In some cultures, the foot of a rabbit is carried as an amulet believed to bring good luck. This belief is held by individuals in many parts of the world including Europe, China, Africa, and North and South America. It is likely that this belief has existed in Europe since 600 BC amongst Celtic people living in Britain. In variations of this superstition, the donor rabbit must possess certain attributes, or have been killed in a particular place, or killed by a particular method, or by a person possessing particular attributes (e.g. by a cross-eyed man).
It is widely believed that a rabbit's foot possesses power to bring good luck to its holder. This is believed to have stemmed from the pre-Celtic tradition of hunter clans rite of passage for their adolescent members. These young males were first introduced to hunting rabbits, as an introduction to his apprenticeship as a hunter. If they were successful, one of the hind feet of the rabbit was presented to them in a ceremony which would welcome them to manhood within the clan.
The belief in North American folklore may originate in the system of African-American folk magic known as hoodoo. A number of strictures attached to the charm that are now observed mostly in the breach:
* First, not any foot from a rabbit will do: it is the left hind foot of a rabbit that is useful as a charm.
* Second, not any left hind foot of a rabbit will do; the rabbit must have been shot or otherwise captured in a cemetery.
* Third, at least according to some sources, not any left hind foot of a rabbit shot in a cemetery will do: the phase of the moon is also important. Some authorities say that the rabbit must be taken in the full moon, while others hold instead that the rabbit must be taken in the new moon. Some sources say instead that the rabbit must be taken on a Friday, or a rainy Friday, or Friday the 13th. Some sources say that the rabbit should be shot with a silver bullet, while others say that the foot must be cut off while the rabbit is still alive.
