List of lucky symbols

A good luck charm is an amulet or other item that is believed to bring good luck.

A four-leaf clover keychain

Almost any object can be used as a charm. Coins and buttons are examples, as are small objects given as gifts, due to the favorable associations they make. Many souvenir shops have a range of tiny items that may be used as good luck charms. Good luck charms are often worn on the body, but not necessarily.[1]

History

The Mojo is a charm originating in African culture. It is used in voodoo ceremonies to carry several lucky objects or spells and intended to cause a specific effect. The concept is that particular objects placed in the bag and charged will create a supernatural effect for the bearer. Even today, mojo bags are still used.

Europe also contributed to the concept of lucky charms. Adherents of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland), adopted the four-leaf clover as a symbol of Irish luck because clovers are abundant in the hills of Ireland.[2]

List

This is a list of lucky symbols, signs, and charms. Luck is symbolized by a wide array of objects, numbers, symbols, plant and animal life which vary significantly in different cultures globally. The significance of each symbol is rooted in either folklore, mythology, esotericism, religion, tradition, necessity or a combination thereof.

Symbol Culture Notes
7 Western, Japanese [3][4]
8 Chinese Sounds like the Chinese word for "fortune". See Numbers in Chinese culture#Eight
Aitvaras Lithuania
Acorns Norse
Albatross Considered a sign of good luck if seen by sailors.[5][6]
Amanita muscaria
Ashtamangala Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism Buddhism: Endless knot, Lotus flower, Dhvaja, Dharmachakra, Bumpa, Golden Fish, Parasol, Conch; additional symbols for Hinduism and Jainism
Bamboo Chinese [7]
Barnstar United States [8][9]
Chimney sweep Many parts of the world Said to bring good luck when being touched, especially on New Year and on weddings.
Corno portafortuna Central and Southern Italy
Ladybugs German, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Brazilian, Serbia (Srbija) There is an old children's song in Serbia "Let, let, bubamaro, donesi mi sreću" meaning "Fly, fly, ladybug, bring me the happiness". In Serbian, "sreća" means "good chances" as in a lottery or "happiness", but this is about emotions.
Dreamcatcher Native American (Ojibwe) [10][11]
Fish Chinese, Hebrew, Ancient Egyptian, Tunisian, Indian, Japanese [12][13][14][15][16][17]
Bird or flock going from right to left Paganism Auspicia
A monk passing through Buddhist
Four-leaf clover Irish and Celtic, German [18][19]
Shamrock or Clover Irish While in most of the world, only the four-leafed clover is considered lucky, in Ireland all Irish Shamrocks are.
Horseshoe English and several other European ethnicities Horseshoes are considered lucky when turned upwards but unlucky when turned downwards, although some people believe the opposite.[20][21]
Jade Chinese
Jew with a coin Poland Thought to bring money.[22][23][24]
Maneki-neko Japanese, Chinese Often mistaken as a Chinese symbol due to its usage in Chinese communities, the Maneki-neko is Japanese.
Pig Chinese, German [25]
Rabbit's foot North America, England and Wales (originating from a hare's foot) A rabbit's foot can be worn or carried as a lucky charm.[26]
Wishbone Europe, North America [27]
Sarimanok Maranao
Swallow Korea Rooted in Folktale 'Heungbu and Nolbu'
Tortoiseshell cat Many cultures Rooted in Folklore
White Elephant Thai [28]
White heather Irish Travellers, Scotland [29]

See also

Notes

  1. "The Difference Between A Talisman Amulet and A Charm". Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  2. "History and Legends of Lucky Charms and Talismans".
  3. Dolnick and Davidson, p. 85
  4. Greer, p. 21
  5. Webster, p. 6
  6. Dodge, p. 748
  7. Parker, p. 150
  8. Urbina, Eric (July 22, 2006). "For the Pennsylvania Dutch, a Long Tradition Fades". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  9. Votruba, Cindy (September 8, 2008). "It's in the Stars". Marshall Independent. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  10. Young, Eric (February 2, 1998). "New Age Solution for Coping with Material-world Tension". The Sacramento Bee. ProQuest 246401007.
  11. Thrall, Christopher (September 17, 2005). "Objects in the mirror may be more complex than they appear". Postmedia News. ProQuest 460167802.
  12. Helfman, p. 400
  13. Marks, p. 199
  14. Toussaint-Samat, p. 311
  15. Hackett, Smith, & al-Athar, p. 218
  16. Sen, p. 158
  17. Volker, p. 72
  18. Dolnick and Davidson, p. 38
  19. Binney, p. 115
  20. Cooper, p. 86
  21. DeMello, p. 35
  22. "Tartakowsky, Ewa. "Le Juif à la pièce d'argent." La vie des idées (2017)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  23. The Jew with a Coin: Analysis of a contemporary folkloric emblem (AAPJ) Archived 2017-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, Joanna Tokarska-Bakir, 2019.
  24. Driving to Treblinka: A Long Search for a Lost Father Archived 2019-07-03 at the Wayback Machine, Diana Wichtel, 2018, Awa Press, page 144. link to extract from book in Nzherald, published 16 May 2018
  25. Webster, p. 202
  26. Webster, p. 212
  27. Edward A. Armstrong."The Folklore of Birds" (Dover Publications, 1970)
  28. "'Lucky' white elephant for Burma". BBC News. November 9, 2001. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  29. McClintock, David (15 January 1970). Why Is White Heather Lucky?. Country Life. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.

Sources

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