The rabbit must have been killed in a cemetery.There are a few specifications that must be met for the foot to be lucky: President Cleveland allegedly had a foot from a rabbit killed on Jesse James’ grave. The more cruel the person buried, the luckier the foot.
It was also believed that the foot was luckier if the rabbit was killed on a grave. There are many tales of witches being maimed while in their familiar’s form. Living underground, they believed, made it possible for the rabbits to communicate with the dead.Īccording to folklorist Bill Ellis, rabbits were sometimes familiars. Some believe that the idea of lucky rabbits dates back to the Celts, who thought the whole rabbit was lucky because they lived in burrows. People believed having the left hand of the dead man or the hand that “did the deed,” along with a candle made of their fat, would bring the supernatural power of rendering a person motionless. Rabbits are associated with spring and renewal, so perhaps the beginning of the month and the association with the opportunity of a new month isn’t such a far stretch.Īuthor Benjamin Radford suggested that a lucky rabbit’s foot could be associated with a European charm called the Hand of Glory, which is a dried or pickled hand of a hanged man.
