Actually, I've never thought to find something that bring me luck. I'm content with what I have, I guess. We always say " shatters bring luck" when we drop and smash a glas for example. That's what Greeks do while they dance the Sirtaki, right? They smash plates and quite a lot! Does this tradition bring them luck?
Chimney sweeps are considered lucky in the UK and Germany. Even though many houses have central heating nowadays, the romance of an open fire hasn't died, and chimney sweeps are sometimes invited to weddings to kiss the bride.
For me, black cats have always made me feel fortunate @aryarchi. Maybe it is only because I find they are such lovely animals (though I like all cats). Or maybe it's just to do with the fact that as a child we liked to have a black cat as a pet. Interestingly, some cultures regard them as symbols of bad luck, while some see them as lucky.
In Scotland @bubbli, a black cat arriving to a home signifies prosperity. They are considered good luck in Japan. Though in Germany, a black cat crossing a person's path from right to left is bad luck, going the opposite way, from left to right is good luck.
Gamblers don't like them, but sailors preferred a black cat for good luck. Egyptian households sometimes believed they'd gain favour from Bastet, the Egyptian cat god by having black cats in their home. Charles I believed that his luck was gone when his black cat died. The next day he was arrested and charged with high treason, so maybe there was something in it.
As a kid we used to always have a black cat @bubbli. Perhaps this was because my father was once a sailor.
In most parts of the UK black cats are considered lucky.
This sounds special to me @Lynne. Superstitious people in Holland taught me that when a black cat crosses your path, it will bring bad luck. I thought this might be an alternative view of the people in my country alone, so I've been searching for the English version of the story and I found this:
A black cat crossing your path is considered by many to be an omen of doom; not only is it bad luck, it is VERY bad luck. From there the superstition goes as far as belief that the black cat is a demon in disguise trying to cut off a person’s access to heaven. It is said that cats- and black cats in particular- act as “familiars” to witches, creatures that are imbibed with an evil, otherworldly sentience that give power to their master.
Clovers occasionally have four leaflets, instead of the usual three. These four-leaf clovers, like other rarities, are considered lucky. Clovers can also have five, six, or more leaflets, but these are rarer.
A common idiom is "to be (or to live) in clover", meaning to live a carefree life of ease, comfort, or prosperity. This originally referred to the fact that clover is fattening to cattle.
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I'm content with what I have, I guess.
We always say " shatters bring luck" when we drop and smash a glas for example.
That's what Greeks do while they dance the Sirtaki, right?
They smash plates and quite a lot!
Does this tradition bring them luck?
@bubbli , I don't think so , I can't find anything.
Gamblers don't like them, but sailors preferred a black cat for good luck. Egyptian households sometimes believed they'd gain favour from Bastet, the Egyptian cat god by having black cats in their home. Charles I believed that his luck was gone when his black cat died. The next day he was arrested and charged with high treason, so maybe there was something in it.
As a kid we used to always have a black cat @bubbli. Perhaps this was because my father was once a sailor.
A black cat crossing your path is considered by many to be an omen of doom; not only is it bad luck, it is VERY bad luck. From there the superstition goes as far as belief that the black cat is a demon in disguise trying to cut off a person’s access to heaven. It is said that cats- and black cats in particular- act as “familiars” to witches, creatures that are imbibed with an evil, otherworldly sentience that give power to their master.
You can learn more about this here:
http://www.timelessmyths.co.uk/a-black-cat-crossing-your-path.html
You can also look at it at another way:
A common idiom is "to be (or to live) in clover", meaning to live a carefree life of ease, comfort, or prosperity. This originally referred to the fact that clover is fattening to cattle.