List of lucky symbols
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A good luck charm is an amulet or other item that is believed to bring good luck. Almost any object can be used as a charm. Coins, horseshoes 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.
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.
List
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 | ||
| 8 | Chinese, Japanese | Sounds like the Chinese word for "fortune". See Numbers in Chinese culture#Eight Used to mean the sacred and infinite in Japanese. A prime example is using the number 8 to refer to Countless/Infinite Gods(八百万の神, Yaoyorozu no Kami) (lit. Eight Million Gods). See 8#As a lucky number. | |
| Aitvaras | Lithuania | ||
| Acorns | Norse | ||
| Albatross | Considered a sign of good luck if seen by sailors and they allow it to live. | ||
| Amanita muscaria | German | Seen as a good luck symbol to find one, similar to a 4-leaf clover in Irish tradition[citation needed] | |
| 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[citation needed] | |
| Bamboo | Chinese | ||
| Barnstar | United States | ||
| Beemans gum | United States | Popular among early aviators, including Chuck Yeager, to provide good luck during flights | |
| Chimney sweep | Many parts of the world | Said to bring good luck when being touched, especially on New Year and on weddings.[citation needed] | |
| Corno portafortuna | Central and Southern Italy | [citation needed] | |
| Ladybird beetles | German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Brazilian, Serbian | 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.[citation needed] | |
| Dreamcatcher | Native American (Ojibwe) | In Native American Ojibwa culture the human mind was believed to be susceptible to dark spirits, when the mind is weakest (I.e. asleep) and would give bad dreams. In defense they would weave dream catchers. These talismans would let the good dream spirits through, whilst trapping the bad spirits in the pattern. | |
| Fish | Chinese, Hebrew, Ancient Egyptian, Tunisian, Indian, Japanese | ||
| Bird or flock going from right to left | Paganism | Auspicia [citation needed] | |
| A monk passing through | Buddhist | [citation needed] | |
| cloverleaf interchange | no culture but countries (areas served) only | ||
| Four-leaf clover | Irish and Celtic, German, Polish | ||
| 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, Polish and several other European ethnicities, Indian and Nepali people. | Horseshoes are considered to ward off saturn’s ill-effects in Vedic culture. Some believe that upward-facing horseshoes catch luck, while others argue that downward-facing ones allow good fortune to flow onto those passing beneath. This usually depends on cultural and personal beliefs. | |
| Jade | Chinese | [citation needed] | |
| Jew with a coin | Poland | Thought to bring money. | |
| Lemon pig | USA | Thought to be lucky, or to absorb bad luck. | |
| The lù or 子 zi | Chinese | A symbol thought to bring prosperity. | |
| Maneki-neko | Japanese, Chinese | Often mistaken as a Chinese symbol due to its usage in Chinese communities, the Maneki-neko is Japanese.[citation needed] | |
| Peanut | United States | Often eaten before a high-stakes launch at JPL, started after Ranger 7 became the first successful Ranger mission after a coworker brought peanuts to mission control. | |
| Pig | Chinese, German | ||
| Pythons' eyes | Meitei culture | Believed that pythons' eyes bring positive attention, good fortune, guard against awa ana(Meiteifor'bad happenings') and the unhindered travelling to desired places. | |
| 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. | |
| White rat | Roman Empire | The Romans sometimes saw rats as omens. A white rat was considered to be auspicious, while a black rat has unfortunate significance.[citation needed] | |
| Wishbone | Europe, North America | ||
| Sarimanok | Maranao | [citation needed] | |
| Swallow | Korea | Rooted in Folktale 'Heungbu and Nolbu' | |
| Swastika | Multiple cultures | The swastika or crux gammata (in heraldry fylfot), historically used as a symbol in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, and widely popular in the early 20th century as a symbol of good luck or prosperity before adopted as a symbol of Nazism in the 1920s and 30s. | |
| Tortoiseshell cat | Many cultures | Rooted in Folklore | |
| White Elephant | Thai, Burmese | ||
| White heather | Irish Travellers, Scotland |
See also
- Horseshoe
- List of bad luck signs
- Luck
- Saint Cajetan, Patron saint of gamblers[citation needed]
- Apotropaic magic
Notes
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