Can someone please tell me the really real truth on whether or not picking up a penny is lucky and exactly what the rules are for the luck? You see, when I was a little girl, I always picked up pennies for luck (and also to put in my loafers), because hey, pennies are lucky right? Then I saw Grease and it changed the game. I mean, Marty gave Kenickie a penny and look at what happened to him, he took a car door to the noggin and got a concussion. All of the sudden, pennies didn’t seem so lucky. Then the lucky penny saga continued into high school where I first heard the rumor that a penny heads up is good luck but a penny face down is bad luck. Ummm, so I guess what I need to know is, was the penny Marty gave Kenickie heads up or face down??? The answer to that question could change my life.
Or, you know, if someone could tell me the definitive rule on whether or not pennies are lucky and if they are only lucky if you find them heads up, I would really appreciate it. Especially because I just bought a bunch of scratch-off lottery tickets and I need something lucky to scratch them with.
I love finding a penny heads-up, but if it’s heads down I flip it over for the next person ^.^
I pick up pennies face up to this day. It makes me happy when I see one all alone on the ground. I did it just the other day. None brought me any specific luck but I keep them all anyway. Ya never know!!
I’ve never heard the heads down rule so I pick them all up regardless. Recently a lady I’d just met decided to ‘educate’ me and informed me quite pompously that they are only lucky if you give them away. I suspect she had a ‘holier than thou’ Mum. I stuffed the penny in her hand and smiled brightly, I got the luck, she got a penny!
I’m not concerning myself about cleanliness or the plague. I like money – I don’t care where it’s been and I’m not giving up money just because someone might have dropped it. So you all can be clean and I’ll keep stray money, is that ok?
Don’t touch ‘em…leave ‘em for the next person and let them put their fate on the line.
Pennies are always good luck…as long as you spot one sitting on top of a suitcase crammed with hundred dollar bills, lodged in the bottom of a barrel of Caramel Swirl ice cream or you just happened to have reached into the pocket of (insert fave celeb name here) and found one without getting arrested.
I am definitely interested in finding a lucky penny on top of a suitcase crammed with hundred dollar bills…
During my campus tour at UCLA, I asked for a sign about whether I should attend college there or not. As I was walking down some steps, I found a penny heads up and took that as my signal. I’ve had the experience of a lifetime and met my fiancé there as well. Definitely believe that heads up is lucky! I threw the penny over my shoulder at the end of the tour in hopes it could be a sign for someone else.
That is a lovely story! Yay for good luck pennies!!!
I go by the “penny richer” rule. I’m lucky in that I’m allowing more wealth into my life, one cent at a time.
Nice! I like that!
I dig this. I figure wealth is wealth–even if it’s slow. It’s one more cent than I had a minute ago.
Pennies are disease carriers. They carry the plague and so forth. Do not pick up a penny!
Oh great. The last thing I need is the plague. And also, really? The plague?
I suppose I could give you my two cents, but it’ll cost you, and it appears you only have one cent.
Better luck next time!
Huh. Guess they’re bad luck.
I am unashamedly weeping at my desk at my misfortune.
Finding a penny, heads up or down, is only lucky in that you’re a penny richer.
I wish they were lucky, because I find pennies ALL the time, I can only imagine how great my life would be if they were!
Well, being a penny richer is something. Not a big something, but something nonetheless.
You got me there! No idea. I was told not to pick up things on the street even if they were shiny and appealing. Sorry :S
That’s probably not a bad rule to live by.
“I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world and have never yet met any such thing as Luck. There is something about all this that I do not understand: but if ever we need to know it, you may be sure that we shall.” -The Hermit, The Horse and His Boy.
Man, why do hermits have to be so wise??
I always thought that a heads-up penny was okay and good luck to pick up — it’ll be interesting to see what everyone else says!
That seems to be the consensus so far….
Phew!!! I’ll consider my hold on reality to be reconfirmed….
I’ve always heard they have to be heads up.
But if they’re sitting on top of a crack, you break your mom’s back. And if you even look at a face down penny, you’re screwed in the luck department.Oh, and the luck only comes into play if you find a penny made of gold instead of copper and if it was minted by a leprechaun. But if it was made by a leprechaun, then surely he’s upset that he lost it and as soon as you find it, he will come to reclaim it and kill you just like in all those leprechaun movies. So my advice?
Stay away from those pennies. They’re bad news.
Quarters…I think quarters could totally be lucky.
So many rules, so little luck.
As your luck would have it, on this you’d have to send me a penny for my thoughts…goods luck on the lottery.
That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
heads up is lucky. down is not. i kick the heads down ones in hopes that they will turn up for someone else.
Good to know. And I love that you try to kickstart someone else’s luck!