Considered lucky by some
"Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck."
The Hamsa Hand also is known as the Hand of Fatima or Hand of Miriam. Sometimes depicted with an eye in the middle, it is believed to ward off the Evil Eye.
A four-leaf clover is an uncommon, thus lucky, variation of the three-leaf. For every 10,000 three-leaf clovers, you'll find one four-leaf.
Rubbing the belly of the Laughing Buddha is thought to bring good fortune.
Twenty-five years ago, Dr. William Borchers of Oakwood was perusing the New Lebanon antique show when he passed a vendor selling sterling silver items. Something caught his eye in one of the showcases, and his head turned to look at it while he walked.
He got completely past the booth, then felt the desire to retrace his steps, back to the display, to get a second look at the odd silver piece in the case. He took a long, curious gaze, then walked on again.
He didn’t get very far before he got the urge to return the third time.
Once there, the booth’s attendant asked if she could show him something in the case.
He inquired about a small item in the corner of the display; it was a silver container, roughly 1 by 3 inches, barely a quarter of an inch thick, with an engraving of the head of a moose or elk, he thought. He was incredibly drawn to it.
Borchers said the attendant showed him the piece from the case, and explained the engraving was the head of an elk, most likely the symbol of the Fraternal Order of the Elks, she thought.
The vendor told Borchers that the silver box opened, and she proceeded to open it for display.
Once open, Borchers was more than surprised to see that the inside piece said in cut silver letters, “Hello” on one side, and “Bill” on the other. Borchers goes by Bill.
The asking price of the silver charm was $90. The attendant told Borchers she’d sell it to him for what she paid for it: $25. Perhaps she thought it’s bad juju to make a profit on a piece of possible destiny.
Borchers snatched it up, and has kept it as a good-luck charm ever since. He notes that he’s still unsure about its power to bring luck, but calls it one anyway, saying that he didn’t find his good-luck charm, it found him.
If there is some good luck in that odd silver piece, today might be a good day for Borchers: It’s Friday the 13th, considered by some to be one of the unluckiest days of all.
The origins of this supposedly unlucky day are hazy. Some trace it to biblical references: The crucifixion, the offering of the apple in the Garden of Eden, the beginning of the Great Flood all happened on a Friday. (The one exception might be Good Friday, where evidently there was enough good going on to counteract the bad.)
In literature, Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 14th century suggested bad things happened on a Friday.
Snopes.com, the Web site dedicated to debunking and verifying myths and urban legends, has a long history about just how bad Friday is — if you’re superstitious. If you believe it, you may not want to marry, be born, start a new job, move, make a business transaction or even get out of bed for the first time after an illness, lest unnamed bad things might happen to you.
The history of 13’s badness is just as long. Groups of 13 have been avoided by many for centuries. Perhaps it goes back to the Last Supper — the one who left the table first, Judas Iscariot, died shortly after.
Whether at a table, in a room, on a voyage, don’t do it in 13s. And avoid 13 in general, like room numbers, say those who believe. Some buildings don’t even have a 13th floor.
Fortunately, the same folks who believe Friday the 13th is bad also think bad things can be counteracted. A talisman, amulet and good-luck charm are terms often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences.
A talisman is an object thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck. An amulet is an ornament or small piece of jewelry worn as protection against evil. And a good-luck charm is the best of both: it’s an object kept or worn to ward off evil and bring good luck.
Willa Long of Centerville tells of a two-and-a-half dollar gold piece that she inherited when her father died 25 years ago. Her husband had it made into a necklace. The gold piece is dated 1909, her father’s birth year. She considers it a good luck charm, and wears it occasionally.
Long also tells of a cross, with nine stones, her husband bought for her in Naples, Fla., 15 years ago. It was an Italian estate piece, one of a kind. Irony is, Long has nine grandchildren. She alternates wearing the two good-luck pieces.
Delores Galli of Miami Twp. carries a Mary medal, from Italy, in her change purse, given to her from a friend. She said, while she’s “not a real religious person,” the medal “keeps me safe.”
Whether or not these items bring any noticeable luck may not matter. Perhaps those who have lucky charms would agree with Rebecca Ganow of Oakwood, whose good-luck piece is a coin she got in Yosemite, imprinted with a four-leaf clover.
Ganow explains, “When I put it in my shoe, it makes me feel like I have more luck than I usually do.”
Fact of the matter is, either you believe or you don’t. The world goes on, with both believers and non-believers.
Today, however, gives the believers their voice, if only to counteract Friday the 13th.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2389 or mbhopkins@ DaytonDailyNews.com.<
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