Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
BELIEF OF MEXICANS
FAITH OF LOWER CLASSES IN
SIGNS AND oMENs.
Things the Poems Are Taught to Do
or to Avoid-Numbers Lucky
and Unlucky.
From the Mexican Herald.

From the Mexican Herald
Mexicans enjoy the well-earned reputa-
ton Of being one Of the most superstitous
races of the world. Superstition exists
wherever there Is a human being, but
Mexico seems to be the place where all
human superstitions are centered. To such
an extent is this true that superstition has
become almost a kind of religion governing
every act Of the people.
Take the average Mexican of the poorer
classes and you may hear from his lips
hair-raisng stories of ghosts and fairies
and devils. He will tell you of the rare
qualities of many animals. plants and
stones, of the things you can do and those
you cannot do on certain days of the week
or the month, and, finally, he will invite
you to make the sign of the cross to drive
away the devils and the ghosts that may
have been attracted by the conversation
you have had.
From their earliest childhood the poems
are taught to make the sign of the cross
Defore going to sleep at night and before
touching the floor with their toes in the
morning. Maidens, until they become
brides. are urged by their mothers to put
their shoes point against point under their
bed at night to bring happy dreams, and
this Will even enable them to converse with
the Virgin during their sleep
Right Shoe First.
When dressing. the right shoe (never tho
Left is put on first. The buttons OF the
suit are buttoned upward, that is starting
with the lowest and ending at the top.
This IL to signify that we are very low
here in this earthly planet. but that during
the day We will try to go upward. Further
stantly observed. will lead us very high. to
heaven when we die. The contrary will
take us down to inferno
After one is ready to go out Of his room.
r,nt al 4, -irt<
If 1t happens that you find at the door OF
your house bunch Of hair or hemp, II Is a
proof that witch is after You with some
i'll purpose and you must at once bring
some salt and throw four handfuls as far
as you can, one to the east, another to the
west. the third to the north, and the last
one to the south. Then you have nothing
day. But at night, when you retire. You
must take two very fine sticks, make a
cross with them and nail 1t to your door,
No witches ghosts or devils will bother
you thereafter.
If before taking breakfast you happen
to see black cat. three lame fellows on
one and the same street or a corpse it
would be better for you to go back home
and stay indoors for the day. because some-
thing wrong is in store for you.
On Meeting a Hunchback.
If. on the contrary, you meet a hump
back. 1t would be good for you to shake
hands with him, pat his hump and give him
some money: II he is beggar that will
bring you good luck. Humpbacks are ex-
ceptionally good omens for those who buy
lottery tickets. If you buy one, do not see
its number until you have rubbed it against
somebody's hump; then you are sure to win
a prize.
Numbers Z. Is and q are lucky; 3, 10 and
Il are unlucky. No. ID especially Is one
that never fails to bring trouble, so never
live in q house or room numbered n he
very careful when you ascend q staircase
with ID steps. never ride on car No. 10.
and under no circumstances eat drink
or wear anything that has cost you 10
cents or dollars or that you have bought
on the 18th of the month
Tuesday and Friday are very bad omen
days, and there Is common saying that
means do not marry or start on any bust
ness on Tuesday or Friday"
Black cats. spiders and owls are very
bad omen creatures. Never keep black
cat at home. be sure to kill all spiders you
see crawling about your bed and always
close tight your ears when you hear an
owlet boot. Indians abhor owlets; they
say: when an owlet sings an Indian
dies; it may be untrue. yet it always hap
pens"
Butterflies are good or bad omens accord.
ing to their color. White ones bring hap
piness; yellow ones advise us to maintain
alive our hopes Of love of fortune and
black ones announce that death is stalking
around us or our relatives.
The dog Is the greatest friend Of man,
no doubt about that as he is endowed with
death. When you hear your dog howling
1t Is proof that he Is warning you against
some evil event.
One thing Of apparently small Importance.
but which brings fatal results is the light
ing of three cigars or cigarettes on the
same match. One of the three persons
lighting their cigars will die within the
year.