Do You Know Why Ladybugs Are a Symbol of Luck?
“Little red bug, oh so cute, here’s a black spot for your suit” — Susan M. Paprocki
There are 5000 different species of ladybugs, and they’re not all red and black.
So many myths, legends, and stories envelop this beautiful creature.
According to an old European legend, the name “lady” is borrowed from the Virgin Mary. During the Middle Ages, when pests plagued the crops, the farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary, to save their lands. The beneficial ladybugs started visiting them soon after, and the farmers called the little beetles “our lady’s birds” or lady beetles.
But Ladybugs are not all innocence and pretty colors. Predators know to avoid the red insect in the wild and the vile-smelling yellow stains they leave on the surface when they’re threatened.
It’s sad to think ladybugs only live a year.
But during their year they bring smiles, beauty, and, according to many people, luck wherever they land.
Ladybugs are a symbol of luck
This is how the story goes:
Under the reign of King Robert II of France (972–1031), a prisoner was sentenced to death. He proclaimed his innocence, but alas, no one listened.
The day of the public execution came. When the prisoner placed his head on the guillotine, a ladybug landing on the condemned man’s neck repeatedly interrupted and distracted the executioner.
Every time he tried to shoo it off, the ladybug gracefully returned.
King Robert II was known as the Pious and the Wise. He was a devoted man who had no tolerance for heretics. He believed the action of the little beetle to be divine intervention. The ladybug (Coccinelle in French) became the bête a Bon Dieu (the literal transition of which is the animal of Good God).
King Robert II halted the execution and spared the prisoner’s life. Shortly after, the man was found to be innocent and regained his freedom.
It is said that if a ladybird lands on you, your wish will come true. Others believe the brighter the red coat, the stronger the luck, and the number of black spots on the creature’s wings will be the number of months you’ll be blessed with lucky intervention.
It doesn’t hurt to accept both stories.
Many cultures believe ladybugs come bearing luck and well-being.
- In France, when a ladybird lands on you, your ailments will soon be gone. If you kill it deliberately, you’ll curse yourself with sadness and grief.
- In Belgium, if a ladybug crawls across a lady’s hand, she will be married soon.
- For Britons, ladybugs announce the nice weather.
- And Italian moms believe their child will live a life of luck if a ladybug (Commaruccia, which means little midwives) lands on the baby’s cradle.
Other symbols
- It’s foremost a symbol of luck.
- Wishes and dreams will soon come true.
- Worries and ailments will dissipate.
- New happiness is on its way.
- If you dream of a ladybug, your days will bear beauty and good luck. But more than one ladybug in a dream might symbolize things spiraling out of your control; many tiny problems that need your attention at once.
“How brave a ladybug must be! Each drop of rain is big as she. Can you imagine what you’d do, If raindrops fell as big as you?”- Aileen Fisher
~Adriana~
