Bunny Hop

Rabbit's feet.

 It was common, when I was a child, to see them hanging from backpacks, purses, mirrors and belt loops. I may or may not have owned one; I cannot say for sure.

 It never really occurred to me how horrible and gross it is. A silly superstition that caused an industry of rabbit killing for feet. As a child, I am pretty sure that I assumed they were not real. As an adult, I don't doubt that they were.

 I am not a vegetarian. I, on occasion but not often, buy leather shoes. I do not wear fur. I am not a purist by any means. But chopping off animal feet for a silly superstition ...unconscionable. 

 I am glad it's mostly a thing of the past. 

 A few not-so-fun facts:

There are a few specifications the rabbit’s foot must adhere to in order to technically be considered lucky:
1. It has to be the left hind foot.
2. The rabbit needs to have been captured or killed in a cemetery.
3. The rabbit’s foot needs to be cut off on a specific day—usually a Friday, but with variations such as the weather, date, etc.

So, is that pink, lucky rabbit’s foot keychain you got from a vending machine really the amputated hind leg of an adorable furry creature killed in a cemetery?

Probably not. These days, most of the so-called “rabbit’s feet” are actually impostors made from latex covered in dyed, fake fur.

Comments

  1. Margaret (Peggy or Peg too)April 16, 2019 at 8:56 AM

    gee that's sick.
    I recall as a little girl seeing this on my aunt key chain and thought it was cool until I found out what it was and then I cried. My mom kept telling me it was fake, not a real rabbits foot. Of course as I got older I knew she lied to get me to stop crying. It really was a sick tradition wasn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Adie DasApril 16, 2019 at 12:28 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My Corner of the worldApril 16, 2019 at 12:38 PM

    Yes it's a sad, sick superstition. As a child of the 70's I remember all the five and dime stores selling them as key chains. They came in all different colors, like green, pink, blue purple to catch the attention of kids. I hate to admit it but I did own a few. Once I got older and realized..... I never bought them again....

    ReplyDelete
  4. BillApril 16, 2019 at 12:57 PM

    I remember the rabbit's foot back in the 60s. I had one but never gave thought to what it meant or what it represented, it was just a keychain to me. I would think their popularity is not as great today as it was back them if they still make them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Debra She Who SeeksApril 16, 2019 at 1:31 PM

    They were big in the 1960s. I had a green one, if memory serves. Must have been an Irish rabbit.

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  6. anne marie in phillyApril 16, 2019 at 3:59 PM

    disgusting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marie SmithApril 16, 2019 at 5:29 PM

    It definitely was a thing to have a rabbit’s foot. I never did but I didn’t have the opportunity to have one really. It is disgusting to even think of it now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. jonoApril 17, 2019 at 12:14 PM

    It has never been very lucky for the rabbit.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JeanieApril 19, 2019 at 8:35 AM

    I remember those -- never could buy into it. But now, I wonder how many were "real" and how many were fake. I suppose it doesn't matter -- the point is the reference!

    ReplyDelete

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