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Lesson Transcript

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!

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