Superstitions
For some people in Costa Rica, Friday the 13th is considered a bad luck day; for others, it’s Tuesday the 13th. As the proverb goes, Martes trece, no te cases ni te embarques. (On Tuesday the thirteenth, neither get married nor travel.)
There are many other superstitions. Rolando, a 44-year-old man from Golfito, Costa Rica, told me the following:
• If a pregnant woman sees a snake bite, she’ll die.
• If you kill a black cat, you’ll have seven years of bad luck.
• If you wear your shirt inside out, you’ll be protected against witches.
• If a horse rolls around the ground, it’ll rain.
• If you find a nest of a macuá (a black tropical bird), you’ll have extremely good luck.
• If there’s a hurricane, point your machete toward the wind.
• If you let a baby see himself in a mirror, he’ll eat his own feces.
• If you need to scare away evil spirits, pray Our Father backwards.
• If you leave the spoon in the cooking pot, the beans will cook faster.
• If a sparrow enters your house, you’ll have good luck.
• If the dogs start howling, there’s going to be an earthquake.
• If the cattle start running, something bad will happen.
• If you see a small white dog in your pathway, you’ll be protected against evil.
• If a fisherman’s wife is pregnant, he won’t catch any fish.
• If you want to ward off evil spirits, hang garlic outside the house.
Interestingly, Rolando never heard of not stepping on cracks, not walking under a ladder, not opening an umbrella inside, or not spilling salt. “What’s bad luck,” he said, “is if you burn the salt.”
Friday, March 13, 2009