Cristian Măcelaru Featured In New York Times Article

What Is Your Greatest Superstition?

By The New York Times

December 9, 2025

Cristian Măcelaru: ‘I Found New Ways to Prevent Repeated Behaviors From Hardening Into Fixed Rituals’

Can denying a superstition itself become a kind of superstition?

I grew up in Timisoara, Romania, a place infused with daily rituals and folk traditions, where superstitions are everywhere — from the classic forewarning of bad luck when a black cat crossed your path, to the more unusual belief that a broom brushing your toes foretold celibacy.

During my teenage years, as I began my career in music, I started noticing the rituals my colleagues followed, such as eating a banana five minutes before walking onstage or tucking a lucky handkerchief into a pocket. Soon, I felt compelled to create my own ritual that was shaped by my personal research into what might attract luck. After each successful performance, I asked myself: What were the determining factors? I always accounted for the practical, technical aspects of preparation, but I began to wonder if extra, less tangible elements (such as preshow habits) could provide the necessary edge.

When I was well on my way to creating a foolproof pre-performance ritual, I came across an interview with a celebrated basketball player. He explained that his superstition required him to repeat eating the last meal he had before a successful game, until a less successful one broke the streak. His complaint, of course, was that a long winning streak could mean a severely monotonous and unhealthy diet.

That gave me pause. I started re-evaluating my path, realizing it would be equally unhealthy to lock myself into a ritual that could potentially influence my state of mind before stepping onstage. In response, I forced myself to invent a new ritual each time. If I had eaten fruit before one performance, the next time it might be a piece of cheese or a carrot.

As the years went on, I found new ways to prevent repeated behaviors from hardening into fixed rituals. For example, for guest engagements, I collect my thoughts while taking in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood around the concert hall, or converse with fellow performers during this brief opportunity to make music together for a night or two. By deliberately avoiding inflexible rituals, I’m able to truly enjoy the variety in what I do. Can the very need to reject superstition become a superstition of its own? Yes, and my life is richer for it.

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