“If you see a chimney mansweepyoull have good luck.”
“There is no chimney sweep [jokingly]. There are in some in older areas. In some really old areas. Its just like a generally known thing in Serbia.”
The informant is originally from Serbia but has been attending university in Los Angeles, CA for the past two years.
Chimney sweeps are also considered lucky in the British Isles and Germany. They are paid to attend weddings there because they are considered a sign of luck (Monger 64). Chimney sweeps are documented as signs of luck in A Dictionary of Superstitions in a multitude of locations, especially in London. The example presented show people exclaiming that they are in luck upon seeing a chimney sweep, dating from 1887.
Monger, George. Marriage Customs of the World: from Henna to Honeymoons. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Print.
Opie, Iona Archibald., and Moira Tatem. A Dictionary of Superstitions. Oxford England: Oxford UP, 1989. Print.