Laughing Buddha, Waving Cat

How many times a week do people say ‘good luck’ to you? Probably more than a few.

We might consider ourselves much more sophisticated than the ancient civilisations that practically revolved around lucky charms, but they are still all around us. We bless sneezes, we throw spilt salt over our shoulders, keep statues of St Christopher in our cars, and often have horseshoes in our homes.

One modern building in Hong Kong even has an enormous hole in its side for good fortune. Why? Read on. Each of the 101 lucky charms listed here has a real slice of history behind it, with many symbols and traditions dating back thousands of years.

And with all those good-luck signs on your e-reader, it may even bring you some luck, too. Well fingers crossed (oh, and we’ll explain what that strange saying is all about too).

Good luck!