We all know lucky charms and lucky symbols: from the four-leaf clover to the (golden) horseshoe to the chimney sweep, belief and superstition are common in people. Some non GamStop casinos players wear an amulet or bring a talisman to the game to boost their luck.
Others rub a rabbit’s foot, because we also say that many animals have lucky abilities. Which lucky charm animals are there around the world? Read our overview and find your lucky animal for the next casino visit!
1. The Pig As a Lucky Animal (The Most Common Lucky Amulet Among Non GamStop Casinos Players)
The pig is not only one of the most popular lucky symbols in the UK, but also in Europe. Beliefs go way back in time and pigs symbolized fertility and prosperity. A sow’s litter often includes many piglets, which is probably where the expression “pigs” comes from.
While people used to give piglets as lucky charms, especially on New Year’s Day, today we limit ourselves to little marzipan pigs, pendants or small figures. However, suckling pig is a traditional New Year’s meal in many European countries.
In China, too, the pig with its curly tail is considered a delicacy, a popular farm animal and a lucky charm. Old playing cards used the pig as a joker.
2. Ladybugs & Bugs
The ladybug is another very well-known lucky charm animal. The black dots on its red wings make it unmistakable. The most common are
seven-point ladybugs. Since the seven is also said to bring luck, people and players particularly believe in the power of the beetle.
Ladybugs eat aphids and vermin. According to tradition, it was a gift from Marie to the gardeners, hence the name. The ladybug has been known to us as a symbol of good luck since the middle ages.
The ancient Egyptians, on the other hand, worshiped the scarab and made amulets in the shape of this beetle. They believed in a connection to the sun god Ra and the scarab represented life and resurrection. Accordingly, the beetle appears as a symbol in slot machines such as Book of Ra.
3. Lucky Cats
Staying with ancient Egypt, cats were already considered sacred there. Many other cultures have adopted the special status and the Japanese, for example, dedicate shrines and places to cats.
We know the waving cat “Maneki Neko” from Japan. This lucky animal is used as a statue or battery-operated toy, mainly placed in entrances and windows to attract wealth and financial luck.
4. Rabbit and Hare
Rabbits are known to reproduce quickly and in large numbers and therefore also symbolize fertility and prosperity. In the Nordic countries, the white rabbit or “snow rabbit” is considered a lucky animal and a gift to young children for a happy life.
The belief in the hare’s foot as a good luck charm is widespread and dates back to ancient times. Even in China, Africa or America, people wear and rub a rabbit’s foot for good luck. Hung up in the house or
entrance, the paw is said to ward off evil spirits. As the Easter Bunny, the animal has a very special place with us.
5. Fish and Dolphin for Good Luck Animals
The goldfish bears its property in its name, so it’s no wonder that it should symbolize wealth. This belief dates back more than a thousand years and to China. In ancient Greece, on the other hand, the goldfish symbolized happiness and harmony in marriage and family.
The Buddhists also see the goldfish as a lucky animal and a symbol of fertility and harmony. Some people have a superstition that a goldfish caught, or sometimes a carp or other fish, grants three wishes. This is for example handed down in the fairy tale of the fisherman and his wife by the Brothers Grimm.
Ornamental carp like koi are considered lucky animals, especially in Japan and China, and are said to bring prosperity and good luck. In the meantime, however, the animals are also widespread and popular in Europe.
Dolphins are considered to be highly intelligent and also helpful animals. Seafarers in particular therefore believe in this lucky charm animal, so the dolphin is a common galleon figure on the bow.
6. The Frog and the Lucky Toad
In Chinese mythology and in Feng Shui, the frog has an extremely positive connotation. The animal is said to bring prosperity and wealth, but the right placement is important for a frog figure: it should ideally be placed on a small table in a southeast-facing corner.
A coin placed in the mouth activates the frog’s magical powers. In China you can therefore see such frog sculptures in most shops. You can also buy metal toads sitting on a pile of coins.
The toad represents a windfall and wealth through its association with water.
Frogs and toads appear again and again in fairy tales and legends as magical ingredients in witchcraft. In fairy tales, toads sometimes poison wells and water or stand for a curse. Due to their unsightly appearance, the animals are less popular with us as lucky charms.
7. Elephant
Elephants make their home in Africa and India, where they are admired and revered for their strength. The Indian god Ganesha bears the head of an elephant and stands for luck and success. Ganesha statues, especially playful and with a raised trunk, are therefore good luck charms in India.
The elephant is also a lucky charm animal in other Asian countries. Depending on the culture, it also stands for power, intelligence and wisdom, because the elephant is said to have an excellent memory.
Article Written by John Montagu
