Rabbit's foot
The foot of a rabbit or hare carried for luck, found in African American folk magic and on keyrings.
Also: lucky rabbit's foot, hare's foot, keyring charm
The rabbit's foot as a luck charm is recorded in Britain and Europe, where hares and rabbits were linked to fertility and the moon, and strongly in African American folk belief in the American South. Collections of hoodoo practice from the 1920s to 1940s describe particular rabbits, feet and times as the right ones. It was carried to bring luck, win at games and protect. In the twentieth century factories made dyed feet with metal caps, and the charm became a keyring and a mass-market souvenir. Animal welfare groups object to the trade, and many modern charms use synthetic fur. The charm has an echo in the saying that it did not help the rabbit.