What's Luck Got to Do With It?

Although I am not a believer in luck, people in the Asian countries we have visited are. The Chinese and Vietnamese New Year celebrations focus on bringing good luck in the year ahead and in the next life. They give and receive "lucky money," and the 10 day celebration is spent with family and friends. Unbelievably, they have the whole time off work and school, and many of the shops are closed. The stores and restaurants all bear greeting signs for Happy New Year, and there are as many lights and decorations in the streets as we have for Christmas. It was "lucky" for us to happen to visit at such a time. Funny, now that I think of it, the last 5 hotel rooms we've stayed in had 7 in the room number. Naaah---couldn't be.