Someone told me today that she would never go back to a particular city for vacation because last time she went there it brought bad luck on her. She then went on to explain how she had lost a lot of business when she returned from that vacation. And she is a very sensible and successful businesswoman!

I asked her what if it wasn’t the place, but the airline she had used. Or the hotel she had stayed in. Or the month/date of her travel. Or her companion on that trip. What if one or more of these things had brought the bad luck? I also asked her if she has ever lost business without going on a vacation, and what were the causes. She got my point, but she is still never going back to that city!

What brings you bad luck? Black cats, broken mirrors, Friday the 13th, or number 4 – the unluckiest possible number in Chinese cultures? Did you know that hotels in China and even Chinese-owned hotels around the world have no fourth or forty-fourth floors? Similarly, Air France, KLM, Iberia and Continental flights have no thirteenth row.

Last year, on one Friday the 13th, the number of car accidents shot up by 51% in London and 32% in Germany – most likely due to drivers’ anxiety about the unlucky date. Similarly, it’s been observed that heart attacks among Chinese US residents go up by 13% on the 4th of the every month.

Moral of the stories? Anything can be unlucky or lucky for you if you believe it to be. Please share your own superstitions and stories about lucky or unlucky stuff.