Good Luck Charms Around the World

Good luck, bad luck, it all happens to us once in a while.

For some that doesn’t go far enough so they add a so-called Good Luck Charm in order to… well, get more luck I guess.

Now here comes the interesting thing: You know that I have proclaimed that nothing is culturally neutral (watch my TEDx talk here where I explain this further), and that also goes for the good luck charms.

Good luck charms are different in different parts of the world. Just like signs of bad luck; the number 13 in Europe and North America, the number 4 in Japan (it is the Japanese character for “death”, etc.)

It’s also interesting that different ornaments proclaim to give you different kinds of luck. For example:

• Good for your health
• Bring you lots of money
• Protect you from evil and take care of romantic relationships (all in one charm)
• Some are an intermediate between your good luck or wish and the Gods or Saints that should help you get that
• Up to worrying less all the way to having better fertility…

Below is an interesting infographic that shows how these good luck charms differ in different parts of the world.

Have a read and let me know what you think.

Oh, and of course, good luck afterward…

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Chris Smit

Chris is passionate about Cultural Differences. He has been helping organizations save time and money when they work Internationally for the last 20+ years. While doing this he had the fortunate opportunity to hold lectures, workshops, and consulting projects on this subject World Wide. It has made him understand his own culture much better and appreciate the differences around the world.
His education is in Organisational Psychology and he has lived in the USA, the Netherlands, and currently lives in Belgium.

Chris Smit

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