Learn the superstitions about sweeping feet and ringing in your ear
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Mexican Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 3 - Sweeping Feet and Ringing in your Ear. 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: barrer los pies |
| Eric: Which literally means "sweeping feet." Alex, can you repeat the Mexican Spanish phrase again? |
| Alex: [slow] barrer los pies [normal] barrer los pies |
| Eric: Alex, I’ve been having trouble getting a date recently. |
| Alex: Well did someone sweep your feet with a broom? |
| Eric: Actually someone did. |
| Alex: In Mexico, it's believed that if someone gets their feet swept by a broom, they’ll be single forever, |
| Alex: If they are already married, it’s said that their marriage won't last. |
| Eric: This superstition probably began because brooms are associated with witches. |
| Alex: So brooms are omens of bad luck. |
| Eric: Wait, does this mean I’m going to be single forever? |
| Alex: Maybe. Let’s talk about good luck now. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition called in Mexican Spanish? |
| Alex: zumbido en el oído |
| Eric: Which literally means "ringing in your ear." Let’s hear it in Mexican Spanish again. |
| Alex: [slow] zumbido en el oído [normal] zumbido en el oído |
| Eric: In Mexico, it's believed when someone’s saying good things about you, your right ear will ring. |
| Alex: If someone’s saying bad things, then your left ear will ring. |
| Eric: Your ears ringing when someone talks about you is a very ancient superstition, first recorded more than 2000 years ago! |
| Alex: For Catholics, the right side is associated with good luck. The left side is linked with bad. |
| Eric: My ears have been ringing lately actually. |
| Alex: Left or right? |
| Eric: Right. |
| Alex: Maybe you won’t be single forever! |
Outro |
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| 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
HideIs there any similar superstition in your country?
Hola Kamilah,
Thank you for taking your time to leave us a comment!
Looking forward to seeing you often here. :)
Cristiane
Team Spanishpod101.com
Haha, this was great. I had coworkers from Colombia and Haiti who were terrified of me sweeping their feet. One person said that you have to spit on the broom to reverse the curse! ?