Life is full of big moments where luck might be handy!

Lucky charms - who hasn’t had one at one point in their lives? A St Christopher charm, patron saint of travellers. Acorns – due to their connection to the mighty oak tree, supposedly bringing protection and strength. I am married to an Irishman, who tells me a traditional shamrock has three leaves and represents Ireland and Christian faith, while a rare four-leaf clover is the one specifically known as a symbol of good luck – it’s actually a freak of nature, a rare mutation of the regular three-leaved clover, and the chances of finding one are estimated to be about 1 in 10,000. That’s a lot of leaves to search for on your hands and knees!

Another lucky symbol – a rabbit’s foot (not so lucky for the rabbit). Around 600 BC, the Celts believed that because rabbits lived in deep underground burrows, they could talk directly to the gods and spirits. And of course, rabbits reproduce rapidly, making them a symbol of fertility, abundance and good fortune. But beware of which foot you pick - European folklore held that the rear-left foot was the unluckiest part of this prolific creature – and traditionally, superstition views the left side of anything as cursed or evil. Other superstitions suggest that taking a rabbit’s left hind foot under terrible conditions (like in a graveyard at midnight on Friday the 13th) concentrates so much bad luck that the charm completely flips to ward off evil and grants immense good.

Horseshoes for luck

A found horseshoe is said to be lucky because of its protective iron material and its sacred crescent shape, folklore surrounding blacksmiths or Saint Dunstan. Who is Saint Dunstan, you might ask, and what is his connection to horseshoes? Saint Dunstan was a 10th-century English monk and Archbishop of Canterbury who became the patron saint of blacksmiths. His connection to horseshoes comes from a famous legend where he tricked the Devil by nailing a horseshoe onto Satan's own cloven hoof. Finding one by chance adds extra power because it connects you directly to unexpected good and can be hung over doorways traditionally believed to trap or shield a home from evil. But mounted the wrong way up is said to drain your luck, not capture it.

Snapping the wishbone is said to be lucky. This is a Y-shaped bird bone you will find on most birds, particularly turkeys or chickens, but the process of snapping it is from the ancient Etruscans to grant a secret wish, the tradition being that two people will use their little fingers to pull the wishbone in two, and the one who ended up with the larger piece was the winner and was granted their wish.

The waving cat symbol often seen in Chinese restaurants or shops is actually the Maneki-neko, a famous Japanese figurine representing good fortune, wealth, and happiness. Despite looking like it is waving hello, the cat is actually making a traditional Japanese beckoning gesture to invite people, money, or luck inside.

Unlucky symbols

These are almost as numerous as lucky ones - broken mirrors, black cats, and opening an umbrella indoors, the number 13 (and the numbers 4, 9, 17, 39 and 43 in some countries). Although not a symbol as such, they say that walking under a ladder is unlucky, as it forms a triangle shape that breaks sacred spiritual boundaries. Spilled salt is another bad omen, traditionally fixed by tossing a pinch over the left shoulder, and crows and ravens are said to be linked to death, dark magic, or bad news because of their colour and habits.

Is luck real?

As a magical, external force, luck does not exist scientifically - instead, science explains ‘luck’ through probability, psychology, and behaviour. A positive attitude that keeps individuals open to new opportunities and receptive to patterns in seemingly random events.

So hang on to your acorns, random buttons, horseshoes, and ladybugs. ‘Luck favours the prepared’ is a saying credited to the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca – and you never know when ‘break a leg’, ‘knock on wood’ or ‘knock ‘em dead’ might be useful sayings too.