Apologies to the list for my single post appearing in triplicate. It was not
some Celtic-inspired gesture--like circumambulating a well three times--but
rather the "gods" of Hotmail who decided to send the post three times for
reasons best known to themselves!
As far as the use of the term "lucky," I think it should be pointed out that
people frequently use the phrase "for luck" or "because it's lucky" when
questioned about their motives by folklorists. It's a phrase that
folklorists can be depended on to accept without further qualification and
go away, leaving the practitioner in peace. The actual motivations may be
more complex, and there are gradations to "luck." It can be taken very
lightly--almost a lark--or it can be taken very seriously. People may feel
that their "luck" (read: good luck) will leave them, their family, or even
their community if they feel to perform certain actions, so it becomes a
duty to keep on doing them. But if a folklorist asks, the answer will be
simply, "It's for luck."
Francine Nicholson
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