Pigs are lucky, especially as marzipan gifts for New Year’s or before important events

Scene: A cozy café in Munich, just after New Year’s. Lena unwraps a small gift and proudly holds up a pink marzipan pig.

Lena:
tapping the pig on the table with a grin
There she is—my Glücksschwein! This one’s for the new job interview next week. Cute, right?

Max:
chuckling
Adorable, yes. Scientifically effective? Questionable. You really think that marzipan pig is going to land you the job?

Lena:
pouting slightly
Don’t mock her. Greta has powers. I got my last job after I kept a pig like this on my desk. And remember when I met Jonas? I gave him a Glücksschwein before our first date. We’re still together, aren’t we?

Max:
smiling
Sure, but correlation doesn’t mean causation. Maybe you got the job because you were qualified, and Jonas liked you because you’re, well, you. Not because of a sugar pig.

Lena:
sipping her coffee with a smirk
You say that, but what harm does it do? It’s tradition! In Germany, pigs have symbolized wealth and luck for centuries. Even the phrase “Schwein gehabt” means “to have had luck.” We used to say if someone had pigs, they’d never go hungry.

Max:
I know the history. But we’re not living in medieval times anymore. Back then, owning pigs was lucky—it meant food, stability, survival. But now? Giving someone a lump of almond paste shaped like a farm animal is… well, symbolic at best.

Lena:
Exactly! It’s the symbolism that matters. It gives people hope. A little ritual before a big moment makes you feel like luck’s on your side. What’s wrong with that?

Max:
Nothing—if you don’t actually believe the pig changes reality. I worry when people start crediting good things to charms instead of their own efforts. What if you bomb the interview? You’ll blame Greta?

Lena:
Never! Greta only brings luck—she doesn’t fix laziness. Obviously, I still prepare. But she’s my sidekick. Like a pink, sugary Batman.

Max:
snorts with laughter
That’s one way to look at it. But you know, luck is really just probability playing out. If you apply for ten jobs, eventually you’ll land one. Pig or no pig.

Lena:
Okay, Mister Numbers. But science can’t explain everything. There’s a reason traditions stick—because they feel true. They connect us, they comfort us.

Max:
That’s fair. Rituals have psychological benefits—reduced anxiety, increased confidence. But that’s you doing it. Not Greta.

Lena:
Still sounds like a win for the pig!

Max:
laughs
Maybe. But don’t start a pig cult, okay? “Join us—we worship marzipan and mildly increase serotonin.”

Lena:
giggling
Only if you’re the treasurer. We’ll pay in chocolate coins.

Max:
Deal. But tell Greta she’s on probation. If you get the job, fine, she can stay. If not—she’s getting eaten.

Lena:
mock horror
You wouldn’t dare!

Max:
Only if she tastes good.