Red-Eyed Toads and Worry Dolls: The Strange World of Lucky Charms
We’ve always been a superstitious species. There are plenty of people who get worried when a black cat crosses their path or simply cross their fingers while they’re hoping for a spot of good luck.
A list of lucky charms from around the world has been put together by netentstalker.com in an interesting and entertaining infographic. If you want to find out what keeps the kids safe in Guatemala or how Peru has more than its share of charms, check out the list today.
To give you a quick taster, here are just some of the strange and wonderful lucky charms people take seriously around the globe:
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Three legged toads that promise you money and prosperity are all the rage in China. The Jin Chan is a red-eyed little monster that you give a coin to and which is supposed to improve your financial situation. Forget the coin, however, and you can end up losing everything.
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Easter eggs are big in the Ukraine and you’ll find plenty of pysanky if you visit this country. They’re coloured with geometric shapes and have different meanings depending on the design, some signifying prosperity, others fertility.
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Worry dolls are popular in many cultures but particularly in Guatemala where they are made by hand and given to children who are a little unhappy. The kids then tell the doll all their problems and these are supposed to magically disappear.
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The scarab beetle became popular around the world when they were seen in the film The Mummy, perhaps not for the right reasons though. In fact, these beetles are considered to be a lucky symbol in Egypt and protect wearers from malign forces.
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In Norway, the simple acorn seems to have a lot of power for its size. Farmers used to put a single acorn on their window sill to protect them from lightening when a storm was getting near. People still put an acorn in the window today as it’s seen as a way of providing general protection for the home.
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If you thought fish scales have no use, think again. Across many areas of central Europe, if you put a few in your wallet after your Christmas Eve meal, a celebration that normally involves carp, it can help bring you good luck for the rest of the year.
Charms are wonderful things and tell us a lot about cultures around the world. If you want to attract some luck, then take a look at the whole infographic here.
