[Scene: January 2nd, video call between Lena and Nico]
Nico: (beaming) Frohes Neues, Lena! Guess what? My cousin Lukas was my first visitor on New Year’s Day – tall, dark-haired, and very lucky. This year is going to be amazing!
Lena: (laughs) Frohes Neues, Nico. You’re still doing that “first-footer” superstition thing? I thought you left that behind when you left Oma’s village.
Nico: Excuse me, that “thing” has been around for centuries. It’s tradition. And every time Lukas visits first, my year turns out great.
Lena: Come on, correlation doesn’t mean causation. That’s like saying it rains every time you wear your lucky socks, so the socks must be controlling the weather.
Nico: That’s different. Lucky socks don’t decide fate. But who steps through your door at midnight on January 1st? That sets the tone for the whole year. It’s energy. Vibes. You know?
Lena: [mock serious] Yes, the great and powerful cosmic energy of Lukas. May his dark hair and clean shoes bring prosperity to the realm.
Nico: You joke, but last year, it was my neighbor Petra who popped in first—short, blonde, always complaining about her arthritis—and bam! The whole year felt…off. My bike got stolen, my coffee machine exploded, and I caught the flu three times.
Lena: Or maybe you just had bad luck. Or maybe you left your bike unlocked again, Nico. That has nothing to do with Petra’s hair color or her calcium levels.
Nico: [grinning] Still, the coincidence is too strong. And it’s not just me! In Scotland, they call it “First Footing.” In Serbia, it’s “Polaznik.” Even in parts of India, the first visitor matters. We can’t all be wrong.
Lena: Ah, the “lots of people believe it, so it must be true” argument. Flat Earthers would like a word.
Nico: You’re such a scientist. Can’t you let people have some magic?
Lena: I’m not anti-magic. I love Harry Potter. But magical thinking doesn’t help us make good decisions. What if Lukas shows up one year, but you still lose your job? Then what?
Nico: Then I’ll assume someone blonder snuck in before him and jinxed it. Obviously.
Lena: [groans] You’re impossible.
Nico: Okay, okay, let me flip it. What if belief itself helps? When Lukas visits first, I feel more optimistic. That makes me more proactive, confident. Doesn’t psychology back that up?
Lena: Actually… yes. That’s the placebo effect. Your brain feels in control, so you act accordingly. But that’s different from saying Lukas causes good luck. He’s not a human four-leaf clover.
Nico: He does wear a lot of green.
Lena: [laughs] I swear, Nico, I’ll get you into a critical thinking workshop if it’s the last thing I do.
Nico: And I’ll make sure your first visitor next year is someone tall, mysterious, and carrying a lucky pig.
Lena: Oh no, not the Glücksschwein tradition too.
Nico: [with mock drama] One cannot defy fate, Lena.
Lena: Fine, but next year, I’m flying to Nuremberg and knocking on your door at midnight, clipboard in hand, ready to collect data on how the superstition holds up.
Nico: Deal. But only if you bring lucky marzipan pigs.
Lena: Ugh, deal. For science and snacks.
[End Scene]
Science Vs Superstition 
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