Know Your Lucky Charms!

  • The four-leaf clover is believed to be a Celtic charm for protection against evil spirits and to repel bad luck. The leaves of the clover stand for faith, hope, luck and love.
  • In Ireland, there is a legend about a blacksmith who was working hard in his shop forging horseshoes. Suddenly, the devil appeared and demanded his own shoes. The blacksmith, recognizing the devil, took a burning hot shoe and nailed it into the devil’s hooves. After leaving the shop, the devil was in such pain, he ripped off the horseshoes and swore he would never go near one again. This legend started the tradition of hanging a horseshoe over the entrance of a house to ward off evil spirits.
  • During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the pig was a popular lucky charm in France, England, Ireland, Germany and Austria. It was (and still is) known as “Glücksschwein” (“good luck pig”). People still make and keep little pig charms made of silver and gold.

 

Card from the Society’s Archives, c. 1907.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.shelterislandhistorical.org

————–

========================================== 

——–

AAQ Resource:

Westhampton Architectural Glass

____________________________________________________________