1. Rabbits Foot
In some cultures, the foot of a rabbit (carried as an amulet) is believed to bring good luck, for the human anyway (ouch). This belief is held by individuals in a great number of places around the world including Europe, China, Africa, and North and South America. It is likely that this belief has existed in Europe since 600 BC amongst Celtic people.
2. Horse Shoe
When kept as a talisman, a horseshoe is said to bring good luck. Some believe that to hang it with the ends pointing upwards is good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by, whereas to hang it with the ends pointing down, is bad luck as all the good luck will fall out. Others believe that the horseshoe should be hung the other way (with the ends pointing down), as it will then release its luck to the people around it.
3. The number 8
The word for "eight" (八 Pinyin: bā) sounds similar to the word which means "prosper" or "wealth" (發 – short for "發財", Pinyin: fā). In regional dialects the words for "eight" and "fortune" are also similar, e.g., Cantonese "baat" and "faat".
There is also a visual resemblance between two digits, "88", and 囍, the "shuāng xĭ" ("double joy"), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜 ("xĭ" meaning "joy" or "happiness").
The number 8 is viewed as such an auspicious number that even being assigned a number with several eights is considered very lucky. This is one of the reasons the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm local time.
4. Wishbone
Superstitions surrounding divination by means of a goose's wishbone go back to at least the late medieval period. Johannes Hartlieb in 1455 recorded the divination of weather by means of a goose's wishbone, "When the goose has been eaten on St. Martin's Day or Night, the oldest and most sagacious keeps the breast-bone and allowing it to dry until the morning examines it all around, in front, behind and in the middle. Thereby they divine whether the winter will be severe or mild, dry or wet, and are so confident in their prediction that they will wager their goods and chattels on its accuracy. The custom of two persons pulling on the bone with the one receiving the larger part making a wish develops in the early 17th century. At that time, the name of the bone was a merrythought. The name wishbone in reference to this custom is recorded from 1860.
5. Sarimanok
The Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the Maranao people who originate from Mindanao, a major island in the Philippines. It comes from the words "sari" and "manok." "Sari" means cloth or garment, which is generally of assorted colors. Manòk means "bird". It is the legendary bird that has become a ubiquitous symbol of Maranao art. It is depicted as a fowl with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head is profusely decorated with scroll, leaf, and spiral motifs. It is said to be a symbol of good fortune.
6. A Pig
According to German tradition, the "Schwein" (pig) brings good luck over the coming 12 months. Similarly, the German phrase "Schwein haben" - which literally means "to have pig" - actually implies "to be lucky."Its special status in this regard purportedly dates back to old decks of playing cards, in which the ace was known as "die Sau" (a sow, or female pig). The upshot: the expression "Schwein haben" became a synonym for being lucky.
7. Maneki-neko
The maneki-neko (Japanese: 招き猫?, literally "beckoning cat") is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman) which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—often at the entrance—of shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning. The maneki-neko is sometimes also called the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, beckoning cat, or fortune cat in English.
8. Coccinellidae
Many cultures consider coccinellids lucky and have nursery rhymes or local names for the insects that reflect this. For instance, the Turkish name for the insect is uğur böceği, literally meaning "good luck bug". In many countries, including Russia, Turkey, and Italy, the sight of a coccinellid is either a call to make a wish or a sign that a wish will soon be granted.
9. White Elephant
White elephants have been revered symbols of power and good fortune in both Thailand and Burma. In Thailand all those discovered are presented to the king (usually this is ceremonial — they are not taken into captivity) and the more white elephants the king has, the greater his standing.
10. Four Leaf Clover
Last but certainly not least is the Four leaf clover. St. Patrick's Day is when you will see this symbol shown the most and ironically it is not to be confused with the Shamrock with which St. Patrick was actually associated. He used the Shamrock which grows with three leafs to illustrate the idea of the Trinity in the Christian church. This spiritual teaching tool caught on and spread amongst the community because to this day the symbolic shamrock meaning is iconic of St. Patrick and his spiritual passion and is the unofficial symbol of Ireland.
The Four leaf clover however is the 4 leaf version of the shamrock and is very rare and thus you are lucky to find one. According to Irish lore, each leaf symbolizes a different lucky characteristic; Respect, Wealth, Love and Health.
