German Good Luck Symbols- We Could All Use a Little Luck

You see them everywhere in Germany, especially around Christmas and the New Year: Toadstool ornaments, Chimney Sweet figures, Marzipan Piggies with coins or 4 Leaf Clover in their mouths. These German good luck symbols didn’t just come out of nowhere; they all have history and legend to explain why they are lucky. Some luck charms go back to Pagan times, others just to the Middle Ages, but all make some sense in their context. Do these objects REALLY bring luck?  It’s hard to say, but hanging a lucky horseshoe (points UP) over the door certainly doesn’t hurt!

German Good Luck Symbols

How many of these are you familiar with?

Lucky Pig/ Glückschwein

There is a German expression… “Schwein gehabt” that means “got lucky.” (In a sentence, it’s used like this: “Er hat Schwein gehabt”/ “He got lucky!”). This piggy expression goes back to the Middle Ages when owning a pig meant you would survive the Winter without starving. Pigs were a sign of wealth and prosperity. Why a pig and not a cow? Perhaps because you could eat the pig, while a cow or horse would be more valuable alive for milk or as a work animal. Today, lucky pigs, especially Marzipan Pigs, are given to friends as gifts between Christmas and New Year. And many kids get Piggy Banks from the Sparkasse to encourage saving because the only thing luckier than a pig is a pig full of money.

Toadstools/ Fliegenpilze

In Germany, you will see red-capped Toadstools on Christmas Trees or Good Luck wishes… but how is the poisonous Amanita muscaria mushroom a symbol of LUCK? It goes back to the German name, Fliegenpilze (fly mushroom). In traditional fairy tale settings, Fliegenpilze often have ugly toads sitting on them catching flies. These bright mushrooms represent beauty in the forest and are “lucky” to find. Why lucky? In farmhouses, cut up pieces of the red and white mushroom would be put into a bowl of milk or water, and flies would land on it, become intoxicated, and die. (And if you’ve ever been on a farm in Germany, you know what pests flies can be). But whatever you do, don’t eat them; their poison is toxic! Just enjoy them for their beauty.

Horse shoes / Hufeisen

A few different legends attribute Horseshoes with luck. The most practical legend? Horses are valuable working farm animals, and their shoes protect them. But the protection is not just from the hard ground. Legend says that mischievous Fairies can not touch iron, so the iron shoes protect the horses. So, to protect your house from malicious Pixies, you nail a horseshoe above the door. Don’t believe in Fairy mischief? How about the Devil? When Saint Dunstan was a blacksmith monk, the Devil insisted he shoe his horse. Dunstan tricked him and nailed the horseshoes to the Devil’s feet, causing him unbelievable agony. The Devil begged Dunstan to remove the shoes, which he did after the Devil promised to stay away from homes with a horseshoe above the door.

Naturally, there is debate about whether the horseshoe should be hung with points up to hold in the luck or with points down to shower luck on anyone who walks beneath it.  The most luck comes from a well-secured Hufeisen…because having it crash down on your head would be wildly UNLUCKY.

Lucky Cent/ Glücks Pfennig (or Glücks Cent)

Speaking of nailing things to your home. A lucky penny or Glücks Pfennig nailed to the front door is said to chase away witches. Finding a shiny bright or very old and dark penny is best for this. And keeping a lucky penny in your pocket is just the thing to ward off dark magic.

Four Leaf Clover / Glücksklee

The Four Leaf Clover is a typical German Good Luck symbol. In the wild, only one in every 10,000 Trifolium repens or Three-Leaf Clovers will have a Fourth Leaf, and the genetic rarity makes it lucky. Legend says Eve took one with her as a memory of better times when she and Adam were driven out of Paradise. Today, growers can reproduce clover with four leaves to sell as good luck charms and pots of clover are sold to people who want to share in the luck. But be aware! Finding the four-leafed clovers in the wild brings the most luck and even grants a wish. You will often find four-leaf clovers combined with other lucky symbols, like in the mouth of a Marzipan pig… or maybe it’s the landing place of a Ladybug.

Ladybug / Marienkäfer

Marienkäfer… Mary Bugs, what Americans call ladybugs, are named for the Virgin Mary. Legend says that Mary sent these helpful red beetles with black spots to Earth to help farmers because they ate the pesky aphids off the crops. Swarms of ladybugs meant a fruitful harvest. If one lands on you, then you are lucky because the Marienkäfer mistook you for a tree, and it’s even luckier when it has 7 spots!

Knocking Wood / Holz Klopfen

Knocking wood is more an action than a symbol and is so incredibly common in Germany that people may not even realize what they are doing. In practical terms, knocking wood goes back to early sailors or miners. When knocking on wood, the ship’s mast, or the mine’s support beams, a person could hear if the wood is sound and safe. A dull sound means the wood is wet or brittle… bad if you want the sail to stand firm. A clear sound means the mine won’t collapse.

But going further back, during Pagan times, people believed that spirits like fairies lived inside trees. You could distract the being by touching or knocking on the tree so it couldn’t hear you… or you could knock on the tree to ask for a favor. Today, a knock on the table when arriving or leaving traces back to old superstition. Traditional Stammtisch tables were made of oak, and it is believed that the devil himself can’t touch oak. By knocking, you reassure your drinking buddies that you are who you say you are and not the devil in disguise.

Chimney Sweep / Schornsteinfeger

Of all professions, how did the Chimney Sweep or Schornsteinfeger become the “Lucky” one? The simple answer is FIRE. During the Middle Ages, all cooking and heating was done over flame, and the smoke would rise up the chimney, leaving soot behind. Over time, this soot would get thicker. If not cleaned regularly, the soot could clog the flue, and the house would catch fire. In a world of wooden buildings, thatched roofs, and close housing (and no bright red fire engines), house fires were devastating. A clean chimney meant safety, and a good Chimney Sweep was a lucky thing to have. Because most Chimney Sweeps traditionally collected the fees for their services at the New Year, they were the first “guests” in the house, and greeting them brought luck.

Traditional Schornsteinfeger wear black clothes with silver buttons. Touching one of the buttons brings luck, and turning the button brings extra luck (although some people get a little TOO enthusiastic, which is why so many Chimney sweeps are missing buttons!). Find out more about Schornsteinfeger here-> German Chimney Sweeps

Do you believe in Good Luck Charms?

In my eyes, having a Glückspilz on the Christmas tree or a Glückschwein in my Bunter Teller couldn’t hurt. And I always feel happy when I see a Chimney Sweep. Piggy Banks, lucky pennies, ladybugs…. all of these German good luck symbols are welcome in my home because the way I see it, we need all the luck we can get!