, "balloon-y" version focused specifically on broken mirrors[0:51]

Core superstition: breaking mirrors and seven years of bad luck

Statement of the superstition

Josh says many superstitious people believe breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck[1:04]
• He explains that the episode will dig into why this belief might exist

General human superstition

Chuck notes that people have been superstitious about various things ever since there have been people[1:09]
• He emphasizes that this predates the invention of mirrors themselves

Ancient Greek views on reflections and Narcissus

Narcissus myth as an early reflection story

Chuck says the Greeks were apparently first to talk about reflections[1:16]
• He references the story of Narcissus, who falls in love with his image in a stream and drowns and dies
Chuck suggests this led Greeks to think that maybe seeing yourself is not always a good thing[1:29]
• Josh jokingly adds that Narcissus had a tattoo

Reflections in water as bad luck

Josh notes it was considered bad luck to see your reflection in water[1:39]
• He points out that for an ancient Greek, water was pretty much the only way to see a reflection

Roman invention and evolution of mirrors

Romans adopt and modify reflection beliefs

Josh says that when the ancient Romans came along, they basically believed the same things about reflections as Greeks[1:50]
• He adds that Romans were also incredibly vain, which pushed them to invent mirrors

Early mirror materials: polished metal

Josh explains that the first Roman mirrors were highly polished metal surfaces[2:05]
• He jokes that if someone had an old shield lying around, they could upcycle it into a mirror instead of throwing it away

Pop culture aside: Medusa and shields

Chuck references using a shield as a reflective surface to see Medusa in "Clash of the Titans"[2:17]
• They briefly connect this movie image to the idea of shields as mirrors

Pronunciation digression and Indigo Girls anecdote

Pronouncing "Narcissus"

Josh says he has always heard the name pronounced "Narcissus"[2:24]
• He comments that he likes how Chuck pronounced it differently and clarifies he is not mocking him
Chuck suggests he might get his pronunciation from an Indigo Girls song[2:32]
• He quotes the lyric "I look a lot like Narcissus" as a possible source

Indigo Girls and Lucy Wainwright Roach aside

Chuck speculates that at least one of the Indigo Girls probably studied Greek mythology at the University of Georgia[2:43]
• He mentions their friend Lucy Wainwright just finished touring with the Indigo Girls
Josh congratulates Lucy and Chuck notes he had already told Josh about it[2:57]
• Chuck says Lucy's young daughter was able to attend a lot of the shows, which he describes as fun
Josh comments that having a little girl on tour keeps everyone grounded[3:05]
• They joke that the Indigo Girls, known humorously for trashing hotel rooms and throwing TVs, would refrain from that behavior in front of Lucy's child

Spiritual significance of mirrors and angering the gods

Mirrors as tools for gods to observe souls

Chuck says the idea developed that gods might observe souls through shiny reflective devices like mirrors[3:35]
• Because of this association, mirrors were considered to have spiritual import

Breaking a mirror as disrespect and potential divine anger

Chuck explains that damaging a mirror was initially seen as disrespectful[3:48]
• He adds that people also began to believe breaking a mirror might anger the gods, who would then rain bad luck down on them

Mirrors as reflections of the soul

Josh notes that in some beliefs, the reflection in the mirror is literally the soul being seen[4:01]
• He says that breaking a mirror could therefore be seen as breaking your soul too
One consequence: the broken soul can no longer protect the body, leading to misfortune for seven years[4:14]
• Another consequence in some traditions: the damaged soul becomes upset and seeks revenge on you
Josh mentions that in some versions the soul's revenge might involve killing one of your loved ones[4:31]
• Chuck comments that this outcome is especially undesirable since you've already lost a nice mirror and then suffer a family death

Origins of the seven-year bad luck period

Roman belief in seven-year cycles

Chuck says the seven-year duration comes from Romans believing life changes happen in seven-year cycles[4:46]
• This belief ties the length of bad luck to a supposedly natural cycle of life transformation

Economic explanation: mirrors equal seven years' work

Chuck offers another explanation that early mirrors were very expensive[5:00]
• He cites a claim that the cost of a mirror could equal seven years' work from a servant
Josh says he likes both explanations for the seven-year period[5:03]
• Chuck suggests that maybe both explanations could be accurate simultaneously

First English-language reference to broken mirror bad luck

1777 written mention

Josh notes that in English, the first mention of breaking a mirror as bad luck is from 1777[5:13]
• He quotes an author describing breaking a mirror as "a very unlucky accident"
The quoted author links mirrors to an ancient form of divination used by magicians in "superstitious and diabolical operations"[5:28]

Spread into British culture and beyond

Chuck says that once the idea appeared in print, it became part of British culture[5:35]
• He adds that as a result, people all over the world started not wanting to break their mirrors

Transition to mitigation strategies

Chuck proposes taking a break and then returning to discuss how to mitigate bad luck if you break a mirror[5:13]
• He signals they will be "right back" after the break

Mitigating bad luck from breaking a mirror

Returning from break and setup

Chuck notes that before the break, Josh made a series of puns about another topic[7:53]
• He then pivots back to mirror breakage and mitigation practices

Immediate disposal of broken mirror pieces

Chuck says one thing you can do after breaking a mirror is get rid of the pieces[8:33]
• He notes that beyond safety concerns, getting rid of the pieces quickly symbolically washes away the bad luck
Josh cites a HowStuffWorks article that seriously explains how to throw away a broken mirror[8:23]
• He says you should wrap the pieces in paper or put them in a cardboard box because sharp pieces can cut through plastic bags
• Josh distinguishes this as practical household advice rather than a superstition

Burying mirror pieces under a full moon

Chuck mentions another suggested remedy is to bury the broken mirror pieces[8:33]
• He says it is considered better to bury them in the light of a full moon, which he describes as creepy and ancient-sounding
Chuck notes you have to weigh the cost-benefit of keeping the broken mirror around until the next full moon[9:01]
• He points out that if you broke the mirror at the new moon, you might be holding on to unlucky pieces for about a month
Josh questions whether the full moon would really offset a month of accumulated bad luck from keeping the pieces[9:08]
• Both hosts agree that waiting more than about two days before or after a full moon is too long to keep the pieces

Grinding the mirror and throwing salt

Josh says another option is grinding the mirror pieces into powder[8:33]
• Chuck jokingly suggests taking the powder to a party
They mention the common superstition of throwing salt over your left shoulder as a way to get rid of bad luck[9:38]
• Josh says this salt-throwing remedy is believed to work for a variety of bad luck situations, not only mirrors

Other glass and mirror superstitions

Breaking regular glass

Josh notes that mirrors are made of glass, but breaking non-mirrored glass has its own superstitions[9:45]
• He says breaking glass can be considered good luck in some traditions, but in others it is bad luck
Josh mentions that in England, breaking a glass is viewed as a death omen[9:57]
• Chuck jokes that if this were literally true, many people around him would be dying because he breaks glasses a lot
Chuck adds that his partner Emily also often breaks glass[10:04]

Glass breaking as celebration and ritual

Josh contrasts the English omen with Greek celebrations where breaking glass can be celebratory[9:56]
• He says breaking glass at Greek celebrations can be to ward off evil spirits
Josh notes that at Jewish weddings, stomping on a wine glass is a famous tradition[10:16]
• He frames these as examples of glass breaking being used for positive ritual purposes

Mirror superstitions related to death and demons

Covering mirrors after a death

Josh says that in some traditions, when someone dies, people cover mirrors in the house[10:30]
• The practice prevents anyone from seeing their reflection while the death-related rituals are ongoing
Josh explains one reason: the deceased's soul is wandering until burial, and if it sees its reflection in a mirror, it might get sucked in and trapped[10:46]
• He notes that people don't want their "poor grandma's soul" to be stuck in a mirror
Josh adds another belief: if the soul gets trapped, the mirror may tarnish and even take on the image of the deceased person[10:59]
• He paints a scenario where breaking a mirror causes a grandmother to die, then a new mirror traps her soul when she sees herself in it
Chuck comments that such a chain of events would bring a lot of bad luck and emotional baggage[11:17]
• He jokes that this scenario would warrant seeing a therapist
• Chuck quips that the hypothetical grandmother also constantly told you that you were not doing anything right

Demons and mirrors

Chuck notes another belief that demons can escape into the living world through mirrors[11:31]
• Covering mirrors after a death can also be intended to block demons from crossing over at that vulnerable time
He summarizes that a lot of mirror covering happens around death in these traditions[11:38]

Marriage-related mirror superstitions and closing thoughts

Edwardian British mirror divination for marriage

Josh describes a practice in Edwardian Britain, which he dates to the first decade of the 20th century[11:47]
• In this practice, someone could sit in front of a mirror by candlelight to learn about their future husband or whether they would marry at all
Josh says if you saw your husband appear in the mirror, that suggested a future marriage[11:50]
• If instead a grim specter appeared, it meant you would die before getting married
He clarifies that dying before marriage does not necessarily mean dying young; it could mean living to old age without marrying[12:06]

Post-wedding mirror ritual and alternate universe belief

Chuck shares another superstition: after saying "I do," if you look into a mirror shortly afterward, it unites your souls[12:23]
• He says this ritual is believed to create an alternate universe where the two souls can live together forever
Josh comments that this is a very sweet idea[12:38]
• Chuck responds that there is not much sweeter than that kind of eternal union belief

Halloween framing and final advice

Chuck ties the discussion to the Halloween season[12:42]
• He suggests that in this season people should go out, kiss their mirrors, and take very good care of them
Josh offers an alternative: cover the mirror if you don't want to take chances[12:51]
• Chuck says this means the "spooky short stuff" segment is over

Show outro

They play the standard outro identifying "Stuff You Should Know" as an iHeartRadio production[12:57]
• Listeners are directed to find more podcasts via the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or their preferred platforms

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Understanding the cultural and historical roots of superstitions can reduce their emotional power and help you decide whether they deserve influence over your choices.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What superstitions or inherited beliefs do I follow without really knowing where they came from?
  • • How might tracing the origin of one belief I hold change the way I feel about it or act on it?
  • • What is one superstition or assumption I can research this week so I relate to it more consciously instead of automatically?
2

Objects we treat as spiritually significant (like mirrors in these traditions) often become focal points for our fears and hopes, so being aware of that symbolism helps us respond more rationally.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which objects in my home or workspace carry symbolic weight for me, whether positive or negative?
  • • How could recognizing the symbolism I've assigned to certain things help me respond more calmly when they break or change?
  • • What is one situation where I can deliberately separate the emotional symbolism of an object from its practical reality?
3

Rituals-whether about warding off bad luck or celebrating major life events-serve psychological and social functions, even when their literal claims aren't true.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What small rituals do I already use to calm myself, mark transitions, or feel safer?
  • • How could I design a simple, meaningful ritual to support me during a stressful or uncertain period I'm facing now?
  • • Which existing ritual in my life might I update or reinterpret so it better matches my current values and understanding?
4

Humor and storytelling about dark or eerie topics, like cursed mirrors or death omens, can make them more approachable and help process underlying anxieties.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When have I used humor or a story to make a frightening or uncomfortable topic easier to handle?
  • • How might sharing a lighthearted story about a fear I have reduce its grip on me or others?
  • • What is one anxiety I could safely explore through a playful conversation, story, or creative project this week?

Episode Summary - Notes by Cameron

Short Stuff: Curse of Broken Mirrors
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