Mexico is known for having many superstitions and old-wives tales. I’m still in the process of learning some of them, and in general I just try to ignore them. One of the ones that affects me the most is the purse rule.
In Mexico, it’s believed that if you leave your purse on the floor, you will have bad luck with money.
This is a problem for me, because I leave my purse on the floor ALL THE TIME. For Mexican women, this is apparently not an option. Normally I try to be understanding and gracious, and I’ve changed certain habits without really knowing why, but this is one area where I just ain’t gonna change. Let me give you a few scenarios of what often happens when I go out to a bar with friends:
1. There is an empty chair at the table. Sweet! No problem. All the girls place their purses on the chair.
2. There is no empty chair, but the chair backs are square-shaped and you can hang your purse on them. Most gals will hang their purse on the back of the chair in this case. Sorry, not for me. I’ve had purses whose handles get stretched/torn up that way. (My purses are usually large, and can be a bit heavy, causing more strain on the handles.) I place mine on the floor. Some lady friends might look visibly upset. When I go to the bathroom and come back, I will often find my purse hung up on the back of my chair. I’ll place it on the floor again, and someone will say, “Don’t put that on the floor!”
3. There is no empty chair, and the chairs have round backs. The Mexican girls will spend the entire evening with their purse in their lap or behind their back. HECK. NO. I might do this if carrying a small clutch. MAYBE. I’ll put my purse on the floor, like a normal person, because eating with a huge purse in your lap is quite uncomfortable. Sometimes everyone will place their purse on top of the table, if there’s room. I find this a bit unsanitary. When was the last time you washed your purse? Maybe I’ll buy them one of these:
Even though my friends get unsettled by this, I keep doing it, for comfort reasons. Despite their best efforts to improve my money luck, my finances are just fine. 🙂
Gringation's Blog 
Omigosh, anyplace but on top of the table! Of course if they’re not putting their purses on the floor, I guess the bottoms of their purses are not as nasty as ours, but still… Eeeeeeeeewwwwwww.
And purses on the backs of chairs are easily stolen, which is really bad luck for money.
LMAO!!!! So true amiga so true!!! Cute purse hanging gizmo!
Too funny. Some restaurants here offer the little purse hangers. Maybe we need purse cubbies under the table!
I left my beach bag in the sand today while I was on the beach in Cozumel. Is that the same thing as the floor? Because I think I’m pretty darn lucky to be at the beach! And weren’t you supposed to meet me here in Cozumel today? What happened?!
Sorry, some of us don’t get to be on vacation all the time haha plus the ferry ride to Cozumel is ridiculously expensive!
WHY are you on the computer if you’re in Cozumel? Stop typing and pick up a margarita, for goodness sake!
Have fun 🙂
lol i think i smell a stocking stuffer!! but it’s nice your friends are concerned for your finances – at least they won’t try to borrow money. 🙂
I am glad you keep doing what you always did… that seems to be a pretty silly situation!
Funny! I’m a fellow gringa waving hello from GDL. this purse thing took me awhile to figure out. My fave is when they bring you your own special “coat rack” thingy at restaurants to hang your purse. it makes me feel VIP. 😉
Do you have kids yet? holy crap there’s another whole load of craziness you’ll experience. (i posted on it earlier this week.) fun times!
Or you could be like me and not even bother with a purse. A credit card, a few bucks and some lipstick in a pocket thank you very much. Aren’t superstitions funny?
That’s too funny. There’s no way I could sit and eat with my purse on my lap. Half my dinner would end up in it.
Thats so funny!! I love hearing superstitions from other countries.
(I’m a lurker – great blog!) When I lived in Cancun a few years back, my friend Helen, who is an older Greek woman from Boston who has lived in Mexico for many, many years gave me the same advice. I always figured it was a Greek thing, but I guess she is more Mexican than Greek these days. Now, back in the States, I simply WILL NOT put my purse on the floor. I give others grief about it too. I’m kind of the opposite of you in that regard.
The purse hanger is hilarious! Up until that point, I didn’t realize how serious just how purse placement was! But that’s actually a good idea. BTW- some Korean student desks have hooks on the sides for bags.
Isn’t that so funny! My mother-in-law is Puerto Rican and I am pretty sure she has told me the same thing about my purse.
I am like you- old habit are hard to break.
I had no idea! Love the pics to go with each option!
I love learning stuff like this & I’m the same way–I always have a huge purse with a ton of stuff & if I hang it up it stretches! And I won’t put it on the back of my chair cause I’m uber paranoid & always think someone is going to steal it. So it sits in the floor at my feet.
I LOVE my purse hanger for the fact that I don’t have to put my purse on the floor (ugh, germs)… BUT… if I can’t hang it on the hanger or the chair.. the floor it is… never on the table or my lap.. never!