Why Do We Hold Our Breath Driving By Cemeteries?

With Halloween a week away, our minds go straight to spooky.

This morning we we got into a quick discussion about a very common superstition: holding your breath while passing a cemetery. I remember being a kid and learning about this. And by learning I mean, my older brother scaring me by telling me I'd wake up the dead.

Why in the world do we do this? Don't worry I did the research for you...

The City of Missoula's posted about Cemetery-Folklore and say we hold our breath while driving past a cemetery because we could possibly "breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died."

They also add that tucking our thumbs into our fist while passing a cemetery will protect our parents.

In research by an author named Sanguinarius, they state that we hold our breath because "you will either wake a spirit with each breath or else you, still being alive, will make the spirits jealous."

Noted.

I hope this clears up any concern you may have had regarding driving past cemeteries.

What are your superstitions?

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