It’s All Maya!

For a lot of superstitious people Friday the 13th is a day they would rather avoid, but for me it’s just another day!  For my mom and one of my exes Friday the 13th always brings them good luck!  As a matter of fact, they anticipate good things happening and the Universe doesn’t disappoint; something good always happens to them!  

On the other hand, the same can be said for everyone who expects something bad to happen - it usually does!  (Hmm, it sounds like everyone is creating their own reality, if you ask me!)  Some superstitions are universal, while others just pertain to a certain region or country.  Some bring good luck, while others bring bad.

Obviously, 13 at a dinner table traces back to The Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples and is considered a no no!  Wearing new clothes on Fridays will also bring about negative consequences; as will offering chrysanthemums or a bouquet of carnations.  (I love carnations!  Given the choice between a dozen red roses and a dozen red carnation; I’ll take the carnations, thank you very much!)

In France, placing bread with the bottom up (or the top down) brings bad luck for most of the French.  Putting your hat on the bed, or opening an umbrella in the house is asking for trouble.  Personally, I do all three, and when I see a black cat cross my path, I just keep on walking!  In Mexico putting your purse on the floor means you won’t have money.  I never put my purse on the floor, but that’s for entirely different reasons….hmm!
   
According to the Irish, finding a four leaf clover or seeing a rainbow is suppose to bring good luck.  Seeing a ladybug fly also brings good luck and spiderwebs forecast money. 

Not surprisingly, the French find stepping in dog poop good luck (and in Paris the odds are in your favor!) but it must be with the left foot!  (This, of course, doesn’t work if you bring it into your house where you just put in new white carpeting!  Then it doesn’t matter if it’s with your left foot or your right; you’ll end up in the dog house for sure!) 
 
Maya Muses: I remember one Friday the 13th, I was meeting a friend of mine for drinks. She had just had her hair done at a chic salon in Paris and we came upon a man on a ladder painting a sign. She saw me going straight under the ladder and she said to me in French, “Don’t go under the ladder, it’s bad luck! I told her, “I always go under a ladder and it’s never brought me bad luck. She stood there and watched me walk under. At the same time, the man on the ladder turned to look at her and knocked over the bucket of white paint right on top of my friend!

Now I can laugh when I think of the look of astonishment on her face as the thick white paint was running down her hair, her face, and her beautiful black dress as she stood there stunned, but in that moment I was also horrified!  LOL….Okay!  I’ll stop laughing!

Photo Credits:  Flickr