(image borrowed from Amazon)
The horseshoe is thought to be good luck based on the legend of St. Dunstan. Dunstan was a blacksmith who was commissioned by the devil to make him a shoe for his cloven hoof. Dunstan agreed but because the process caused the devil so much pain, Dunstan made him agree to never enter a house that has a horseshoe hanging above the doorway.
I now think I need to invest in getting a horseshoe above our doorway...
(image borrowed from Star Tribune)
Over two thousand years ago, the Etruscans believed that roosters and hens were soothsayers because they heralded the dawn and squawked before laying an egg. The fowl's collarbone resembles a human groin and is believed to have special powers and earned the name "wishbone." It was the Romans who introduced the tradition of breaking the wishbone between two people, the winner being the one with the bigger half and having received "a lucky break."
Sad that the chicken wasn't lucky though.
(image borrowed from National Geographic Kids)
Ladybugs are believed to be lucky because of their connection to the Virgin Mary. The ladybug emerges around March 25th which was the time of the Feast of Annunciation, also known as Lady Day. Ladybugs bring luck to a person's garden by eating the unwanted pests. In Germany, they are called "Mary bugs."
I never knew that Germans called them "Mary Bugs." That's interesting!
(image borrowed from Amazon)
Friday the 13th is considered to be unlucky. There's some legend that has ties to Christianity. Judas was the thirteenth to arrive at the Last Supper. Friday is considered an unlucky day since it was the day of Christ's Crucifixion. The British wanted to prove the day's unluckiness was a hoax by naming a new ship the HMS Friday, they laid her to keel on a Friday and set her to sea on the 13th that happened to be a Friday. The ship and crew were never heard from again. And we won't even mention Apollo 13.
Wow. I'm now thinking Friday the 13th might really be a bad day all around!
(image borrowed from Home Depot)
It's considered unlucky to walk under a ladder. There's believe that a triangle is a sacred symbol of life because of connection to the Holy Trinity. Walking under one would disrupt the sacred space, so to speak, and risks divine wrath. Christians believe a ladder resting against a wall to be evil since a ladder was rested against Christ's cross. Condemned criminals were even forced to walk under the gallows ladder, the entrance to eternal darkness while the executioner walked around it to position the noose.
Yeah, that's some freaky stuff. I guess I never knew why it was unlucky to walk under a ladder, but now I do!
I actually knew this face about horseshoes and have two next to my front door hung the correct way. I was given these by the Detroit Mounted Police at the state fair one year. They are one of my treasures.
ReplyDeletePlease note that face was supposed to be "fact." LOL at my typing and proof reading skills.
ReplyDelete