Learn the superstitions about Tuesday the 13th and tortillas
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Mexican Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 1 - Tuesday the 13th and Tortillas. I'm Eric and I'm joined by Alex. |
| Alex: Hola! Hi, I'm Alex. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Eric: In this lesson we’ll talk about two common superstitions in Mexico. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s the superstition called in Mexican Spanish? |
| Alex: martes 13 |
| Eric: Which literally means "Tuesday the 13th." Alex, can you repeat the Mexican Spanish phrase again? |
| Alex: [slow] martes 13 [normal] martes 13 |
| Eric: In Mexico, you shouldn't do anything important like traveling, weddings, or business deals, on Tuesday the 13th. |
| Alex: It’s because Tuesday the 13th is believed to be the day of bad luck. |
| Eric: This superstition probably originated in part because of the Spanish word for Tuesday. |
| Alex: Martes comes from Mars, the Roman god of war. |
| Eric: And 13 is considered an unlucky number in many Christian countries. |
| Alex: So all together, Tuesday the 13th is a very unlucky day. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition called in Spanish? |
| Alex: tirar una tortilla al suelo |
| Eric: Which literally means "dropping a tortilla on the floor." Let’s hear it in Mexican Spanish again. |
| Alex: [slow] tirar una tortilla al suelo [normal] tirar una tortilla al suelo |
| Eric: In Mexico, it's believed that if you drop a tortilla on the floor, you will have company. |
| Alex: Some people believe you will have unpleasant or unwanted company. |
| Eric: I’ve heard this superstition was created to discourage people from wasting food. |
| Alex: Possibly. Tortillas are an important food for Mexicans and shouldn’t be wasted. |
| Eric: So if I should drop a tortilla, I should expect unwelcome company? |
| Alex: You never know! It could be good company instead! |
Outro |
|---|
| Eric: There you have it - two Mexican superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Alex: Hasta pronto! |
Comments
Hide