HISTORY90 - Ten Good Luck Superstitions
This is the first of two
blog articles on superstitions. A
“superstition” is commonly defined as an irrational belief at odds with
scientific knowledge of the world - often having to do with good luck or bad
luck. This article is on good luck
superstitions, like finding a four-leaf clover; the second on bad luck superstitions, such
as breaking a mirror.
This article will discuss ten common lucky
superstitions. My objective is to
document the back story of these superstitions.
The reader will find that most superstitions arise from a variety of
sources, including cultural beliefs,
religion, and personal experiences. The
origins of superstitions are difficult to trace and can be complex and varied.
I will wait to the end of the article
to list my sources.
1.
Crossing your Fingers
Crossing your fingers (middle finger over index finger) is
one of the most popular and enduring superstitions still used today.
In pre-Christian days, crosses were
symbols of power and unity, and people believed there was power in
the middle area of the cross. They would
cross their fingers and make a wish while focusing on the center area.
During the early years of Christianity, the
religion was banned, and followers were forced to develop secret signs to
communicate with each other. With a cross also
representing holiness and good luck, two people would cross each other's
fingers (index finger over index finger) after one of them made a wish, and
this eventually evolved into one person crossing their fingers on their own. Crossing your fingers originally meant you
wanted God's protection, and not just good luck. Christians would cross their fingers at the
mention of any major threat: sickness, Satan, witchcraft, misfortune, and
more. It's only with time that the
meaning behind the symbol has lost some of its seriousness.
But crossed fingers aren't just a way to show hope or ask for
luck. If you discreetly cross your
fingers behind your back, that can mean that you just told a lie.
These two motives for crossing fingers might seem different,
but it actually makes sense that they share the same gesture. In both cases, you've called upon a higher
power - either for good luck or forgiveness.
 |
| Today, crossing your fingers is a symbol for asking for luck or forgiveness for telling a lie. |
These days, just saying "fingers crossed" is enough
to get the message across.
2.
Finding a Penny
A saying goes, “Find a
penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck.” This is really just a modern take on an old
superstition. In ancient times, people
often thought that metals were gifts from the gods. They thought that metal would bring
protection from evil, and started believing that the finding of metal would
bring good luck. Besides this belief
influencing the modern-day superstition of finding a lucky penny, pennies have
also been seen as lucky because they increase wealth, and because wealth is a
symbol of power.
 |
| There are several variations of the fining a penny superstition. |
Some people believe that
if you find a penny, more money is coming your way.
Other people believe
that any found penny will bring good luck, while some believe that only a
penny lying face-up should be picked up.
The latter thought stems from an ancient belief that there is a battle
between good and evil. The head of a
penny became associated with good, while tails became associated with evil - or
came to be seen as being unlucky. Those
who ascribe to this belief often will flip over a tails-up penny so that the
next person who finds it will find it as heads.
Finally, some people believe that finding and keeping a penny will bring good luck, and others think the good luck comes when you give the penny away.
3.
Beginner’s Luck
Usually grumbled by an expert who just
lost a game to a novice, "beginner's luck" is the idea that newbies
are unusually likely to win when they try out a sport, game, or activity for
the first time. The expression dates from the late
19th century.
Beginners might come out ahead in some
cases because the novice is less stressed out about winning. Too much anxiety, after all, can hamper
performance. Or it could just be a
statistical fluke, especially in chance-based gambling games.
 |
| It might be beginner’s luck in poker for a newbie to draw these two cars first - the start of the only unbeatable hand in poker - the royal flush in spades. |
A belief in beginner's luck might also
arise because of confirmation bias - a psychological phenomenon in which people
are more likely to remember successful outcomes. If you believe you're going to win because
you're a beginner, you're more likely to remember all the times you were right
- and forget the times you ended up in last place.
4. Rabbit’s Foot
Rabbits
have been both good and bad omens throughout history.
In tales
and paintings about Jesus, he is often depicted as surrounded by white rabbits,
symbolizing purity and innocence.
The idea of
rabbits being lucky is part of Celtic lore from ancient Europe. The idea sprung from the fact that rabbits
live underground, which made people at the time think they had a direct line of
communication with the gods.
On the
other hand, rabbit represented evil in the Middle Ages.
In the early 1800s, witches were
believed to take the form of a rabbit, so rabbits were killed so their feet
could be used as talismans (or objects with magical powers).
Enslaved
African Americans saw rabbit’s feet as an embodiment of cleverness, though that
cleverness could be good or evil. Due to
the injustices that enslaved Americans and their freed descendants endured, the
idea of cleverness, cunning, and superiority in the face of oppressive forces
was a powerful message. The point of the
rabbit’s foot was not to bring general luck but was specifically meant to bring
luck in defending yourself against a subversive American culture.
By the
early 1900s, rabbit’s feet were a common in America - in both black and white
cultures. it was commonly believed that
the rabbit’s foot would bring good luck and money.
In more
recent times, the animal’s reputation for being fertile made rabbit-themed
charms popular among women hoping to conceive.
The idea
that a rabbit’s foot could convey anything bad faded away; it is now widely
accepted as lucky charm.
Most rabbit
foot charms today are made of fake fur and plastic, but the association is
still there.
 |
| The rabbit’s foot superstition has evolved into a charm for good luck. |
5.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes are considered
symbols of good luck because of a Christian story about the 10th
century Saint Dunstan. He was a
blacksmith who was approached by the Devil (in disguise) to put shoes on his
horse, but Dunstan saw through the disguise and put the shoes on the Devil’s
feet instead. Dunstan agreed to remove
the shoes only if the Devil agreed never to try and enter a home with a
horseshoe hanging on its door.
Traditionally,
horseshoes are made with iron. Early
Western Europeans believed that iron had magical powers and could drive away
evil. One legend says that witches were
so afraid of iron horseshoes, that they traveled by broomstick instead of
horseback.
Also traditionally,
horseshoes have seven nail holes. The
number seven is a powerful number in Christianity. In the Bible, seven often symbolizes
completion or perfection; Genesis tells us that God created the Earth in six
days and upon completion, God rested on the seventh day. Also, the number seven is revered across
cultures for its frequent appearances in nature and life: seven continents,
seven seas, seven colors in a rainbow, and seven days in a week. This association with the number seven only
amplifies the horseshoe’s lucky aura.
There is some
debate over whether a horseshoe should be hung
with the ends pointing up so the shoe catches luck and fills up as a basin, or
down so that the shoe pours luck onto everyone who passes through the doorway.
 |
| Nailed to a wooden door, this lucky horseshoe is oriented to pour luck on all who pass through the doorway. |
6.
Four-Leaf Clovers
There are several folklore tales that suggest
an origin of the superstition that finding a four-leaf clover brings good luck.
One legend has it that the luck factor comes from Eve
herself. As Adam and Eve were leaving
the Garden of Eden, Eve is said to have plucked a single four-leafed clover as
a souvenir of paradise, and this religious connection has led to them being
considered lucky ever since.
Other cultures, including the ancient
Egyptians, believed that four-leaf clovers had healing properties and could
ward off evil.
Hundreds of years ago in Ireland, the four-leaf clover became
a symbol of luck with the four leaves representing faith, hope, love, and
success. Children believed if they
carried a four-leaf clover, they would be able to see fairies. Today, it’s often said that Ireland is
home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the
phrase “the luck of the Irish.”
 |
| Finding a four-leaf clover brings good luck. |
Another notion is that a four-leaf
clover is lucky precisely because of its rarity. It is estimated that the chances of
finding a four-leaf clover is one in 10,000. It could be a logical jump between
rarity and luckiness.
The first literary reference to suggest their good fortune
was made in 1620 by English writer Sir John Melton.
If you’re lucky enough to find a
four-leaf clover, look for more! If a
clover plant produces a four-leaf clover, it’s more likely to produce another
one
And, if you’re the superstitious type,
give your four-leaf clover to someone else. It’s said that this will double your good
luck.
7. Itchy Palm
There are many variations on this
superstition. Some believe that if the
right palm itches you will meet someone new, while an itchy left palm means
that money is coming. Others say that an
itchy right palm means money is coming in, and a left-handed itch foretells
money going out. The superstition warns
you not to scratch your palm unless you want to counteract the effect.
 |
| Itchy palms mean you are about to gain or lose money. |
There are also several origin stories
for this superstition.
In Hindu mythology, the Goddess Lakshmi
is a revered figure known as the deity of wealth, fertility, and prosperity. The left palm is believed to be associated
with the departure of the Goddess, leading to potential loss or expenditure of
money. In contrast, the right palm is
seen as a symbol of the presence of the Goddess, signifying wealth and
abundance.
The itchy palm superstition’s is
also attributed to the Saxons and Celts in Europe during the pre-Christian era.
The Saxons believed that rubbing one’s skin with silver was a cure for most
diseases. So, they would rub their itchy
palms on silver. Eventually, this belief
turned into the itchy palm superstition, that said an itch in your palm meant
silver was coming your way.
In the Middle Ages, having
itchy palms is said to mean you are about to gain or lose money. The idea
of having an itchy palm generally referred to someone who was greedy or had an
insatiable desire for money. In
Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Brutus says, “Let me tell you, Cassius, you
yourself are much condemned to have an itching palm.”
8.
Breaking a Wishbone
The wishbone superstition
started thousands of years ago with the
Etruscan Italian empire. They predicted
the future by observing the actions of chickens, and viewed the collarbone as a
sacred part of the bird. The Etruscans
would let the collarbones dry out and then keep them to make wishes.
Romans adopted this
tradition and started breaking the bones between two people due to a lack of
availability of chickens, ushering in the
idea that whoever has the largest bit of bone gets their wish. If both parts were equal
in size, both people would get their wish.
It was said that the phases, “I need a lucky break,”
or “I never get a break,” came from the loser in the tug of collarbone contest.
 |
| Breaking a turkey wishbone is a Thanksgiving tradition. |
The breaking and wishing
on the chicken collarbone tradition made its way around Europe. Eventually, the tradition made its way to the
English who called the bone "merrythought." Merrythoughts
were sometimes broken between two single people, and the person who got the
longer side of the bone was then predicted to marry first.
When the Pilgrims
arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought the custom of breaking the chicken
collarbone with them. But as they looked
around at their new surroundings in the woods of North America, there were no
chickens, but turkeys were abundant.
They changed the custom from the chicken to the turkey.
The
first known mention of the word “wishbone” as it refers specifically to a
turkey bone was in an 1842 article in The Sun newspaper of Baltimore, Maryland.
9.
Birthday Candle Wishes
The global tradition of blowing out birthday
cake candles is rooted in an ancient Greek (1500 - 300 BC) ritual
to honor the goddess Artemis, the female god of childbirth, wildlife, and the
moon. Greeks baked round cakes
to symbolize the moon. Candles were
added to represent the reflected moonlight.
Candles on cakes also became a popular
tradition long ago in Germany. Germans would
place a large candle in the center of a cake to symbolize “the light of
life." Later, they started the
tradition of using the number of birthday candles according to the age of the
birthday person to symbolize prosperity and good luck in the coming year.
Other meanings have also been attached
to the use of candles on birthday cakes. Some people believed that the smoke from the
candles carried their wishes and prayers to gods who lived in the skies. Others believed the smoke helped to ward off
evil spirits.
There are several other historical
variations in the practice of blowing out candles on birthday cakes:
Some people used different colors of candles to pray for the specific prayer from
God. For example, a pink candle was for
praying for love, orange for success in business or energy, and a blue candle
symbolized healing.
According to one belief you must put three candles on the cake symbolizing past, present and
future. The birthday person must carefully blow out the past and
present candles; the longer the future candle keeps burning, the more it will
bring good luck throughout the year.
Another belief was that reusing
birthday candles would bring bad luck and the same problems of the
previous year. All birthday celebrations
should have new candles and new beginnings to the coming year.
Today, we still put candles on cakes
to celebrate birthdays. The birthday person makes a silent wish and then blows out
the candles. The prevailing
superstition is that if all the candles are blown out in one breath, the wish will
come true, and the person will have good luck throughout the year. On the other hand, if it takes more than one
breath to blow out all the candles, or if the person tells someone what the
wish was, it will supposedly not come true.
Today, the birthday person makes a silent wish and then blows out the candles.
10. Wishing on Shooting Stars
A shooting
star is a glowing streak of light produced by a meteor from space traversing
the Earth's atmosphere at high speed.
The
idea of wishing upon a shooting star has been around for centuries.
In the second century, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy hypothesized
that shooting stars were a result of the gods peering down from heaven, having
parted the heavens to do so, and therefore dislodging a star in the process. Because a shooting star was a tangible symbol
of the god’s looking down at that moment, it was believed that a wish or
request made upon seeing the shooting star was more likely to be heard and
granted.
In the 1830s, the idea of wishing upon shooting stars became even more
prominent in modern beliefs. Seeing a
meteor was believed to be a sign of promise, luck, and good fortune, though of
course individual wishes varied greatly.
Whispering “money” three times while the shooting star remained visible
was believed to be the best way to ensure financial success with such a wish.
Wishes
aren’t the only superstitions associated with shooting stars. Many cultures associate shooting stars with
controlling destiny, often linked to the afterlife. In the sixth century, the Chinese philosopher
Confucius interpreted shooting stars as manifestations of departed souls moving
beyond. That journey to heaven - or the
reverse, with a recently passed soul falling to the underworld - has been
echoed in many cultures, including in Mongolia, Ireland, the British Isles,
ancient Greece, and New Zealand. In some
beliefs, a shooting star is believed to be a new soul returning to earth to be
reborn.
Not
all shooting star superstitions are pleasant.
In Eastern Europe and Mexico, shooting stars represent evil spirits,
bringing bad fortune to those below. This can be especially true if the
shooting star is brighter, stronger, and impacts the earth as a meteorite.
But
today, in North America and Eurasia, the pleasant superstition survives. It is widely believed that your wish is
granted if made upon a falling star. If
you make your wish before the shooting star disappears, the gods may hear and
grant wishes.
It is widely believed today that your wish is granted if made upon a shooting star.
How many
opportunities are there for wishing on a shooting star? On an average night, you might see several
shooting stars - barring light pollution.
Your chances of seeing
shooting stars will increase dramatically during a meteor shower. During yearly meteor showers like the Leonids
in November and the Perseids in August, you can see hundreds of meteors
per hour as small pieces break off a larger comet.
The related superstition of wishing on the first star seen at night
may predate the “Star Light, Star Bright” nursery rhyme from late
nineteenth-century America. But the song
and tradition have since spread worldwide.
The lyrics usually
conform to the following:
Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
Sources
Primary sources include: “30
Weird Superstitions, Explained,“ popularmechanics.com; “Ten Common
Superstitions,” everydayheat.com; “Thirteen common (but silly) superstitions to
savor,” nbcnews.com; “Fingers Crossed Meaning,” refinery29.com; “It’s Lucky
Penny Day,” nereg.lib.ms; “Beginner’s Luck,” en-academic.com; “Lucky Rabbit’s
Foot History,” a-z-animals.com; “The Mystique of the Lucky Horseshoe: History
and Beliefs,” and “The Fascinating Superstition of Itchy Palms and Its Hidden
Meanings, “ people.howstuffworks.com; “Why Four-Leaf Clovers Are Considered
Lucky,” rd.com; Breaking the Thanksgiving wishbone: A History,:
makeitgrateful.com; “Why do we blow out Birthday candles?” the candleland.com;
“Shooting Stars and Good Luck,” farmersalmananc.com; plus numerous other online
sources.
Thought
for the day: There are hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of superstitions worldwide, but none are more important than the one
you subscribe to.
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