Tag Archives: good luck

Golden Cicadas and Good Luck

“So basically, there were cicadas, especially, like, golden cicadas.

In Chinese culture they are, like, a symbol of good luck, because cicadas, I think are silent for, like, 100 years, or something crazy.

Like, they’re silent for their entire life basically, but then during one, one specific year, they’ll chirp, but it’ll be really loud.

So it’s kind of, like, you’re biding your time, but then, when it’s your time, you can, flourish. That is the kind of vibe.

And so, I’m not sure if this is just something that, like, my parents do, but they always, like, have these little cicada statues, and they are golden.

And I have everything at college, and basically, anytime I have, like, a big test or, like, big, important, decisions or, like, things that I’m, like, waiting for, I’ll just, like, rub the top of its head for good luck.

So I remember when it was college decision time. During that time, we would, me and my sister both, like, sit with it in our lap, basically. But, yeah, we basically just rubbed its head for good luck, and, like, before I take a test, I always do that as well.

I just think that the cicadas represent good luck and, like, prosperity. I think rubbing the statue is just something that’s kind of like a physical thing that you can do to make yourself feel better.

Um, so, yeah. I don’t know if that’s like a real thing, though. She’s something that, like, we’ve always done.”

Context: The informant is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American female USC student whose mother is Buddhist. Although she grew up in the U.S., her family maintains cultural traditions, including keeping small golden cicada statues that symbolize luck and prosperity. Now she has brought a golden cicada to college to continue the tradition.

Analysis: This is an example of folk belief combined with a personal ritual and material culture. The cicada statue itself is a physical object that carries symbolic meaning, representing patience and eventual success in Chinese tradition. The act of rubbing the statue becomes a small, repeated behavior for good luck. Even though she’s unsure if it’s a formal tradition, it still holds meaning for her, showing how folklore can be adapted and maintained across generations.

Clapping to Reverse Bad Luck: Eye Twitch

Text:

Informant: “So, like my mom is very superstitious. She’s, um, Vietnamese, and she has a Buddhist background.

So, like, she heard from her parents that if your eye twitches, your right eye twitches, it means something bad’s gonna happen, or, like, more bad luck for the day. So, to reverse the bad luck, you have to clap twice until the twitching stops.

And then the thing is, like, if the left eye twitches, it’s good luck. Something good is going to happen.

I don’t know where she learned that from, or how that happens, but she told me that.

Whenever my eye twitches, I perform the clapping. Which is all the time.”

Context: The informant is a Chinese-Vietnamese-American USC student whose mother has a Buddhist background and is very superstitious. She learned this belief from her mother, who heard it from earlier generations. Even though she grew up in the U.S., she still follows the practice when it happens.

Analysis:
This is an example of folk belief and a protective ritual. The idea that an eye twitch signals good or bad luck functions as a sign, where the body is seen as predicting future events. The act of clapping twice to stop bad luck is a simple, repeated behavior meant to reverse or control that outcome. Even if she doesn’t fully understand where it comes from, she still does it, showing how superstitions are passed down and continue through habit and family influence.

Picking up a Penny and Good Luck

Age: 19
Greenwich, CT
Location: N/A

Context:
This is a folk belief regarding good luck that I learned from my friend here at USC. She grew up in Connecticut and came to Los Angeles for college. She told me that she learned this belief from her friends from childhood, and not necessarily her family.

Content:
Interviewer: “You were telling me you have a certain belief around picking up pennies, can you elaborate on that?”

Interviewee: “Yeah, when you drop a penny on the ground, only pick it up if it landed on tails. If it landed on heads it’s a sign of good luck so you should leave it.

I think there is just like a common association with pennies being heads up being good luck. So you’re kind of leaving that luck for someone else to find but yeah, just when you drop a penny only pick it up if it’s tails.”

Interviewer: “Interesting! Where did you first hear about this?”

Interviewee: “It’s something I think I just learned from friends and not necessarily from family.”

Analysis:
This folk belief centered on good luck and everyday activities utilizes pennies as a symbolic object. It is a simple rule, but it makes something random feel like a decision. Instead of luck just happening, it feels like you’re kind of controlling it.

The idea of leaving a heads-up penny for someone else to benefit from creates a sense of community and communal luck instead of purely individual gain. Overall, it shows how small everyday actions help reinforce a sense of order, meaning, and community in otherwise random and unpredictable situations.

Punching Roof of Car Ritual

Age: 19
Greenwich, CT

Context:
I met the person who told me about the ritual here at USC. She is originally from Connecticut. She told me about this ritual when we were talking about driving because my family happens to have a similar one. She said she learned this from her friends rather than her family at around age 15-16.

Content:
Interviewer: “Can you repeat what you were telling me about your car ritual?”

Interviewee: “Yeah, when you’re in the car and you’re running through, not a red light, probably yellow light you punch the top of the car ceiling just to give good luck in the hopes of not being pulled over.”

Interviewer: “I think I’ve just learned from my friends as it’s not specific to my family.” 

Analysis:
This is a folk ritual tied to luck and risk-taking. The physical action of punching the roof after running a yellow light is used to influence a certain outcome. Punching the car roof also turns a moment of anxiety into a controllable act, helping reduce stress and create a sense of agency in the moment. Because it was learned through friends, it reflects peer-to-peer transmission and how informal traditions have the ability to develop within social settings like friend groups. Overall, it shows how people create small, shared rituals to cope with uncertainty and stressful situations.

Knock On Wood

Age: 22

Context: While at a coffee shop, my friend shared a practice she’s followed since she was a kid to avoid bad luck when making a statement about something good.

Text:

“You know, even growing up, even if no is around, I’ll still knock on wood. Yeah. And like, yeah, if I think of something, and I really don’t want it to happen, or if I’m scared that I put something out into the universer that I don’t want out there, or that I might jinx something, then I’ll knock on llike a wooden table.

Even if there’s no wood around, I’ll knock on something. Like in my car. You know, I’ll be like, ‘traffic is going really nice right now,’ and then I’ll knock on the car.”

Analysis:

Similar to what we’ve discussed regarding important preventive measures to ward off evil, this is a method I even learned as a kid. What’s even more memorable about this method is the instant flash of fear that crosses a lot of our faces when we realize we might’ve jinxed a situation. This also aligns with Kapchan’s description of performance and how we act out, physically, the notion of protecting our fate. Even if there’s no wood around, something has to be knocked on.