It sounds like a hold-over from some kind of paganism. It certainly isn't Catholic.
Pagan religions have an effect on culture that outlasts conversion to Catholicism. There are superstitions for all kinds of things, like a black cat crossing your path, or walking under a ladder, or breaking a mirror, or letting a tree or power pole or fence post pass between you and the person you're walking with. Some people observe these superstitions as a kind of fun game, but others take them seriously.
Catholic sacramentals can be misunderstood so as to seem superstitious, but if you know what the sacramentals are and where they come from, you don't have to be subject to the faulty judgment of the uninformed. Then again, even when you explain something like the Brown Scapular to a Protestant the only thing they hear is what they want to hear, which is "Catholics practice superstitions." For them, there isn't anything you can say that makes any difference. They'll believe what they want to believe.
So with your friend, trying to explain to her that she's not doing her daughter any favors by teaching her baseless superstitions, might be of no use. If opening an umbrella inside the house makes you think you'll get a roof leak, then maybe you should inspect your roof for weak spots or maybe get a new roof if this one is worn out. What your child does with her toy umbrella isn't going to make your roof spring a leak.
As for the number 13 being "unlucky," it seems to me that it might only be unlucky for the devil, and in his typical way, he has managed to convince people that it's unlucky for them, too, which is a lie. But he's the father of lies, so no surprise there. For example, why would Our Lady choose the 13th of every month to appear at Fatima? There were 12 Apostles, a number that was somehow very important to them, and at the Descent of the Holy Ghost, it was the SECOND time for the Blessed Virgin Mary (the first time was the Annunciation). So 12 plus one is 13, no?
It's easy to see why the Blessed Virgin Mary would be "unlucky" for the devil, seeing as how she will one day crush his head with her heel, so the devil has every reason to be afraid of that, no?
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Topic: Bad Luck? (Read 827 times)