The unlucky years in Japan

I'm not a particularly superstitious person, but I will say that the superstitions of different cultures and countries do interest me. One that I've learned about during my time here is yakudoshi, or the "calamitous years."

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Basically, these are certain ages in Japan that are traditionally believed to bring misfortune, with the most widely recognized unlucky years being 25, 42, and 61 for men, and 19, 33, and 37 for women, though regional variations exist. Among these, 42 for men and 33 for women are regarded as being extra dangerous, known as daiyakudoshi, or "great-calamity years." The year before and the year after are also considered risky, which can make the unlucky period stretch over several years.

The good news for me is that I've already passed my calamitous years with no major dramas, so I guess I've gotta count my lucky stars!

Do you take superstitions like these on board? Are there any similar superstitions in your country of origin?