Turtles are though to bring good health, longevity, and protection from evil. The long survival of the turtles in the animal kingdom has given rise to the belief in supernatural powers. Turtles are long lived and can go over a year without eating and rarely, if ever, die of disease. Chinese culture considers the turtle a divine animal. An ancient Chinese birthday wish is, “May the turtle extend your life.”

Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creatures, traditionally made from papier-mâché or wood. The art form originated in Mexico City in the 1930s, when Pedro Linares, a papier-mâché artist, began creating surreal, dreamlike creatures after experiencing vivid hallucinations during an illness. His designs, which combined elements of various animals, became widely recognized as alebrijes and were later adopted by artisans in Oaxaca, who began carving them from copal wood, a local softwood.