Underwear in Walmart

3

Red and yellow

I’m afraid there’s just no delicate way to write about this one.  This is a post about underwear, and that’s just the way it is.

All over the world there are different New Year’s traditions.  When bringing in the new year, there are often traditions related to the hope for prosperity in the days ahead.  Or, you might say, superstitious ways to try to ensure prosperity or good luck for the coming year.  Quite often these aren’t taken seriously, but are just fun traditions.

This time of year, if you go into Walmart in Mexico, or anywhere that sells general clothing items, you may notice that the colour selection of under garments is somewhat … limited.  Suddenly, red and yellow seem to dominate.  That’s because people are buying new underwear to bring in the new year.

Yes, you read right.

And be sure to buy something new.  That’s why people are actually adding to collections of similarly coloured under clothes.

If you wear yellow, that’s for money.  If you wear red, that’s for love.  And you only have yourself to blame in 2008 if you’re wearing a different colour when the clock strikes 12 midnight.

Not only were we surprised to hear about this tradition (this one wasn’t in the tour books), we were further surprised to find that many people really believe in the superstition – and are actually buying new underwear out of fear of bad luck.  No kidding.

I’m starting to think that superstition isn’t as dead as we think it is.  In fact, many times we may find ourselves trying to do something to ensure good results – besides what might seem reasonable.  You may not be afraid of 13 or broken mirrors, but I think everyone at times trusts in strange things.  Do we trust in the saying the right kinds of prayers?  The correct procedures?  Good karma?

Let’s face it – no matter what precautions we take, even if they seem reasonable – we’ll never be totally safe from disaster.  We need to trust something bigger than the banks – they fail.  Bigger than shelter – it crumbles.  Bigger than family and friends – they aren’t always there when we need them.  Something bigger than this world – it can provide for us or destroy us.  God is bigger – He’s the one we can trust in safely.  Next to the All-Powerful, everything else seems pretty small and insignificant.

So what are you going to trust in 2008?