Lucky Charms — or Not
Are you Superstitious?
See a penny, pick it up
All day long, you’ll have good luck
If you are strolling down the sidewalk and see a penny, do you take the time to bend over and pick it up? What about a dime, or a quarter? If the coin has heads facing up, picking up the coin is considered good luck. If that same coin is tails side up, the opposite is true. I still think of this little phrase when I see a lost coin, but I’m also too aware of what else I might pick up with it. Most likely I will leave it there for the next passerby.
When I was a child, my father gave me a rabbit foot. It was soft, powder blue, and I loved it. I carried it around like a little stuffed toy, thinking it was bringing me good luck. At some point, I was informed that a rabbit had to die for me to have that lucky charm. I carefully inspected it and realized there were claws and a foot pad on the bottom. Needless to say, a horrified little girl tossed it into a drawer and never touched it again. Maybe lucky for us, but not so lucky for that poor little bunny.
The four-leaf clover is considered good luck by the Irish. The four sides of the clover represent faith, hope, love, and luck. If you’ve ever been on the grass and searched for one, they aren’t easy to find. Clover itself is edible, both the greens and the flowers, and can be used in salads or dried for tea. They may or may not bring you luck, but they can be tasty.
A horseshoe over your door can bring prosperity to your household and family. In my family, if you are gifted with too much good fortune, we say that you have a horseshoe up your ass. Whether the horseshoe brings luck is debatable, but over the door is definitely a better option.
My grandmother would quickly knock on wood if something foreboding was said. These days, finding anything made of real wood is a challenge. I tend to ignore this one myself, as I don’t have the desire to run and find something to knock upon.
Making wishes is another superstition in which almost everyone participates. Throwing coins in a fountain, pulling on two ends of the turkey wishbone, or simply blowing out the birthday candles. When I was young, picking an eyelash off of someone’s face and then telling them to blow and make a wish was considered cute and a little fun. Imagine in 2023, reaching into someone’s personal space and touching their face without warning. Breaking someone’s boundaries is considered a major faux pas. Let’s stick to wishing on rainbows and falling stars.
Do you still cross your fingers for something to go well? Crossing fingers dates back to pre-Christianity, representing the symbol of the cross. When the religion was banned, it was a hand signal for the devout to communicate to one another. Perhaps crossing our fingers is a tiny prayer for good luck.
What about signs of bad luck? I have never personally run in fear out of the path of a black cat, but I also never walk underneath a ladder. Mostly because cats are adorable, and I’m an animal person. The ladder thing, well, that’s just common sense. Even if no one is climbing the ladder, walking under one just seems unsafe. I guess I’m a pet-the-cat-avoid-the-ladder kind of gal.
When someone breaks a mirror, will they be in for seven years of bad luck? Apparently, if you bury the pieces together, this disaster can be avoided. I have, in fact, broken a few mirrors, but mostly, my regret is having to find a new one. Mirrors are not cheap, and in earlier times, quite hard to come by. The superstition is that we must avoid shattering our image, thus bringing ourselves to ruination. Meh — that seems far-fetched.
Have you noticed that the number 13 is not used in apartment buildings? There is no 13th floor, ever. Just because we number it as the 14th floor, doesn’t change that it is the 13th. That’s just denial.
Now Friday the 13th can be considered ominous, but unfortunately, all I can think about is the movie franchise. I’m a true fan of horror movies, and so I have spent many dark evenings with Jason Voorhees. As a Canadian, the hockey mask disguise is definitely a plus!
The number 666 is considered to be the mark of the Beast, or Satan’s calling card. If you’ve seen any movies featuring the devil, then you are familiar with this number. Do we fear the devil or the number itself? The fear of 666, or hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, is just that — a phobia. If the devil were real (probably not) does he run around in a jersey with 666 on the back? Seems unlikely.
I’ve recently watched a show featuring ravens as a sign of evil. They are creepy looking with their beady eyes and raucous voices. The movie The Birds, featuring Tippi Hedren, comes to mind. If one crow equals a bad omen, and two or more are good omens, then why are a flock of crows called a murder? Your guess is as good as mine.
Let me know what you think of good luck or bad luck in the comments!
