How are you today?
As I told you in class, I'd like you to know a bit more about superstitions in the UK. Click on this link to read the article:
http://www.educationuk.org/global/articles/uk-superstitions/
Then, watch this video and try to understant it as it's not very difficult.
If you compare them to the ones in Spain. Which ones are the same? Which ones are different?
Have a nice weekend!
13 comments:
Goodnight María,
First of all I want to write the listening and tomorrow I am going to do the whole exercise now reading the listening the black cat, to pass under a ladder and to broke a mirrow here in Spain is bad luck I remember more but before I want to read the article that you're putting about the superstitions.
Hi ( ) here, today we are going to talk about common superstitions in Britain.
Welcome back, there are many superstitions in Britain. One of the most widely held is that is unlucky to walk under a ladder; even if it means you must step off the pavement into a busy street. If by chance, you should happen to walk under the ladder may be by mistake there are two ways in which you can avoid misfortune. The first is to cross your fingers and wait until you have seen a dog, the second strange but true is you must ( ) your finger and draw a cross on the toe of your shoe; and you must not look at the cross again, until it has dried, and if you do that, it is said that you can’t avoid misfortune. Another commonly held superstition in Britain is you mustn’t ever open an umbrella in the house. If you do open an umbrella in the house it will bring misfortune either to yourself or to the entire house hold. And anyway anybody open an umbrella in the house in UK it’s going to be unpopular because inevitably it brings rain. The number thirteen is said to be unlike the some and if the thirteen just happens to fall on a Friday, you had better stay indoors if you wish to avoid an unsuspicious event. These are said to be the most unlucky days of the year. Probably the worst misfortune that can befall you is causes by breaking a mirror. If you do break a mirror, it is said it will bring you an entire seven years of bad luck. This belief is said to have origination from ancient times; when mirrors were said to be the tools of the gods. So if you broke a mirror it meant that you were breaking something to belong to the gods. Although black cats are associated with witch ( ) unlike America, in the UK black cats are actually considered to be lucky, if a black cat it happens to cross your path, that is considered a very lucky event. Another common superstition is that of touching wood for luck. When we have said something that we believe that we have been tempting fate, for example, if I say we having picnic tomorrow, it should be nice weather; that could be consider to be tempting fate, and because I have said it should be nice weather tomorrow, may be the gods will make it rain down of us on our picnic. So by touching wood we believe that it will counter that effect, and sometimes we even say this in conversation, for example, we’re having a picnic tomorrow, it should be nice weather, touch wood. Ok that it is for today’s lesson.
So here’s the question for you what are some common superstitions in your country? Are any other superstitions like the example of the black cat which is different in America and the UK are there any other examples of superstition in your country? If there are please tell me about it in the comments and if you got any questions or lesson requests please tell me about that in the comments too. And as always be if you haven’t to ready please subscribe to my channel so you can keep up today with my future lessons and if you like this video please click like bottom under ( ) and share with your friends. That will my video can help more people. Thank you very much and I would see you in the next lesson
Have a nice weekend too and thank you very much
Goodnight María,
Thank you very much for the article I have laugh out reading it. Today I’m sending to you the bad superstitions and tomorrow after the manifestation I’m going to send you the good superstitions. I know more but these are the most famous.
We have several bad superstitions like them for example black cats it depends on the person; if you ask me it's the same I don't mind, but if you ask here about broking a mirror, weddings, ladders and umbrellas here is bad luck. Here in Spain we have more superstitions than in the UK. For example, the number is equal, but the day is different; here is bad luck 13 and Tuesday. If we speak about weddings there are more things here in Spain that is bad luck for example the boyfriend mustn’t see the girlfriend before the weeding or if someone is sweeping the floor and sweeps over your feet, you’ll never get married and the day of your weeding mustn’t rain because of the girlfriend will be a cry-baby person.
Umbrellas are the same you mustn’t open into your house, but here you mustn’t open indoors buildings too.
Now I’m going to say things that people say are bad luck and there are different from UK.
If you have hung an oblique picture on the wall or fall it. This idea is original from classic Greece where they said that if a picture of a king or a famous person falls and it broke, that person will die soon.
Putting a hat on the bed, and it means something wrong is going to happen.
Spilling salt. The origin was in 3,500 year before C. They believed salt was incorruptible and it was a symbol of friendship so if you spill salt you will have to spill a few salt over your left shoulder and that way you could keep your friendship.
Putting the bread back part on the table or leaving to fall down it. The first will bring bad luck to offend the body of Christ; the second you have to kiss it and to do three cross and in this way you will move away misfortune.
Spilling wine on the table. You must put something of wine in your forehead to bring you good luck
Leaving the scissor opens. This idea is from Greece
Putting your bed with the end of it toward the door because always it’s said die people go out with their feet’s in front.
Beginning the day with your left foot. You bring good luck if you cross three times
Taking an used broom to your new house because it will bring the bad things of the other house.
Seeing a rat. This idea coincided with historical disasters like (I don’t know how to say peste bubonica)
And the last one I don’t remember how to say that somebody (te eche mal de ojo) and to protect of it you must take garlic, gold, silver and horseshoe.
Tomorrow more greetings
Good evening María,
As I said to you yesterday, I’m going to say to you the superstitions of good luck here in Spain.
A horseshoe hanging behind your door. This idea is from the Greece; they thought the iron with the form of half moon protected you of spells; so if you put a horseshoe witches and the bad couldn’t pass.
About birthday is the same in UK and here a good luck.
When somebody sneezes to say health or Jesus Many years ago people said to sneeze it was the beginning of different illnesses and to avoid the evil passed through your mouth.
Finding a trefoil of four leafs, in Britain it was a sacred symbol they thought that with it they could see to the evils and here the legend said when Eva was ejected of the paradise she took a trefoil of four leafs so people believe it gives good luck.
Taking a leg of a rabbit with you, because in the past this animal couldn’t be eating.
Touching wood but here is different you have to touch wood but never over a table or furniture with legs.
Having Persil, because in the antique Greece it was a sacred plant. It was symbol of triumph and resurrection.
There are more but I don´t know in UK only to cross the fingers
Greetings
Hi María for all women in our day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU#t=59
Hi Maria, may be you're interesting in this video
https://www.facebook.com/charoggt/posts/10204887276214865?pnref=story
Hi María,
I think mirrors, umbrellas, crossed fingers, weddings (at least this happened when my brother got married seven years ago) ladders, sneezes, "touch wood" and wishes birthdays are the same. I know to break mirror is bad luck, but I don't know how many years of bad luck you'll get if you break one.
Regarding black cats, it only means bad luck. It's a sign that bad things are to come if a black cat crosses your path.
On the other hand, magpies, don't step on the pavement lines, numbers, keep your shoes off the furniture are different from Spain.
The superstition about magpies is a fun story for me. In Spain there is a superstition about another bird, the crow. If you see a crow it means someone has dead or something terrible will happen. However, when a shit of dove or any bird falls in your head this is a good luck.
Numbers: In our country people avoid number 13, especially the date Tuesday 13th because is an unlucky day.
Keep your shoes off the furniture and don't step on the pavement lines I had never heard nothing about these.
I have a doubt about rabbits. I think it's the same in Spain, but I remember my grandfather, who was a farmer, gave me tails of rabbits when I was a child. He made a hole on the top of the tail and I used this as a key-ring. He always said me "you'll get good luck". It was wonderful!
Also, when we have a chance to found a coin it means we'll get a good luck, but It doesn't happen frequently. What's a pity!
Good afternoon María,
could you do me a favour please? Do you mind to put the video of the listening that we listened yesterday in class about controversies in sports please?
Thank you very much and happy weekend
I liked the video, María, it was curious. When I was child, I was my grandmother a lot of time in Granada on holidays. I remembered a supertition that she always told me: when you are walking on the street and you listen to ring the bells you must stop where you are, because in that moment the spirits is walking with you and you must not walk with them. you must respect to the dead because you can die. My family is very superstitious.
Have a nice week to everybody
JOSE
Charo, I’m sorry but I cannot give you the track as the listening activity that we practiced in class last week is part of an exam. I’m really sorry.
As usually, I’ll give you some corrections:
- In English we speak about “demonstrations”, not manifestation. Spanglish!
- “ black cats it depends on the person”. You should say: “the superstition about black cats depends on the person”.
-“ if you ask me it's the same I don't mind”. You don’t need to be redundant. One idea is enough.
-“ the day of your weeding mustn’t rain” Remember to use subjects!: it mustn’t rain.
- “the day of your weeding mustn’t rain because of the girlfriend will be a cry-baby person.” I don’t really understand this idea…
- “Echar mal de ojo” is to “cast an evil eye on someone”.
“About birthday is the same in UK and here a good luck.” Birthdays are the same in both countries. I don’t really understand “here a good luck”.
Try to pay a lot of attention to punctuation, Charo. It’s essential when you are doing writings.
Thank you for your contributions and videos!
See you in class.
Regards,
Thank you for your comments, Jose!
I didn’t know about that superstition in particular…
Let me give you some tips:
- You can talk about spending a lot of time with your grandma in Granada.
- Remember that “the spirits” is a plural!
- You respect people (no preposition required).
- In English we say that bells chime. That’s the verb.
Thanks so much for your contribution!
See you later!
Vero, you should say:
- “I know to break mirror is bad luck”. “I know that breaking a mirror brings bad luck.”
- “On the other hand, magpies, don't step on the pavement lines, numbers, keep your shoes off the furniture are different from Spain.” You should use gerunds here: “not stepping / keeping your shoes…”
- “this is a good luck.” “This is good luck.”
- “I had never heard nothing about these”. I’ve never heard anything about these superstitions.
- “when we have a chance to found a coin” “when we are lucky to find a coin”
Good job! I’m not sure I like the idea of having a key ring made out of a rabbit!
See you later,
Thank you so much María!
Hi María,
First of all you're welcome, I like sharing videos about things that we'd seen in class. I understand that you can't show us the video. Thank you very much for the corrections; and the film. Respect the sentence that you don't understand: “the day of your weeding it mustn’t rain because of the girlfriend will be a cry-baby person; I think the first part of the sentence you understand it. As I didn't know two words "manifestación y llorona" both of them I was looking forward in the dictionary; and in the dictionary put manifestación in spanglish; and llorona cry-baby.
Greetins
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