Do you believe that black cats are a sign of a bad omen?

Four out of every 10 Greeks believe in the evil eye, magic and witchcraft, according to a survey published Thursday in media reports.

Greece, with similar rates in Türkiye, is a country where many believe that uncanny forces can bring evil and curses that lead to misery, the Kathimerini newspaper reported, citing a survey by the economics department of American University in Washington.

It stressed that the percentages are lower in the rest of Europe, especially in the central and northern areas of the continent. In Sweden, for example, only 9% believe in witchcraft or magic.

Uncertainty, constant fear and insecurity lead to the search for a force that will act as an enemy, or as a release, said the newspaper.

"As absurd as such a belief is, it is at least comforting," it noted.

Stefanos Trahanas, a senior quantum physicist at the University of Crete told the daily: "In times of crisis we need certainties. Reason cannot give unshakable answers and thus irrationality emerges."