List of lucky symbols

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	[1][2]
8		Chinese	Sounds like the Chinese word for "fortune". See Numbers in Chinese culture#Eight
Aitvaras		Lithuania
Albatross			Considered a sign of good luck if seen by sailors.[3][4]
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	[5]
Barnstar		United States	[6][7]
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, 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)	[8][9]
Fish		Chinese, Hebrew, Ancient Egyptian, Tunisian, Indian, Japanese	[10][11][12][13][14][15]
Bird or flock going from right to left		Paganism	Auspicia
A monk passing through		Buddhist
Four-leaf clover		Irish and Celtic, German	[16][17]
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.[18][19]
Jade		Chinese
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	[20]
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.[21]
Wishbone		Europe, North America	[22]
Sarimanok		Maranao
Swallow		Korea	Rooted in Folktale 'Heungbu and Nolbu'
Tortoise shell cat		Many cultures	Rooted in Folklore
White Elephant		Thai	[23]
White heather		Irish Travellers, Scotland
Jew with a coin		Poland	Thought to bring money. [24][25][26]

See also

• List of bad luck signs
• Luck

Notes

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

Sources

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• Bessant, Claire (1999). Cat: The Complete Guide. Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0-7607-1718-4. OCLC 43543102.
• Binney, Ruth (2006). Nature's Ways: Lore, Legend, Fact and Fiction. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-2417-9. OCLC 70059876.
• Chapman, Mark (2004). "Nominally Chinatown". Reed College Luce Chinese Studies Grants. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
• Cioccolanti, Steve (2010). From Buddha to Jesus: An Insider's View of Buddhism and Christianity. Monarch Books. ISBN 978-1-85424-956-2. OCLC 455828844.
• Cooper, Jean C. (1978). An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27125-9. OCLC 61763660.
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