posted February 09, 2007 01:17 PM
Ha, this is what else I found about it...along with a bunch of other interesting superstitions they have. (And I thought Mozambiquans were strange 
... *Just kidding*)
Be Careful! It's Tuesday the 13th
Here in Mexico we don't give Friday the 13th a second thought. It's when the 13th of the month falls on a Tuesday that we peer around corners, worry about bad luck and give thanks when we've arrived unscathed at the end of the day.
Moving to Mexico I knew that I had a new language to learn to read, write and speak. It's funny that it didn't occur to me that there were other things to learn, things like sign language and superstitions.
Some traditional superstitions about of bad luck: black cats crossing your path, walking under a ladder, opening an umbrella in the house and breaking a mirror seem to be universal—these things are just as avidly avoided here as they are North of the Border.
Here are some of the other superstitions I've learned about while living here at Lake Chapala.
Attracting Good Luck
Sprinkle salt in the doorway of your business to increase your income and success.
A pot of fresh basil outside a store brings in good customers. A sage plant keeps out deadbeats, disgruntled customers and brujas (witches).
To bring good luck into the house, dissolve salt in the mop water and mop from the front door through the house to the back. To rid the house of bad luck or bad spirits, sprinkle salt on the floors and sweep from the back door through the house and out the front door.
To have a really good day, always put your right foot on the floor first in the morning.
For good luck, be sure to eat the burned section of a tortilla.
Protection from evil sprits, brujas (witches)
Never talk about brujas (witches) on Tuesday or Friday. Their powers are greater on those days and they may be able to hear you and then have reason to retaliate against you.
Say Salud, (to your health) when you hear anyone sneeze. A sneeze is a symptom that someone is thinking ill of the sneezing person, and could be placing a spell on them. During the sneeze the person is defenseless and their soul could be snatched away.
When taking unbaptized babies to the cemetery, beside a lake or steam or up into the mountains, extra care must be taken to prevent the little people (sprites or elves) who live in those spots from merging into an unprotected child's body. Parents put a Rosary around the infant's neck, try to keep children awake and never lay them on the ground. When leaving these danger areas, parents loudly call their child's name to be sure the child's spirit and not that of the duenda (sprite) is present in the child's body.
Attracting Bad Luck
A bride who wears pearls to the wedding cries throughout her marriage. Pearls represent tears and bring bad luck.
You will attract very bad luck if you sleep with your back to the door of the bedroom.
If you refuse the food or drinks offered by your hosts, you'll bring very bad luck to the house.
Learning about the history, culture and even the superstitions of Mexico is part of the wonderful adventure of Living at Lake Chapala--but Good Luck! It's still Tuesday the 13th.
You can read more about Mexican Culture, traditions and customs in the "Soul of Mexico" articles of the online magazine Living at Lake Chapala at www.mexico-insights.com
http://www.mexico-insights.com/blogger/insights/2006/06/be-careful-its-tuesday-13th.ht ml
Lindaland
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posted February 09, 2007 12:38 PM
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posted February 09, 2007 03:50 PM
