“A lot of people said that if I… stepped on a crack, I would break my mother’s back… it was mainly a lot of people at school though… I ummm…actually believed it though hahaha… I was terrified of cracks throughout most of my childhood and almost started crying once because I actually did step on a crack”

This seems to be a common one throughout many school children throughout the world that if you step on a crack that you will break your mother’s back. There doesn’t seem to be much of that throughout other cultures besides American culture. Also it never permeates adult culture as well. We always see children who always believe in this never adults. Some versions of this myth are only during a game of hopscotch as to create an incentive to win—a pretty large and threatening incentive if you ask me—while some, like that of the informant is used as a way of life.

For more information on this superstition see: http://www.smartalecksguide.com/2011/09/are-there-dark-origins-behind-step-on.html