What is luck? How and why do some people have good luck? What is a lucky charm and why to people gift good luck charm jewellery?

You can see a multitude of Good Luck Charms on the jewellery in our online SHOP

It is well known that many so-called ‘lucky people’ carry lucky charms, lucky jewellery or a talisman like a lucky horseshoe, clover, ladybird or Indalo. Millions of people (possibly billions) believe in luck. The British Museum has a complete collection of lucky charms and symbols dating back centuries. Some of the most powerful people in the world believe in good luck charms: President Roosevelt carried a rabbit’s foot in his jacket. Napoleon carried a lucky coin; and during the election campaign, Barack Obama carried an array of good luck charms in his pocket. Why? What is it about good luck symbols, jewellery and lucky objects in general? What is a lucky charm? Why do people wear lucky charm jewellery?

First, lets look at what is a charm, and then, what makes a lucky charm lucky:

Wikipedia says that the wearing of charms began tens of thousands of years ago, probably to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. Back then, jewellery charms were made from shells, bones and clay. Later on, charms were made out of gems, rocks, and wood. In ancient Egypt, charms were used as symbols of faith and luck and to identify an individual to the Gods in the afterlife. Then, during the Roman Empire, Christians would use tiny fish charms hidden in their clothing to identify themselves to other Christians. Jewish scholars of the same period would write small passages of Jewish law and put them in amulets or other jewellery items round their necks to keep the law close to their heart. Medieval knights wore charms for protection in battle. Charms also were worn in the Dark Ages to denote family origin and religious and political convictions. In England, the wearing of charm bracelets by Queen Victoria (often carved of jet) made charms into something of a European craze.

So, what exactly is good luck and how can we get it from a lucky charm?  What is a good luck definition? What does it mean?

Although there is no exact definition, many people believe that luck is best explained as the faith that people have in it . . they expect good luck. And they carry a good luck charm or amulet like a lucky clover, or wear a good luck necklace or bracelet to remind them of their aims and intentions.

A study by two British Universities (Edinburgh and the University of Hertfordshire) confirms this. It shows that many people who, for example, carry good luck charms not only FEEL that their luck is better because of it – but also that, in reality, they have a ‘luckier’ life . . with their good fortune improving on a daily basis and with every particular task and event. For people with a religious background, this belief can be due to their belief in an element of providence – a manifestation of God’s care and guardianship, or of a deity’s divine intervention. The good luck charm necklace or bracelet jewellery transforms itself into an item of faith – and vice versa.

One thing that Good Luck is NOT, is fate – which is purely a chance happening of a fortunate event. Indeed, pure chance (not good luck per se), is an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another . . like serendipity – the ability of making fortunate discoveries by accident. Nor is Good Luck destiny – which is the so-called inevitable fate to which a particular person is destined. 

In truth, luck is BELIEVING – whether it is in a recognised token or symbol of good luck (like a 4-leafed clover or a lucky horseshoe, for example); a ‘totem’ with supposed magical powers (like the lucky Indalo), or in a  ‘religious symbol (like the Christian Fish). This has been proved by recent research at the University of Cologne, in Germany. Good luck comes about from a belief (or faith) in a good outcome of an event that is so strong that it leads to a subsequent improvement in performance. (Hence the close tie between good luck and religious faith / providence – and so-called Gifts of Faith.)          

Why lucky charms? And why lucky charm jewellery?

Good Luck is certainly considered fortunate and lots of people carry some sort of lucky charm (or object of religious faith) to help their life go a little bit better. Once someone recognises the positive energy of a lucky object, they allow that object to realise it’s potential to do good and so get good luck.

So, to attract Good Luck, people equip themselves with so-called lucky charms, talismans or amulets – or other objects or symbols they believe in – often in the form of jewellery like a necklace or bracelet with a lucky charm attached . . something they believe in. People FREQUENTLY give lucky charms like good luck charm jewellery, for example, as a gift to friends and loved ones to pass on their best wishes. These good luck gifts are suitable for someone for any occasion – like a graduation for example or a new job or moving house, and for all of their loved-ones: men or women, boys or girls – whether that person is their girlfriend or boyfriend, fiance, mother or father, brother or sister.
Indeed, at some point in their lives, most people have possessed a good luck charm, amulet or talisman. This is particularly true amongst sports people, politicians and actors where the magical spell of a good luck charm is almost an obsession:

Michael Jordan, the famous Chicago Bulls basketball star, spent his entire NBA career wearing his old University of North Carolina shorts under his team shorts – for good luck.

Many people genuinely believe that if they carry a good luck charm, it will bring them good fortune and prosperity, and that it will make their day go just that little bit better than normal.

And now, with the latest study by the University of Cologne (see Dail Mail article), this has been proved to be true. It is BELIEF (in good luck charm – or a symbol of faith like a Christian fish or cross) that makes people have more luck. Lucky charms are often thought to have ‘magical’ powers: And there is nothing wrong with that. People have put their faith is inexplicable symbols, beliefs and religions since time began and a little good luck charm as a gift can mean so much. These presents are ideal for lots of events like father’s day or mother’s day for example, or retirement, or going away to university . . for him or for her – man / guy or woman / lady – whether that friend, relative or loved-one is you mum or your dad, your husband or wife, your daughter or son – or simply a good friend.

In Japan, especially during the spring exam time, people go to shrines and temples – but not to pray. They write their wishes on a wooden tablet called an ’ema’ that has a picture of a horse on the back, and then hang the tablet in the temple. Long ago, people believed that the Gods rode horses, and so an ema was a way of asking the Gods to come and help them. And, just like many other people throughout the world today, they really believe that it works. Children in school put lucky charms on their desks, attach them to cell phones, and so on. The point is – they BELIEVE it will work.      

Luck is not just chance   

In 2004, Professor Wiseman (University of Hertfordshire in the UK, author of the research article “Why lucky charms matter” referenced above), asked:

“Is there a distinction between chance and luck?”

“Yes,” he said, “there’s a big distinction. Chance events are like winning the lottery. They’re events over which we have no control, other than buying a ticket.”

Report on the BBC   

Luck, on the other hand, comes about by believing. In other words, luck is having faith. Tennessee Williams wrote: “Luck is believing you are lucky” And many people think that there is power in a thought made concrete by a lucky charm – being a constant reminder of purpose and desire.

So, expect good fortune and you just might get it. Which is why, gifting a good luck gift is giving a present that has real meaning and, in all liklihood, real effect.

Henry Ford summed it up another way:

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right!”

Perhaps this is why, over the centuries, belief and faith have become entangled in so-called superstition – something to which many people feel inwardly obliged to adhere. This is typically manifested by, for example, the tradition of touching wood (or ‘knocking on wood’) which dates back thousands of years. Even these days, there are few people who will openly tempt their superstitions. This is because it would go against their inwardly-held beliefs . . one sure way to attract BAD luck. In fact, so many people avoid the number 13 that it is often absent from the floor of a hotel or the seat number on a plane.

SO, how can we help at Good-Luck-Gifts?

Almost every day, millions of us wish each other “Good Luck” for many different occasions and for all the important events of our lives. Whenever someone goes for an important appointment, we wish them the ‘best of luck’. Indeed, many believe that having good luck on their side is almost as important as trying hard. Everyone wishes to have a happy and successful life and, for that reason, a good luck wish from a friend or colleague is always appreciated. In many cases, it also has a distinctly positive result (it really WORKS!) These gifts have meaning for everyone in every job and walk of life whatever their profession – teacher / tutor, engineer, lawyer, writer, sportsman, doctor, musician), a student, vet, photographer and so on, or simply a colleague at work.

Here at good-luck-gifts.com, we have designed, sourced and produced lucky gifts that are SPECIFICALLY intended to pass on this Good Luck belief

“Luck affects everything,” wrote Ovid. And, for many people, the manifestation of Good Luck is prosperity and success.

So hopefully, we can help your friends succeed and prosper with one of our little gifts of good luck.      

*  How to say Good Luck in other languages 

*  Lucky Amulets and Talismans according to Wikipedia     

*  Charm bracelets as lucky amulets and talismans       

Lucky charms really work – say researchers

Recent research by the University of Cologne in Germany has demonstrated that belief in a lucky charm really does improve performance

See the Cologne report  published in the American Journal of Psychological Science.

Why are some of the world’s best athletes also some of the most superstitious? How can a good luck charm (or simply good luck wishes from a friend or colleague) sometimes improve someone’s success at a task?

Because belief in a lucky charm actually does work . . according to a study by psychologists at the University of Cologne, in Germany.

“I watch a lot of sports . . and I noticed that very often athletes hold superstitions,” says Lysann Damisch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University, and head researcher for the report. Michael Jordan wore his college team shorts underneath his NBA uniform for good luck; Tiger Woods wears a red shirt on tournament Sundays, usually the last and most important day of a tournament.

(Even President Obama carried lucky charms when he was running for President of the United States (see photo above of Obama displaying his lucky charms during a press conference)).

Damisch wondered why they did this. She thought that a belief in superstition might help people do better by improving their confidence. So, with her colleagues Barbara Stoberock and Thomas Mussweiler, she designed a set of experiments to see if activating people’s superstitious beliefs would actually improve their performance on a task.

In one of the experiments, volunteers were told to bring a lucky charm with them. Then the researchers took it away to take a picture. Half of the volunteers were given their charm back before the test started; the other half were told there was a problem with the camera and they would get it back later. Volunteers who had their lucky charm did better in a series of tests. They felt more confident and set higher goals for themselves.

Indeed, simply wishing someone good luck was shown to improve their success at a task. “This is especially true in situations where people feel a bit insecure and thus want to gain some confidence . .  for example, before a tournament, an exam, a job interview, an audition. Our results suggest that it is helpful to have a little lucky charm close by,” said Damisch. 

So, don’t scoff at those good luck charms and lucky charm jewellery. This new research shows that having some kind of lucky token really can improve performance . . by increasing self-confidence and faith.

This research was published in Psychological Science, the journal of the Association for Psychological Science.    

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But this is by no means the first scientific study into the authenticity (or otherwise) of so called lucky charms. In 2004, researchers from the universities of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Hertfordshire, England (including the well-renowned Richard Wiseman) conducted experiments relating to good fortune and concluded that lucky charms mattered. See their conclusions into why lucky charms matter .  

Clearly Mr. Obama thought they made a difference during his election campaign . . he won. And here he is holding one sold by our online lucky charm gift shop!