Luck and lady bugs

The words for luck and happiness in German are the same. To an American, this is confusing when someone wishes you luck on your birthday, or says the he or she is feeling "lucky" instead of happy.

Good luck charms in German culture include some things that are familiar to me, like horseshoes and four-leaf clovers, and some things that are not. Here's a short list:

Mushrooms - The red ones with white spots are considered lucky, and especially around NewYear's time. This kind of mushroom is called Agaric, and it's both poisonous and hallucinogenic when eaten. Maybe if you do, you'll start seeing leprechauns and pots of gold and rabbits popping out of hats.

Pigs - This has something to do either with the piggybank (Sparschwein), or with the fact that that people who own pigs have it figured out. The pigs live off of scraps and trash and produce a lot of tasty meat. This is only lucky for the people, not so much for the pigs. Either way, pigs have something to do with prosperity. Marzipan pigs are a popular New Year's Eve candy. I think marzipan is gross, so maybe that makes me less lucky. In case you are not familiar with it, it's a sugary almond paste that makes cute shapes but tastes like glue.

Chimney sweeps - Run into one on New Year's Day and you are set. They are good luck anytime, though. It has something to do with keeping a chimney clear and preventing your house from burning down. It worked for Mary Poppins.

I was in Scotland for the New Year, so I missed out on all of these opportunities for good luck. I could still avoid the Pechvogel (the bad luck bird, as opposed to the good luck mushroom), if I stock up on lady bugs.

Lady bugs-  The lady bug one is what's been on my mind lately. I am throwing an American-style baby shower for my good (Texan) friend Serena on Saturday. Serena lives on Marienstrasse, not far from my house, which is translated as Mary Street. I couldn't figure out why there were ladybugs painted on the tiles in the Marienstrasse tram stop, and otherwise un-decorated place, until I learned that the word for ladybug in German is Marienkaefer (Mary bug). The baby's room at Serena and Ed's place will have a ladybug theme and for the shower I decided to make a ladybug cake. I made a practice cake last weekend, which turned out to be more of an albino ladybug since I ran out of red food coloring and made the frosting pale pink.  By now she is mostly eaten, her face is sort of runny and her antennae are askew. What's left of her will be joined by a redder, happier-looking cake for the shower.

On the wall at the tram stop

Now that I have been looking around I am noticing ladybug cards, ladybug chocolates, ladybug travel agencies... and I am wondering what Mary, the mother of God, has to do with these little critters.
So, of course, I looked on the internet. What I found out is that Medieval farmers prayed to Mary when their crops were being devoured by insects. The little red bugs arrived and ate the pests. The farmers considered them a gift from Mary to bring a healthy harvest and better luck. So Mary's bugs became Our Lady's bugs in English, and that turned into ladybugs.


The new ladybug cake is in the works. Hopefully she will bring us plenty of happiness and luck, because I am not planning to eat a pig made of marzipan, or a hallucinogenic mushroom. But if I had to choose, I would go with the mushroom.