How to Know if Your Year Will Be Lucky

The new year is upon us! But before you run out and purchase your next bunch of lottery tickets or place everything on red at the casino, you might be wondering if there is a sure-fire way to know when your luck has changed.

Sadly, we don’t know a way to know for certain that your luck has improved, BUT there are so many wives’ tales about luck, one of them has to be correct, right? Read on to discover some of the many ways you can tell if your year will be lucky.

1. It’s “Your” Year on the Chinese Calendar

The Chinese Zodiac contains 12 animals, with each animal having a “year” on rotation. For example, if it is the year of the dog in 1994, it is not the year of the Dog again until 2006.

To find out if this year is “your” year, first you need to find out which animal you are in the Chinese Zodiac, and you do this by looking up the animal for the year you were born. For example, those born in 1985 are born in the year of the Ox. Then, any of the following years, which are the year of the Ox, are considered lucky for these people.

2026 is the year of the Horse, bringing luck to those born in 2014, 2002, 1990, and 1978.

2. Nail an Evergreen Branch to a Rafter

If you’ve moved to a new house this year, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, you need to nail an evergreen branch to the rafters to bring good luck. Alternatively, you can also hang an empty hornet’s nest, but we find that gives us a weird feeling, so we will stick to the evergreen branch!

3. You Find a Lucky Penny

Pennies, or any gold colored coin, have long indicated coming luck in Irish culture. Of course, in Ireland, it was likely a pence piece which indicated luck over a penny! Regardless, if you have found a penny face up on the sidewalk, underneath the floor mats in a new used car, or left in a peculiar place, it could mean money is headed your way!

4. Itchy Left Palm

In South Asia, an itchy left palm indicates that you are in luck and will be receiving money and/or abundance sometime soon. Just don’t confuse this good luck sign with its opposite, an itchy right palm, which indicates you will be spending money soon.

5. You Found a Horseshoe

Horseshoes have long been considered lucky in multiple cultures around the world. We aren’t exactly sure why, but many believe it is because ancient cultures saw metal itself as a lucky material, and because of the shape matching many ancient good luck/posterity symbols. This symbol is even luckier if it contains seven nail holes.

Now, we aren’t sure if you just need to find this good luck charm, or if you need to hang it in your house for maximum luck, but since horses aren’t common anymore, we suspect that if you find one, you’re lucky.

6. You Keep Seeing the Number 8

The number 8 is lucky in Chinese culture for many reasons. The first of which is because its pronunciation is close to that which means “wealth, prosperity, and fortune.” Additionally, it is made by multiplying 4, the bad luck number (because it sounds close to the word for “death”) twice, indicating that 8 has beaten death 2x.

If that weren’t enough, the Chinese symbol for 8, next to another 8, resembles the character for “double happiness,” which is one of the many reasons the Chinese include 88 in weddings and other celebrations.

So if you spot double eights on your receipt, you might be in for an amazing and lucky year!

7. A Dragonfly Landed On You

This superstition also has roots in ancient China as well as Japan, but basically, if a dragonfly lands on you, it’s a sign of good luck. This is because dragonflies are thought to be bringers of good luck and success, so if it lands on you, it’s dropping off its precious cargo!

8. Seeing a Ladybug

Ladybugs are also seen as good luck charms, due to the fact that they are red and red is often the color of luck and posterity in Asian cultures (including India). Ladybugs also eat many common pests, which is likely how this superstition originated, as seeing ladybugs in your garden would mean the pests weren’t eating your crops!

This superstition goes a bit deeper, because if the ladybug lands on you, the spots on its back are the number of years of luck you will have. That being said, do not kill the ladybug, as this will bring you bad luck for the same number of years!

9. You Receive Evil Eye Jewelry

This one is interesting because its name doesn’t imply good luck, but it actually is. Basically, if you receive evil eye jewelry, make sure you wear it, as the evil eye design is thought to protect you from evil and keep an eye on your life. However, supposedly, it doesn’t have the same effect if you buy it for yourself, so make sure this is on your Christmas list!

10.  You Find a Four-Leaf Clover

Now, we aren’t sure why you spent your holidays searching a clover field for a four-leaf clover, but these are considered to be good luck if you find one. This is due to the rarity of the four-leaf clover (most are three-leaf clovers) and the fact that they represent the four pillars of prosperity in Celtic culture: faith, hope, love, and luck. Of course, a three-leaf clover will still bring you faith, hope, and love, but you’ll be missing the luck!

Overall, we aren’t sure there is any truth to any of these, but if you are looking for luck in the coming year and spot one of these symbols, it might just be a sign!