Very Superstitious
I just taught 3 classes about superstitions in Mexico and Chiapas, and it was so interesting, that I want to share some of them, some of them are complicated to understand, so try to stay with me. Note, these are not only old traditions or stories, many of my students believe them and almost all my students have heard of them. It got me thinking, I´m not sure if I could name so many superstitions we have in the US. Can you think of any, because my students are curious?
1. Black Butterfly
If a giant black butterfly of at least 5 inches length flutters into your house, it either means someone you know is going to die or that someone just died and that is their ghost saying ´goodbye´.
Note: a black butterfly came into my house last week. I thought it was a bat. Should I be scared now that I know the evil omen?
2. ´Eye Illness´ aka Mal de Ojo, the most difficult thing in the world for me to understand.
Eye Illness, according to my students, is something that babies get when someone looks at them with a ´strong look´. What is a strong look, you say? It is when you look at a baby and ´the heat from your eyes is very strong´, so much that it gives them a fever and causes them to cry and cry forever. There are several ways to prevent Mal de Ojo. First, the baby should always wear a bracelet made of amber. Secondly, if you look at a baby, you should always touch it or hug it. This has to be done with parents permission, which they will give you, even if you´re a stranger, because they don´t want their baby to get sick. Now, if they baby is still sick there is one last remedy. This is that you take an egg and pass it over the body of the infant, and the sickness goes into the egg. Then you crack the egg into a glass of water and the yolk sinks to the bottom. Then the sickness is gone. Almost all of my students believe this to some degree.
3. Something Red
If a baby has hiccups, you should put a red thread on its head with saliva. This will cure the hiccups.
4. House Warming
If you get a new house, you should kill a chicken, and bury it in a hole with alcohol and water as a blessing. This is mostly in smaller towns, not the city.
5. Tuesday
You should not get married or start a trip on tuesdays.
6. Underwear
On New Years Eve you should wear red underwear for love, yellow for money, green for health. I asked, ´can i layer, and receive all the benefits.´ to which they giggled, but this is my new years plan.
7. Twelve Grapes at Midnight
New Years Eve you have to get 12 grapes at 12 oclock, in some short amount of time like 1 minute.
8. Frog statues
In your business, it is agreed that frog and elephant statues are good luck.
9. Broom Behind the Door
If you have unwanted guests in your house, put the broom behind the door and this will drive them out quickly.
10. Broom On the Feet
If someone sweeps your feet, it means either you will never marry, or you will marry an old widow/widower
11. Money for the New Year
Put money in front of you and sweep it up. You will receive money next year. Also, if you hand itches, this is another sign.
12. Travel for the New Year
If you want to travel next year, on New Years Day you must pack a suitcase and walk it around your house.
That´s all. Please leave comments if you know of any american superstitions.
posted by Jessica @ 10:36 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Hello Jessica! I'm still reading and enjoying your blog. I have a few weird superstitious I grew up hearing about...
If your nose itches, it means someone is talking about you. (I heard that one from my grandparents all the time)
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will bring you good luck. My mom always made sure to make them every New Years. I think that might just be a southern thing though.
Hey Jess - i have several:
Eat pickled herring on new year's eve for good luck;
Don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's back.
White wedding dress = virgin; beige/cream color = not virgin.
If a fork drops, expect company.
If you nose itches your going to kiss a fool.
If your "ears are ringing" someone is talking about you.
Don't walk under a ladder, it's bad luck.
If a black cat crosses your path, it's bad luck.
When you get a new car, people are supposed to throw change (money) into it for good luck.
Some hotel & elevators do not have a 13th floor on them. They just "skip" this number. Weirdness...cuz it's still there even if they don't call it #13.
Ok..that's all i can think of for now. I will get back with you when i think of more....p.s. i really like the new year's layering of underwear - i think we should make that a US tradition.
layer your underwear and definitely pack it in your suitcase on new year's, because i am expecting you here. my coworkers hand was itching today but she doesn't think she's going to get any money. what a non-believer!!! and, if your an estadounidense, walking under a ladder is perilous. probably cause it will just fall on your head. and maybe black cats are more likely to scratch. another mexican superstition that made Oscar's sister-in-law cry was when her sister told her that she couldn't be around her niece because she was pregnant and evidently a baby in the womb does bad things to babies outside the womb. whew.
Oooh I heard a good one from Peru.
You shouldn't comb your child's hair because if you do they'll grow up and their teeth will look just like the teeth of a comb! Separate and skinny. BEWARE.
on monday a butterfly flew into my car at a stoplight, fluttered around, and then flew out. and on tuesday i was sweeping the cafe and a woman said to me, "it's okay, i've already been married; you can sweep under my feet." these are only two instances that reminded me of you.
My family religiously follows this old superstition where if you don't not eat a person after they offend you they will probably offend you again and then you have no one to blame but yourself.
Jacob Jacob Jacob...thanks for making me laugh!!!
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