Why Is Finding a Penny Good Luck?
- Written By: Crystal Brackman
- Edited By: Lucy Oppenheimer
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Copyright Protected:
2003-2013 Conjecture Corporation
"Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you'll have good luck." This common rhyme refers to an old superstition, and like many superstitions, it has many variations and the reasoning behind those variations are also numerous. Reasons why finding pennies brings good luck range from early beliefs about where metal came from to the notion that money symbolizes power.
Bad things can happen to good people when they least expect it. As a result, people tend to fall back on ancient rituals that seem to stave off disaster. That is, they believe in superstitions. Many superstitions seem to revolve around the struggle between good and evil, and these rituals were designed to swing the balance onto the side of good.
Finding a penny and picking it up is a relatively new spin on an old superstition. Many years ago, people believed that metal was a gift from the gods, given to man for protection against evil. That developed into the notion that metal brings good luck. In fact, this idea is partially represented in the practice of hanging horseshoes over their doorways, wearing charm bracelets, and carrying good luck coins.
The old wives’ tale of putting a penny in the shoe of a woman on her wedding day comes from a Victorian rhyme: "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe." These superstitions were all requests for good luck for the bride. Perhaps because finding a penny was easier than finding a silver sixpence, people made a substitution. Now the saying concludes, "and a lucky penny in the shoe." The penny was intended to be worn in the shoe of the bride to ensure that the newly married couple would always have wealth. The tying of metal cans behind a newlywed couple’s car is another version of the superstition that metal protects and brings wealth.
The saying, "Put a penny wrapped in paper, keep it to avoid your debtors," is another way that metal was thought to bring wealth.
Finding a penny is still considered good luck, but some variations of the old wives' tale includes the position of the penny. If the penny is found heads up, it brings good luck. If it is found heads down, it brings bad luck. If the finder gives it to a friend, he passes the luck on to someone else.
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Discuss this Article
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anon257952
Post 6 |
It doesn't say which shoe you should put the lucky penny in. |
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anon220876
Post 5 |
Good article, but there's a flaw: regardless if the penny is on heads or tails, you're still supposed to pick it up. If on heads, you keep it and good luck all day for you, and if on tails, give it to somebody else and they will have good luck all day long. And you also failed to mention something else: keeping a jar of pennies in the kitchen is good luck as I have found out! |
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zenmaster
Post 4 |
In feng shui, if you leave your doorway open and uncrowded you are supposed to get more fortune and money.
This also applies to keeping gold fruits in your house, as well as goldfish. |
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closerfan12
Post 3 |
There really are a lot of money stereotypes though.
For instance, a lot of people believe that carrying three pennies around will bring you good luck.
Another superstition is that carrying a dime in your shoe can protect you from ill-wishers.
Other people say that putting money into the foundation of a building will assure success for that building's businesses.
There really are a ton -- but I never knew the reasoning behind the penny one before -- thank you! |
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yournamehere
Post 2 |
I love looking at superstitions from different cultures.
For example, in China the numbers 4 and 7 are unlucky, so you'll never see people having their weddings or important events on the 7th or the 4th if they can avoid it. I don't know why 7 is bad luck, but the word for 4 sounds like the Chinese word for death, so that's why it's considered unlucky.
It is also unlucky to have things with the number 1 in your wedding, since you want the happy couple to remain a pair, and not become single again. Because of this, wedding gifts (usually money) are given in denominations that are even.
The luckiest number is 8, because it sounds like the words for wealthy and prosperous. So, for example, if you give a couple 888 RMB, then you are wishing them prosperity. |
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subway11
Post 1 |
Excellent article- I just want to add even though superstitions often have no scientific foundation to them, people nonetheless take them seriously.
An example that comes to mind is that a building typically does not have a 13th floor. Elevators don’t ever offer the 13th floor option.
There is really no other explanation for the omission of the thirteenth floor other than superstition. Some view the number thirteen as unlucky much the same way as a penny facing down it is perceived as bad luck. |
