Most Unusual Lucky Charm – Part Two.
We’re back with the most unusual lucky charm and more innovative ways for you to persuade Lady Luck to smile on you. If you didn’t find anything in our last article, fear not. We have plenty more curious talismans and tokens where those came from!
1. Carp scales as a Lucky Charm….
A carp’s a fish that you eat, right? Why would you keep its scales and why would it be lucky?
Well, firstly you need to know that having carp for Christmas Eve dinner is actually a beloved tradition in central and Eastern Europe. It’s a meat-free dish which many Christians eat as a way of celebrating the last day of the Advent fast. And it’s said to bring good luck as well.
Some countries like Poland, Austria and Germany take this even further by keeping the Christmas carp in their bathtub for 2 to 3 days beforehand. As a way of keeping the fish as fresh as possible. Once the Christmas Eve feast is over. Some people collect the scales as a tangible symbol of luck and good fortune for the year ahead.
Carp scales are certainly easier to come by than some of the lucky charms we mentioned last time, we’re just not sure about the smell. But if that doesn’t bother you then go right ahead. Nothing fishy here, just good luck and good vibes.
2. Fumsups as a Lucky Charm…
Wassup? More like ‘thumbs up’, because that’s what a Fumsup actually is. (Thumbs up, Fumsup – get it?)
Originating in the US, Britain and Australia in the late 1800s, Fumsups were tiny figurines of dolls giving a thumbs-up with each hand. The bodies of the dolls were made of metal while their heads were made of wood. Giving you the chance to ‘touch wood’ for even more luck. They were also given to soldiers in WWI as lucky tokens. And some even featured four-leafed clovers on their heads for even more luck and positivity. We don’t know how much luck you’ll have finding an original Fumsup to carry around with you. But you can’t go wrong with an image of a thumbs-up on your laptop or mobile device. Or even giving yourself a thumbs-up once in a while. Whatever works! Some lucky charm.
3. Scarabs
All we know about scarab beetles is that they absolutely creeped us OUT in the 1999 Brendan Fraser movie, The Mummy. But it turns out they’re actually a lucky charm too. When they’re not eating poop and killing grave robbers, that is.
Actually, speaking of poop, that’s exactly what the ancient Egyptians found so fascinating about scarab beetles. Watching them roll their dung across the desert, an action that they compared to the sun crossing the sky. That led to them equating scarab beetles with the sun god Khepri. Which is when they came to be seen as good luck symbols in their own right. Today they can still be found as symbols of luck and fortune in jewellery design. So if beetles are your thing, you might want to buy a necklace or a bracelet as your own personal lucky charm. Just don’t then try and plunder an ancient Egyptian tomb – you have been warned.
That should be more than enough to help you channel Lady Luck and her good favour. Try one or more of our lucky charm suggestions for yourself, and see if they can get you any closer to that life-changing jackpot you deserve!