While discussing the possibility of a plum work opportunity with a friend yesterday, I quickly knocked on a palm tree. Though I’m confident in my abilities, I’m never one to tempt fate — heck, if there’s no wood close by to touch, I’ll take knuckle my own head in substitution, just so Anyone watching up above doesn’t get the idea I’m getting arrogant.

Common practice, I figure. But this Jewish buddy looked horrified and said “You know you’re invoking the cross when you do that, right?” I was all, “What-ever” but he claimed he got it on rabbinical authority. Well, I checked with the supreme authority known as Google, and it seems we’re both a little right:

Although “touching wood” has long been a Christian custom referring to the cross or rosary, it goes back waaaay further than that to the flora-loving Pagan religions who believed spirits lived in trees. The phrase has a place in every culture in the world, from the Ukraine to Trinidad, and there’s even a version particular to Judaism: In the 15th-century when Sephardic Jews were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, they sought solace in their wooden synagogues, where they’d have to knock out a secret code to gain entrance. This saved plenty of lives, so it became “good luck” to rap on nice thick chunk of cedar.

And should you still doubt its ubiquity, the Eddie Floyd song “Knock On Wood” has been covered by over a 100 different artists, including David Bowie, Wilson Pickett and Cher.

So, as far as I’m concerned, its plenty kosher, and I’ll continue to knock whatever tree/table/picture frame/wall/banister/prosthetic leg/credenza/branch blown down by Hurricane Bill is around to ward off any bad luck. In fact, it’ll probably be tenfold-powerful if I add a resounding “KININEHORA!” with the knock, dontcha think?

In the meantime, please enjoy this mid-90’s tune by ska legends The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which has been has been kicking around my synapses since I started this post: