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Luckiest Spots on Earth
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A A ATop 10 Good Luck Monuments
A rabbit's foot, a shamrock, the top of a bald head...certain objects have a way of finding anxious (and slightly superstitious) people reaching out for a rub for good luck. The opportunity to grab some good fortune captivated people for centuries, but where should you go for some serious serendipity. From bronze statues to marble icons, these 10 spots are said to bring good luck to those who rub, kiss, or even spin them.
Aside from Mick Jagger, perhaps the most famous stone on earth is Ireland's Blarney Stone. For centuries this block of rock placed near the peak of Blarney Castle (just outside Cork) has reportedly endowed any person that kisses it with great eloquence and powers of persuasion. If you're hearty enough to climb to the castle's peak, limber and fearless enough to bend backward on the parapet's edge, and healthy enough to combat a few centuries of germs, steal a kiss, and you may soon be qualified to run for Congress.
In January 1870, Prince Pierre Bonaparte, great-nephew of Napoleon and cousin of the reigning emperor, killed 21-year-old French journalist Victor Noir who had simply stopped by to arrange a duel for his boss. An estimated 100,000 mourners arrived to bid adieu to Noir -- and the attention has seldom wavered. At Père Lachaise Cemetery a life-sized bronze likeness of Noir at the moment of death shows a horizontal young man with a mildly vertical crotch that has been burnished to brilliance by women who rub the protuberance to enhance fertility, improve their sex life, and perhaps find a husband. Maybe they'd have better luck if they stopped hanging around graveyards.
When it comes to rubbing a statue for luck, this one may take the cake. Or should we say takes the buns, since the rear-view display of seven lightly-attired Crazy Girls dancers at the Riviera Hotel is showcased in this bronze bas-relief. Rumor has it that patting the prominent assets of the artwork known as "No Ifs, Ands, O..." bestows good fortune, and the seven femme cabooses have been shined to a high gloss by gamblers searching for a lucky streak.
Inside the Oak Ridge Cemetery, thousands of hands have rubbed the nose of a heroic likeness of Abraham Lincoln at the tomb of our 16th president. The piece, created by Gutzon Borglum of Mount Rushmore fame, reveals a rather pensive president. Maybe visitors started rubbing Abe's nose to cheer him up, but who can tell? It's a friendly gesture that tempers an otherwise somber mood-and may even bring you good luck.
On the Nevada side of the Hoover Dam, several awe-inspiring Art Deco touches enhance one of the world's most amazing feats of engineering. They also draw attention to some amazingly engineered feet. In addition to a bas-relief story of the dam's benefits and a celestial chart marking dedication day, sculptor Oskar Hansen's "Winged Figures of the Republic" are 30-foot-tall, seated bronze sculptures that overlook the canyon. Within arm's reach are the toes of each figure, so using ten figures to rub ten toes (don't worry, they're not ticklish), you'll be blessed with good luck.
More than two dozen sculptures line the famed Charles Bridge crossing Prague's Vltava River, but only will bring you good fortune. The statue of St. John of Nepomuk is the oldest on the bridge and is adorned with shiny plaques that tell his story. Although the Archbishop of Prague ran out of luck in 1393 (he was tortured and thrown in the river), rubbing the plaque that depicts his plunge into the water is said to bring good luck, and a return trip to Prague. St. John's the eighth on your right as you head towards Prague Castle.
Talk about a return on investment. In 1356, Brussels resident Everard 't Serclaes (a.k.a. the Lord of Cruyckembourg) saved the city from an attack by the Flemish and earned the respect of his fellow citizens. More than 600 hundred years later, Serclaes is still adding value to the city through a relief likeness displayed near the Grand Place. Constant handling has kept Serclaes' body, an angel's face, a dog's face, and a shield all bright and shiny.
Some sparring couples may disagree that a golden ring brings good luck, but at Nuremburg's Schöner Brunnen fountain a seamless, shimmering brass ring cleverly set into one of the ornate railings surrounding the fountain reportedly has the power to make a wish come true-but only if you turn the ring three times. Perhaps the ring's powers are due to its intricate placement within the ironwork. Or maybe the real magic is in its ability to attract tourists who believe it works.
The practice of patting a Buddha's belly for luck started in Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple, which has been around since 328 AD. Countless Buddha figures accent one of China's largest temples, but the one visitors love to see is along a section of rock carvings in "The Peak that Flew Too Far," where the Laughing Buddha relaxes. Maybe he's laughing because he has no cares, but it probably has something to do with the number of visitors that tickle his belly in order to be the recipient of wealth, good luck, and prosperity. FYI: Buddha belly rubbing is rumored to be how Trump made his fortune.
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There is the fertility statue in Brussels (Although at the time I didn't realise it was linked to fertility!). I remember seeing loads of people lining up to touch this statue so I thought it must be lucky otherwise why would you rub a statue! My friend didn't go near it but I rubbed it and 6 months later I was pregnant! Didn't plan on having kids for another decade so wasn't best pleased, Obviously love my now 13yr old son to bits. DON'T RUB THE STATUE!
The only trip, before my husband died, was a two week tour of Italy. It included Milan and Florence.
I don't remember anything about the swine in Florence, but the bull in Milan was a highlite of our trip. I have so many wonderful memories and pictures of my husband and the bull. Of course, all of Milan had so many beautiful spots, that everyone should go at least once. But I assure you, you will remember the bull.
Most every site where I look at the comments, contain the same old abusers of the system. They ruin my desire to read comments or comment myself.
Sometimes, I just sit here pushing the "Report abuse" button, over and over again. It does no good whatsoever! Why do they bother asking us to report abuse? They don't do anything about it.
D I S G U S T I N G ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
You 'abusers' know who I am referring to. Be ashamed of yourselves. And go make an honest living, and allow us to enjoy the comment section.
If you remember your history, the Confederacy started the war by firing on Fort Sumter. If anything, the blood of 620,000 dead Americans is on Jeff Davis' hands.
November 15 2010 at 12:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyCrap reigns supreme... Clearly, the south had every legal right to secede from the union and every reason, Lincoln is the tyrant that persued the war and murdered 620,000 of his own people.... As for his monument, its a great place for the birds to roost and crap on crap.
November 15 2010 at 3:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI've rubbed Lincoln's nose.
On the other hand, there is a bronze block M in the pavement in the center of the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. There are three stories:
#1 Step on the M during the fall of freshman year, and you will flunk your finals.
#2 Step on the M while enrolled, and you will flunk that semester's finals.
#3 Step on the M, and you will have bad luck, in general.
Not only do students not step on the M, but neither do faculty members.
Smell your hand after rubbing Lincoln's nose and maybe you'll smell the stench of the 620,000 American boys he slaughtered during the civil war.
November 15 2010 at 11:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIn the lobby of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo is a statue of Louis XIV on horseback; touching the horse's kneee is supposed to give good luck, and obviously thousands of people have touched.
November 15 2010 at 11:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOh, No! You left out the Brass Swine (Pig) at the open market in Florence, Italy. If you rub its nose you have happiness and abundance. I did and I do.
November 15 2010 at 11:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThere is a pillar in Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom) in Istanbul where you put your thumb in a hole and twist your wrist around for good luck. It has been done for centuries as the building was built circa 580 A.D. The stone has been worn smooth by people doing this.
November 15 2010 at 11:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThere is also a "plate" in back of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris! By standing on it is suppose to bring good luck.I stood on it but can't really say it brought me any "good luck".
November 15 2010 at 9:57 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot 5 Deals
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