Lucky charms: Some people swear by them while others think they’re silly. But regardless of whether a rabbit’s foot or a favorite number really attracts Lady Luck, lucky charms can be fun and make you feel more optimistic. When you have fun and feel more positive, that attitude makes you luckier, too!

If you don’t have a favorite lucky symbol already, maybe it’s time to find one that inspires you. Here are some popular lucky charms from around the world.

Lucky Four-Leaf Clover Charms

Four-leaf clovers are an ancient Irish symbol of luck. Among the Celtic, it was a common belief that a four-leaf clover could help people see fairies and avoid their mischief, a common source of bad luck.  The four leaves were rumored to have mystical powers representing positive attributes. Some legends attribute them to faith, hope, love, and luck, while others say they’ll bring fame, wealth, health, and faithful love.

There are many variations of clover that always have four leaves, but the lucky ones come from the white clover plant, Trifolium repens. “Trifolium” literally means three-leaved; four-leaved plants are a genetic mutation.  True four-leaf clovers are rare, with only about one in 10,000 plants carrying the lucky leaves.  To know you’ve found a true four-leaf clover, look for one leaflet that’s smaller than the others. If all four leaflets are the same size, you are probably looking at the wrong variety of clover.

Lucky Horseshoe Charms

Horseshoes are one of the oldest lucky superstitions, with various legends from different cultures attributing lucky powers to them. One legend says that horseshoes are lucky because they are made of iron. Mischievous fairies couldn’t stand the touch of iron, so they shied away from houses that had horseshoes on them.

Another legend attributes lucky horseshoes to Saint Dunstan. According to the legend, the devil commanded Dunstan, who was a blacksmith, to shoe his horse. Instead, Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the devil’s foot. He only agreed to remove it and ease the devil’s pain when he received a guarantee that the devil would stay away from any house with a horseshoe on the door. After that, any house with a horseshoe was guaranteed to be lucky.

Lucky Dice (Fuzzy or Otherwise) Charms

Many games of chance are played with dice, so it’s no surprise that they became a symbol of luck. You might be surprised to know that, unlike many of the lucky charms on this list, fuzzy dice are a relatively recent invention. During World War II, fighter pilots would fly missions with terrible odds of coming home again. They’d bring lucky charms with them in the hopes of tipping the odds in their favor. Gambling items like cards and dice were popular charms to bring aboard the fighter planes. Knowing the WWII tradition, Deccofelt Corp started marketing fuzzy dice to hang on the rearview mirrors of cars in 1959, and a fad was born. 

Ladybugs as Good Luck Charms

Ladybugs are popular insects worldwide, and many cultures believe they bring good luck. In German-speaking countries, they are literally called lucky bugs: “Glückskäfer”

How can a ladybug make you luckier? Some cultures say that if a ladybug lands on you and you don’t brush it off, your luck will improve. Others say that they’re a sign of impending love. For example, if a man and a woman see a ladybug at the same time, they’ll fall in love. In Belgium, a ladybug crawling across a maiden’s hand was a sign that she would soon be married.

And that’s not the only way ladybugs bring luck. Farmers believed a large number of ladybugs in the spring was a harbinger of a good harvest that year. Be careful, however, around these cheerful-looking insects. Killing a ladybug can bring you misfortune. When you pick your lucky charm, keep in mind that all ladybugs are not created equal in the luck department; The deeper red their color and the more spots they have, the luckier you’ll be!

Lucky Number Seven Charms

Growing up, you may have heard that seven was the luckiest number, but did anyone tell you why? The number seven is connected with luck, perfection, and knowledge in many cultures.

One reason might be that the number seven has special mathematical properties. The ancient Greeks called 7 “the perfect number,” the sum of 3 (triangle) and 4 (square), which are perfect forms. Seven is an important number in other ways, too:

There are 7 days of the week.

There are 7 colors in the rainbow.

7 planets are visible to the naked eye.

The 7th son of a 7th son is supposed to be especially gifted and lucky.

7 is a winning roll in many games of chance.

How can you adopt the lucky seven as a lucky charm? You could make a slot machine showing all sevens or you could be more subtle and pick 21 as your token: three sevens.

Lucky Number Eight Charms

In China, however, the number 8 is considered the luckiest number, not 7. The reason is much clearer than with the number 7: Its luck-bringing properties stem from a play on words. In Chinese, the word for the number 8 sounds a lot like the word for prosperity. The number 8, with its two graceful curves, is also a balanced number. Balance and harmony are believed to be vital ingredients for a lucky life.

Lucky Rabbit Foot Charms

Lucky rabbit foot keychains, whether real or faux, are popular symbols of luck. The original legend says that the left hind foot of a rabbit that is captured in a cemetery at night can ward off evil magic. Luckily, you don’t have to go through that much effort to have a fun rabbit’s foot charm for inspiration. There are fake rabbits’ feet for sale if you don’t want to harm an actual bunny.

More Lucky Animal Charms

Rabbits aren’t the only animals to be used as a lucky charm. Here are some more animals you can use as your lucky symbol:

In feng shui, goldfish are said to attract luck and prosperity. Dragons and horses are also considered lucky.

In Germany, lucky pigs (“Glücksschwein”) are given as tokens to wish friends and family a happy and lucky New Year.

Turtles and tortoises are considered lucky due to their long lifespans.

Ancient Egyptians considered the scarab beetle to be lucky.

In Korea, the swallow is considered a sign of good luck thanks to the story of ​Heungbu and Nolbu, where a sparrow rewarded a kind deed with prosperity.

Rainbow Good Luck Charms

Rainbows are considered lucky because of the legend that says that if you dig at the end of a rainbow, you’ll find a pot of gold. Rainbows are great lucky symbols because they’re beautiful and cheery.

Lucky Coin Charms

Most of us know the old saying, “Find a penny, pick it up, and all that day you’ll have good luck!” Those found pennies are fun luck-bringers. Some people say that not just any penny lying on the ground is lucky, but that lucky pennies have to be found face-up.

Lucky Bamboo Charms

Lucky bamboo is technically not bamboo at all, but a close relative called Dracaena. It’s a hardy, long-lived plant, which might account for its lucky properties.

The more stalks a lucky bamboo plant has, the more luck it brings. A plant with three stalks is said to bring happiness, wealth and longevity to the owners. What benefits would more stalks bring you? Of course, any green plant is a good lucky charm in your home or office. According to The Sill, studies show they improve your mood and clean the air indoors.

Dreamcatcher Luck Charms

Dreamcatchers come from Native American lore. Looking like a web or net stretched over a loop and decorated with bright beads and feathers, they catch bad dreams as they enter a household.  By capturing the disturbing dreams, they make the owner happier, more balanced, and luckier. Plus, they look cool, too.

To use dreamcatchers as lucky charms, hang one inside your office window to keep bad luck away. Or buy a pair of dreamcatcher earrings or a dreamcatcher necklace to bring luck with you wherever you go.

Evil Eyes to Ward Off Bad Luck

While you may give someone the evil eye when they annoy you, people used to take malevolent looks much more seriously. Usually triggered by jealousy, giving someone an evil eye was supposed to cause all manner of suffering from mental illness to physical maladies. For thousands of years, people have been using evil eye talismans, or nazur, to ward off the bad luck caused by these curses.

The evil eye lucky charm takes several different forms. Some cultures use a hand with an eye in its center for protection. Others use simple blue or green beads. But some of the most popular and beautiful evil eye talismans come from Turkey. They use glass beads with alternating blue and white circles to bring themselves more luck.

Acorns as Lucky Symbols

Because of its association with the Norse god Odin, the lowly acorn is also considered a symbol of luck. Odin hung himself from an oak tree to gain knowledge, so the acorn has come to symbolize wisdom. The Norse also believed that acorns could bring divine protection and placed them in the windows of their homes to ward off lightning. During the Norse Invasion, Englishmen would carry acorns in their pockets, perhaps hoping that they’d make their conquerors more sympathetic.

As the saying, “great oaks from little acorns grow ” indicates, acorns also signify fertility, youth, and prosperity.

SOURCE: LIVEABOUT.COM