Some scholars speculate, based on common legends between various cultures around the globe, that the old practice of "wishing upon a shooting star" originates from a time when people believed that the gods would occasionally open the dome of heaven to peek in on what the mortals were doing on Earth. This opening of the dome released a star, and if one made a wish while there was still light, and before the dome slammed shut, the gods might hear and grant the wish.
In Switzerland, it was though that shooting stars possessed the power of God and could ward off pestilence....
... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Widdershins, and can be viewed in its entirety here: The Folklore of Falling Stars
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