The History Of History's Luckiest Charms
Since time immemorial we humans have been fearful and superstitious creatures, giving credence to charms, tokens, trinkets, even dirty pennies on the ground. Today we are as fearful and superstitious as ever. No, really. In a survey of 1,000 adults, 60% of millennials said they take a lucky token with them to job interviews.
Perhaps you're thinking: that's dumb. I don't buy into that stuff. But you probably have at least one pair of lucky underwear, right? Right? And, as it's St. Patrick's Day, why not revel in the luck and lore a bit? Hell, you may even want to pick up a few of these charms by the time you're done reading.
Four-Leaf Clovers
In the Western world, four-leaf clovers are a ubiquitous sign of good luck and are considered lucky for a very simple reason: they're rare.
• They're a one in 10,000 natural anomaly
• The genetic mutation is still a mystery (so maybe it's magic)
• Each clover leaf represents something: faith, hope, love and luck
• A Japanese man found a 56-leaf clover, which is exactly 14x luckier than a regular four-leaf clover
Originally believed to ward off evil spirits, four-leaf clovers gradually took on the meaning of general good fortune. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, used a three-leaf clover as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity and a four-leaf clover is like that but, uh, better? More awesomer? Either way, there's something to the Luck of the Irish, as the shamrock is a still the symbol of Ireland.
Scarab Beetles
Scarabs are beautiful beetles found in art and jewelry and, lest we forget, also dung beetles that roll feces in dirt.
In ancient Egypt, the scarab represented creation, life and, once again, protection against evil spirits. The beetle's tireless rolling of poop on the ground was likened to the sun's daily journey across the sky, that's how much people liked this bug.
Scarabs lay their eggs in dead things, which, ew. But ancient Egyptians thought, "That's hardcore," and associated them with immortality because they brought life from death.
Scarab amulets made of stone or glass were worn for protection and some mummies were buried with real scarabs in their tombs.
Zippo Lighters
From their earliest days, Zippo lighters have been associated with luck. The company was founded in and survived the Great Depression, which is lucky in and of itself, but there are stories of Zippo lighters actually saving lives.
Vietnam War soldier Steve Jennings says a Zippo lighter saved his life when it stopped a bullet from a .30 caliber machine gun, leaving him with nothing more than "something like you would get from a shaving cut."
What with lighting up instrument panels, heating cans of food rations and, you know, stopping speeding bullets, it's no wonder war correspondent Ernie Pyle called Zippo lighters "the most coveted item on the battlefield."
Since its 1933 debut, Zippo lighters have been providing their special brand of luck in over 1,500 movies and TV shows, from Apocalypse Now to Die Hard.
It couldn't hurt to always have one on your person, right? Just in case? We're sure John McClane would agree.
Horseshoes
Like four-leaf clovers, horseshoes have been a symbol of good luck for a millennia. Since iron can withstand fire, it was believed to be a magical metal capable of warding off evil spirits. Horseshoes also have seven nails, and seven + iron = double lucky.
In one 10th century Christian legend, a blacksmith named Dunstan shoed the devil himself when he walked into his shop. Dunstan agreed to remove the shoe after the devil promised to never enter a household with a horseshoe hanging on the door. Given that this is the devil and all, it seems strange that Dunstan took him for his word and let him go. But it must have worked out since he later became the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Saint.
Some people believe it's lucky to have a horseshoe facing up above a doorway so the good luck doesn't "spill out." Others think it's lucky upside-down so all who pass under your door have luck dumped on them like a slime bucket of goodwill.
Manekineko
Also known as the "beckoning cat" or the "money cat," manekineko can be found outside shops waving its paw, beckoning you and your wallet in. It's meant to bring good fortune and wealth to the owner. The exact origin of the manekineko is fuzzy, but many Japanese folktales reference beckoning cats assisting travelers and merchants.
If the money cat has its left paw raised, it's for bringing customers into a shop. If it has the right paw raised, it's welcoming good fortune of all kinds, a use case more applicable for those of us who are not small business owners. They say the higher the raised paw, the more money flows in. It's science.
When you see beckoning cats out in the wild, here's what their different colors mean:
White = happiness
Calico = all-around good things
Black = protection
Gold = dollar, dollar bills y'all
Manekineko often has something around its neck, like a bell collar or a bib, a tradition dating back to the Edo period in Japan when wealthy folks would walk their dressed-up cats to show off. That they were able to walk their cats is mind-numbing alone but that they did so while forcing their cats to wear bibs is nothing short of exceptional. Bravo, wealthy Edo class. Lucky indeed.