Are Ladybugs Good Luck?

"I'm sending luck and wishes
All wrapped up in a hug
Good things should come your way
With this tiny ladybug." ~ Author Unknown

The only bugs that I welcomed with a smile in my garden, were the ladybugs! Watching these tiny little red bugs covered with black spots, crawl all around, was a delight in itself. As I kid, I was always told that the presence of a ladybug around you is considered to be very lucky! But more than the luck part, it was the roundness and the brightness of this beetle that appealed to me. I haven't seen a ladybug since a long time, and really hope to see one real soon. Are ladybugs good luck? The answer was always yes, but never came with a reason. So I thought by the time I am waiting for it to come my way, why not explore some facts about ladybugs and find out the reason why people consider them to be lucky! This is what I found out.

Why are Ladybugs Lucky?

There are many superstitions and mythological beliefs regarding many entities, both living and non living, that their presence brings luck or bad luck! But when it comes to the question of the arrival of good luck, and ladybugs in the house, it is observed that in most cultures ladybugs are considered to be lucky, though there is a lot of difference behind the reason. The Christians believe that the ladybug is related to Virgin Mary. It is a saying that during the middle ages, there was a huge infestation of insects in the land of the farmers in Europe. The insects were destroying the crops and therefore these farmers asked Virgin Mary to help them get rid of the insects. It is said that soon the ladybugs arrived to their farms and ate away all the insects who were infesting the crops. The farmers saw this and started calling these saving bugs as 'The Beetles of Our Lady'! Soon they were referred to as 'Lady Beetles' and eventually they were named 'ladybugs'. From then on, till today, many farmers believe ladybugs to be lucky as they eat some harmful insects that spoil the crops, an aphid, for example. Mentioned below are some more beliefs from across the world that consider the arrival of ladybugs good luck.

• Folks of Northern Germany consider the arrival of ladybugs to be both good and bad, depending upon the number of black spots on them. If the ladybug had less than 7 spots, it meant that they will have a big harvest, however, if the spots were more than 7, they believed it was a signal of a famine.
• The English farmers have always considered a ladybug to be a sign of good harvest, apart from the fact that the ladybugs eat away the harmful insects of the land.
• We all love the French wine, don't we? It is because the French believe that spotting a ladybug in their vineyard is a signal of good weather, which means good wine!!! :)
• The good luck is not only confined to agriculture and harvest! In Sweden, it is believed that if a ladybug is found crawling on the hand of a young women, it means that it is taking the measurement for wedding gloves, which indicates that the girl will be married in the near future. Similar is the belief in central Europe!
• It is also believed to take a note of the direction from which the ladybug flies away after crawling at your hand. It is said that it is from that direction that the person's true love comes into its life.
• Most of the cultures believe that killing a ladybug is an indication of bad luck, mostly because the ladybug is known to be related to Virgin Mary.
• In Canada, it is said that when a ladybug is found wintering in their garage, it is an indication of good luck. They also hold the ladybug in their hands and make a wish. The direction at which the ladybug flies is known to be the direction from which your wish will come true.
• They also say that if a ladybug lands on you when you are sick, it flies away taking the sickness along with it.
• Do you know that the ladybugs are considered to be so lucky, that the Austrians ask ladybugs to provide them with good weather.
• Another way of how ladybugs are considered to be lucky is when a ladybug lands on your hand on a Sunday, it is considered that if it stays on your hand till you count 22, then good luck is on our way.
• The good luck ladybugs indicates the number of babies that a woman may have. In Burgundy, if a ladybug lands on a woman, the woman is asked to count the number of spots on the ladybug. That number is the same as the number of babies she will have.

Weren't all these facts simply amazing! For those among you who seek a scientific and logical explanation to everything, you may find all these beliefs just myths. But there are those like me, who believe that there are miracles and mysterious powers in this world, who know that ladybugs can actually be interlined with the Virgin Mary! Even in the modern world today, may people believe that ladybugs bring good luck, and therefore you will find many people inking ladybug tattoos on themselves. There are so many things in this world which have managed to gather strong beliefs of people, without any logical explanation. For those who believe, ladybugs are just one of those lucky charms!