Do you remember as a child, hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk, because harm might come to your mom's back? Or how about the baseball players that skip over the foul line on their way out to their position in the field. I remember when I was in elementary school (many years ago) that many of us would carry a rabbit's foot keychain. We didn't really think about the "lucky" superstition surrounding the rabbits foot, we just thought it was cool. In fact we were never really sure if the foot was real or some type of fabricated toy. However, many people past and present take their rabbit's foot very seriously. So where did this superstition come from, and what was the lucky rabbits foot suppose to do for you?

Details of the Folk Lore

The myth behind the rabbit's foot is actually rather complex. The criteria that needs to be met for the foot to be lucky are many. Here are a few:

1. It must be the rear left foot of the rabbit to be lucky.
2. The rabbit must be shot or captured in a cemetery.
3. The rabbit had to be shot on during a full moon or new moon, sources on that vary.
4. The shooter had to be cross-eyed.

You would have to be really, really lucky to get one of those rabbits. First hunting in a cemetery is probably not legal. In fact, hunting at night would not be legal in most states unless you are hunting raccoon or opposum. And if you are cross-eyed, what are you doing shooting a gun anyway. And how would I ever know if the rabbit foot I purchased was actually a lucky one?

Activating the Luck

There are also several myths behind activating the luck. Some lore claims the foot had to be rubbed for the luck to begin. Other lore claims that the foot had to be carried on a chain around your neck, while others claimed it had to be carried in your back left pant pocket. The older the foot gets the more luck it brings.

The luck that a rabbit's foot brings can be limited or very broad. Rabbits tend to be prolific producers of life in the wild. As such, the luck of a rabbit's foot was to enhance a women's fertility. In some cultures the foot was rubbed on newborns in hopes that it would bring all sorts of luck to the child. Many actors keep rabbit's feet in their makeup cases in hopes of bringing luck to their acting career.

Just Who was Lucky?

What ever your belief is on the luck a rabbit's foot may bring, one thing is for sure, it wasn't lucky for the rabbit!