Story 5. Your Lucky Day
There are many age-old beliefs about good luck and bad luck.
Every culture has them.
If something happens, then something else will happen.
A black cat crosses the road in front of you.
You spill salt at the dinner table.
You walk under a ladder.
You break a mirror.
According to superstition, if any of these things happen, you are going to have bad luck.
Walking down the street, you find a penny.
Looking up into the sky on a star-filled night, you see a shooting star.
In the grass, you find a clover with four leaves.
If any of these things happen to you, it's going to be a great day.
You are going to have good luck.
No one knows where superstitions about luck started.
They were with us long before the scientific age.
And they are still with us today, although most of us do not believe in them.
Still, they hang on.
Each generation teaches the youngsters the superstitions of their culture.
And because we learn them when we are young, we never forget them.
We might not believe in them anymore, but we still feel a bit of fear and surprise when a black cat crosses our path.
After all, who wants to have a bad day?
If we break a mirror, we clean it up.
However, there is a small part of us that asks, "Am I really going to have seven years bad luck just because I broke this mirror?"
Most people remember seeing their first shooting star blazing across the night sky.
Adults tell them, "Quickly, make a wish."
It's bound to come true."
And most children close their eyes and make that wish, believing that it will come true.
Luck is luck.
You can't predict when you will have any good luck or bad luck.
Still, it's fun learning about superstitions.
They have always been with us.
They will probably still be with us for a long time to come.
