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Why is it seven years bad luck if a mirror breaks?
The broken mirror superstition has been passed down for generations as a cause of death for someone close to you or some other bad omen. This is because mirrors suck any evil energy from you and absorb it behind the glass.
If the mirror then breaks, all the evil energy collected from you, and from anybody else whose image had passed by the mirror, is immediately released.
The frightening thing is that in many cases, you have no idea who might have been in front of that mirror since it was made, and you have no idea what evil energy those people may have had.
The intensity of bad luck depends on the weight of the evil, as does the ensuing period of bad luck. But seven years is invariably considered to be the standard length. This is because the number seven is usually related to good luck, but breaking a mirror smashes that luck in an instant.
The bad luck may start immediately or soon after the mirror breaks, and last for seven years. Or there may be a series of bad luck over the next seven years. These factors depend on the weight of the evil.
Therefore you must handle mirrors with care and respect.
It's certainly unlucky if you cut your hand when clearing the broken pieces, but if you take reasonable care, you'll be fine.
It's also unlucky if the mirror was a treasured possession, past down from your dear Aunt Agatha. But mirror glass can be replaced. Just take the frame to a glazier and they should be able to fix it within an hour and you'll be fine.
Whatever the bad luck might be, if any, there's still no need to worry because there are so many more superstitions promising good luck than bad luck from the number seven.
You'll be fine.
(See also Seven in Japan and in particular Shichifukujin.)