Informants 41-50

Informant #41:

Title: Lucky Number 10

 General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: B.B. ‘24
  • Date Collected: 10/20/20

 Informant Data:

 B.B. is a White American freshman at Dartmouth College, and a member of the men’s lacrosse team. He lived in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall, but is from Sudbury Massachusetts. He grew up playing many different types of sports, and most of his lucky number superstitions came from sports numbers that he would wear during competition. 

 Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: This folklore was collected on a phone call between B.B. and me, and the audio of this phone conversation was recorded. He told me that number 10 became his lucky number when he was 16 years old, and a freshman in high school. He was a member of the varsity lacrosse team his freshman year, and was randomly assigned to wear number 10. He explained that he always played well while wearing number 10, especially during his sophomore and junior seasons wearing that number. During those two seasons, the team was very successful, and wearing number 10 became a part of his identity. He explained that there was never a moment where he began to doubt that number 10 may not be lucky, and he described that if the goal is 10/10, meaning “100%”, that he will always remember to strive for that. He views this as a sort of metaphor for himself. While he does not believe that this lucky number has directly led to his success, he does view it as a mental reminder. He noted that he would influence a future child to also wear number 10 because he thinks its a good metaphor, and something to constantly strive for. In college, he has been assigned number 9, and he admits that he is going to have to readjust and re identify with this new number. However, he knows that the metaphor of 10/10 will be something that he always keeps in his mind. 
  • Cultural Context: B.B. did not mention any sort of cultural relevance for his lucky number 10. This lucky number initially existed for him through random assignment, and has been something that he now considers a metaphor. 

Item: B.B.’s lucky number has been 10 since the age of 16, and has become a symbol of striving for greatness. The folklore was recorded over a phone call, and accurately represents what the informant described. 

Transcript: “My lucky number is 10 … I play lacrosse and my freshman year on my lacrosse team I was given number 10 and I always liked it a lot, I did well in number 10, and I feel like it definitely is a special number for me and means a lot.”

 Collector’s Comments:

 I was not surprised by this lucky number, because I have found from my own experiences that 10 is a common lucky number, especially in sports. I do believe that the number 10 has significance in many cultures, specifically as a number that will bring good luck. 

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley 

 

Informant #42: 

Title: Lucky Number 544

 General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: S.P. 
  • Date Collected: 10/20/20

Informant Data:

S.P. is a White American sophomore at Dartmouth College. She was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall term, but is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She considers herself religious, and she is of Catholic faith. Many of her lucky numbers are from Bible verses that she has come across, especially around the time of her first communion. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: This folklore was collected during a phone call between S.P. and me, and the audio of this phone conversation was recorded. She told me that number 544 became her lucky number when she was around 13 years old, at the time of her communion. The number 544 is representative of her favorite verse, which was reaffirmed for her after her communion. Her lucky number is based off of Matthew 5:44, which is a verse in the Bible that reads: 

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless 

them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 

and pray for them which despitefully use you,

 and persecute you.

She explained that this verse is about loving your enemies and being able to endure adversity that comes your way. She said that this number proved to be lucky for her as it helped her get through the passing of a family member. S.P. told me that there was never a time where she began to doubt that number 544 was not lucky, because of how strong her faith in the number is, and how to this day it has not lost any of its meaning. She uses this number in her day-to-day life by reciting it before she takes tests, or writing it on the back of her study guides because she associates this number with good grades and future success. S.P. does not believe that this lucky number directly has to do with her success, but she believes that it puts her in the right headspace when going into a challenge. She has one lucky number, 13, which she believes is unlucky because bad events are associated with 13, for example Friday the 13th.  

  • Cultural Context: S.P. said that she does not believe that this lucky number has to do with her culture, but that it is rather a symbol and a reminder for her. 

Item: Her lucky number has been 544 since she was 13 years old at the time of her first communion at her church. She has used this lucky number ever since as a reminder of its literal meaning (the verse Matthew 5:44), but also as a symbol of good luck and good fortune. 

Transcript: “It is representative of my favorite verse and it was sort of reaffirmed after my communion. So it’s basically based off of Matthew 5:44 and the verse itself means something to me so the number encapsulates my love for the verse.” 

Collector’s Comments:

I found this lucky number very interesting and surprising. I had actually never heard of anyone having a lucky number that was above 100, but I do understand why the number is so high, as it is in the context of a Bible verse. This lucky number is definitely unique, and I am interested to know if anyone else has a lucky number this high. 

 Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley 

 

Informant #43:

Title: Lucky Number 99

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: J.M. 
  • Date Collected: 10/21/20

 Informant Data:

J.M. is a sophomore at Dartmouth College who lived in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall but is from Oklahoma. She is from both South African and Middle Eastern descent. She describes herself as a superstitious person. 

 Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: This folklore was collected on a phone call between J.M. and me, and the audio of this phone conversation was recorded. She said that 99 is her lucky number, and that it has been since she was a freshman in high school and 15 years old. She explained that when she was younger, she struggled with being a perfectionist, but ultimately realized that perfection is not attainable, and should not be the goal. When she encountered this number during her freshman year it was a turning point for her, because it represented how she can still do her best without being perfect (if 100% represented perfection and 99% did not). For J.M., number 99 keeps her motivated and helps her push herself as hard as she needs to. She noted that some people look down on number 99 (for not being perfect), but that she does not. J.M. wrote one of her college essays about number 99 and how she knows that she is not a perfect person, but that she is realistic. This for her helps her to keep reality in check. J.M. believes that her lucky number 99 will guide her towards success, and that she will continue to believe in this lucky number, even if it is not “real”. She also hopes to get this number tattooed on her body this coming December to serve as a constant reminder. 
  • Cultural Context: She believes that number 9 has significance in Persian culture, which is where her mother is from, but that the cultural significance behind her number is not her main reason for choosing to believe in it. 

Item: Her lucky number has been 99 since the age of 15, and has become a lucky superstition for her. 

Transcript: “My lucky number is 99. In highschool I was always somebody who was striving for perfection in everything, and I would get really disappointed whenever I couldn’t attain it. But then I realized that I am a human and that nothing can be perfect. And that 99% is pretty close to perfect which is for me a healthy goal.”

Collector’s Comments:

This was a surprising lucky number, as I have not encountered anyone in my life prior to this interview who shared this lucky number. I like the meaning behind her lucky number, as I also have struggled with thinking I have to be “perfect”, or trying to do things “perfectly”, when that is not really possible or healthy.

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley 

 

Informant #44:

Title: Lucky Number 8

 General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: M.S.
  • Date Collected: 10/25/20

 Informant Data:

M.S. is a 19 year old freshman at Dartmouth College. He is a White American from Greenwich, Connecticut, but was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall. He has a very close relationship with his family and with his siblings, as his lucky number has to do with those relations. 

 Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: M.S. stated that 8 became his lucky number when he was 8 years old. M.S. had always wanted a younger brother, and when he was 8 years old this wish came true. He explained that the age gap between him and his younger brother will always be 8 years, so this number holds a lot of meaning for him. Because his younger brother was born when M.S. was 8, it really enforced to him that his lucky number was indeed lucky. Additionally, he once bought a lottery ticket called “Crazy 8’s” and he won about $500. There was never a time when M.S. began to doubt that his number may not be lucky, but he explained that he is not a very superstitious person so that may be why. M.S. does not believe that lucky number 8 has a lot to do with his success, but he does believe that it has played a role in motivating him, and that that has been a positive factor in his life. He explained that he incorporates this lucky number into his daily life. For example, he will try something at least 8 times before giving up, because if he fails the 8th time he will have given it his best shot. 
  • Cultural Context: M.S. does not know if the number 8 plays a role in his culture. He believes that it might be because 8 is divisible by multiple numbers, but it does not play a role in why he chose this as his lucky number. 

Item: His lucky number is 8, and has been since he was 8 years old. He is not a very superstitious person but number 8 represents his family and motivates him. 

Transcript: “My lucky number is 8 … I was 8 years old when my little brother was born and I always wanted a little brother and to this day our age difference is 8 and it was just one of the best ages of my life because of that event.”

Collector’s Comments

8 is definitely a common lucky number. I also have found a trend in people having lucky numbers that have to do with their family in some way. I am also finding a trend in people saying that they are not very superstitious, but that the number serves as more of a motivational purpose. 

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

Informant #45:

Title: Lucky Number 21

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: E.G.
  • Date Collected: 10/26/20

Informant Data:

E.G. is a White American sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is from Chicago, Illinois but was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall. She is not a very superstitious person, but her lucky number does serve as a symbol for her.  

 Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: E.G.’s lucky number has been 21 since she was in elementary school. While she does not remember her exact age when she started having this lucky number, she remembers that it became her lucky number after the passing of her grandfather who was born on the same day as her, February 21st. After this event, she began to hold number 21 as her lucky number. She explained that growing up her grandfather played a very big role in her life, and that his passing made her realize just how important he was to her. The number 21 has proved to be lucky in her life in other ways as well, for example, she once won an auction for a bears jersey and the last two digits of her ticket were 21. While she does not use this number in her everyday life, she does acknowledge that she’s held this number close to her for a long time, and that it makes her feel comfortable, so she believes that she will stick with it. E.G. believes that the number 8 is unlucky because her grandmother’s best friend who is Korean said that the number 8 is unlucky, and she generally does not like the number. 
  • Cultural Context: E.G. said that her lucky number did not come from her culture, but that it is relevant in American culture because turning 21 is considered a big birthday, as it is a big shift in life and marks the legal drinking age in the US. 

Item: Her lucky number has been 21 since she was in elementary school following the death of her grandfather who shared a birthday with her: February 21st. This number has become important in her life because it provides her with comfort.

Transcript: “21 is my birth date, my birthday is February 21st so I have always kind of liked it, and my grandpa who passed away when I was younger was also born on my birthday so I kind of just picked it up as my lucky number.”

Collector’s Comments:

Number 21 has also been one of my lucky numbers growing up. In sports games in middle school and high school I would always wear #21 so I share this in common with E.G. This lucky number relates to her family which is definitely a trend. I found it very interesting that her lucky number represents in some ways an event in her life that was very sad, the passing of her grandfather, but yet she still believes this number to be lucky.  

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

 

Informant #46:

Title: Lucky Number 16

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: A.A.
  • Date Collected: 10/30/20

Informant Data:

A.A. is a White American from Colorado who was living in Hanover, NH this fall. She grew up playing sports, and is a member of the varsity soccer team at Dartmouth. Her lucky numbers have had to do with sports in the past. A.A. is a superstitious person, and she believes that her lucky number has had direct impact on her success.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: A.A.’s lucky number has been 16 since she was around 14 years old, and heading into middle school. It became her lucky number by chance when she was hoping to receive number 11 for her soccer jersey, but the number 16 was the only one still available. She explained that she needed to find a new lucky number, so number 16 filled that position for her. It was enforced for her that 16 was a lucky number when this number appeared on a fortune cookie that she opened. This event literally proved to her that 16 was her lucky number. She did doubt that this number was lucky when she broke her collar bone while wearing number 16 on her back. She actually became “disgusted” with this number for a time, but she eventually decided to stick with it. A.A. has made a lot of friends while wearing number 16, especially because her two best friends were numbers 17 and 15, so they were able to bond over the way that their numbers occurred all in a row. She said that these friends remained her best friends all throughout her high school years. She said that her lucky number has definitely had to do with her success in life, and she firmly feels that she must believe in her lucky number 16 if she wants success. A.A. to this day does not have any unlucky numbers. 
  • Cultural Context: She does not believe that her lucky number has to do with her culture in any way. She explained that everyone in her family has their own lucky numbers that do not relate to their culture.

Item: A.A.’s lucky number has been 16 since she was around 14 years old. She came across this lucky number by chance, but now believes in it superstitiously, and thinks that it has to do with her success that she’s had.  

Transcript: “My lucky number is 16. This became my lucky number because a girl on my soccer team took 11 and I wanted to find a new number so the only open one that I liked and that was low was 16.”

Collector’s Comments:

I believe that 16 is a common lucky number. It is an even number and is divisible by multiple other numbers, so I think that this is appealing to people. This is also a common desired number in sports, especially in soccer. This has never been a lucky number of mine, but I do like the number. Most of the people who I have interviewed did not believe that their lucky number has had to do with their success, so I found it interesting that A.A. did. 

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

 

Informant #47:

Title: Lucky Number 5

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: G.F.
  • Date Collected: 11/4/20

 Informant Data:

G.F. is a White American freshman at Dartmouth College. She is from Rhode Island but was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall. She has a very close relationship with her siblings and parents, especially her sister. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: G.F.’s lucky number became 5 when she was about 12 years old. Her lucky number is 5 because there are 5 people in her family. She explained that number 5 was her sister’s lucky number first, and always has been, but that it just ended up becoming her lucky number too. While there was not one specific moment that enforced the idea that number 5 was lucky for her, she did say that her sister always says that she can see 5 stars really brightly when she looks at the night sky. Now, whenever G.F. looks at the sky at night it reminds her of her sister. G.F. sometimes doubts that her number is lucky when she is asked to “guess a number”, and she always says 5, and she is often wrong. However, she does believe that her number is mostly lucky. She does not recall one specific event that has happened regarding her lucky number, but since there are 5 people in her family it serves more symbolic purposes, and the number just works for her. She explained that she is thinking of getting a star tattoo with the number 5 in the middle for the 5 members of her family to serve as a permanent marking. She also enjoys the counting method “tally’s” because it makes counting by 5’s easy and is satisfying. She does not believe that number 5 has directly impacted her success, but whenever she thinks of the number, or looks up at the stars, it reminds her that she has something to believe in. 
  • Cultural Context: G.F. is unaware if her lucky number has to do with her culture. Lucky number 5 for her has to do more with her family than any culture tie. 

Item: Her lucky number has been 5 since she was around 12 years old. Her lucky number is based off of the number of people in her family, and was her sister’s lucky number first. The number for her is a reminder of family. 

Transcript: “My lucky number is 5 … There’s 5 people in my family and it was my sister’s lucky number and it always has been and so it became mine too … my sister said that she always sees five stars in the sky super bright compared to every other star, so whenever I look at the sky I always think of her.” 

 Collector’s Comments:

Number 5 is actually my lucky number too. This is a very common lucky number, as I have encountered many people in my life who share this lucky number. I assume that this number has cultural significance in many cultures even though G.F. was not aware of this. This is yet another lucky number that I have collected that has to do with family. I am also coming across a trend of people wanting to get tattoos of their lucky number to serve as a constant reminder. 

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

 

Informant #48:

Title: Lucky Number 7

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: J.C.
  • Date Collected: 11/4/20

Informant Data:

J.C. is a White Male from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a 21 year old sophomore at Dartmouth College and was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall. He is a member of the varsity hockey team at Dartmouth and has a very close relationship to his mom and sister. 

 Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: J.C.’s lucky number became 7 when he was about 16 years old. He was randomly given the number, and then he made up reasons for why it would be lucky for him. A moment that really enforced that 7 was his lucky number was when his mom and sister got into a bad car crash in January. Because “January” has 7 letters, he then began considering January a lucky month. J.C. is not a very superstitious person, and is not a total believer in lucky numbers, so he does often doubt that number 7 may not actually be lucky. J.C. uses this lucky number frequently because he wears this number at Dartmouth during hockey games. J.C. does not believe that this number has to do with his success, but he views it rather as something that keeps him grounded. J.C. explained that he does not have any unlucky numbers. 
  • Cultural Context: While number 7 may not traditionally play a role in his culture, it does remind him to never forget what made him, and who he is as a person. 

Item: His lucky number has been 7 since he was around 16 years old. He is not a superstitious person but the number served as a good luck charm for him when his sister and mother got into a car accident. 

Transcript: “It was kind of just given to me and then I made up reasons for why it is lucky … I was about 16 … When my mom and my sister got in a car accident in January, that has 7 letters, they could have died but they didn’t, and after that I was kind of like oh, lucky month.”

Collector’s Comments:

I found this to be a very interesting interview. J.C. was definitely the least superstitious person I interviewed. However, despite his lack of superstition he did still have a lucky number that resembled something for him. This instilled for me that most people have lucky numbers even if they are not completely believers in their luck. 

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

 

Informant #49:

Title: Lucky Number 5

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: A.W.
  • Date Collected: 11/10/20

Informant Data:

A.W. is a White American sophomore at Dartmouth College. She is from Boston, Massachusetts but she was living in Hanover, NH this fall. She considers herself a superstitious person, and she has only had 1 lucky number growing up. A.W. is a member of the women’s soccer team at Dartmouth. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: A.W. began considering number 5 to be her lucky number when she was around 6 years old. This became her lucky number because her mother had worn this number on her soccer jersey when she played at Williams College, and A.W. hoped to follow in her mothers footsteps. She always idolized her mother while growing up, as she was everything that A.W. strived to be like. Ever since her first soccer game when she was 6, with a few exceptions, A.W. has worn number 5 on her jersey. A.W. knew this number was lucky because she has had success in soccer wearing this number on her back. While she cannot pin down one specific moment that enforced this number’s luckiness, she knows that it always reminds her of her mom, and how much she has sacrificed for her family, so it inspires her to do her best. A.W. began to doubt that number 5 was no longer lucky when she received her 5th concussion. However, A.W. has not been injured for many years now, so her faith has been restored in this number. She explained that her favorite day of the year when she was younger was May 5th, because it is 5/5 in the calendar. And she now still believes that her best and most productive day of the year is May 5th. A.W. no longer wears number 5 in college soccer, but she still writes it on her wrist in sharpie before games, and also on the top of her tests before she takes them in school to promote good luck. She does believe that number 5 has directly led to her success. 
  • Cultural Context: A.W. does not know if number 5 plays a role in her culture. For her, it rather stands for a reminder of her mother, and serves as an inspiration.

Item: A.W.’s lucky number has been 5 since she was 6 years old. This number plays a role in her life because she is following in the footsteps of her mother who wore this number during soccer games in college. It serves as motivation and inspiration for A.W.

Transcript: “My lucky number is 5 and it became my lucky number because when I was younger I always idolized my mom when I was growing up. She was everything that I wanted to be like and so I always tried to follow in her footsteps … My mom played division III soccer at Williams College and wore number 5 during her college career.”  

Collector’s Comments:

N/A (interview of myself)

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley

 

Informant #50:

Title: Lucky Number 44

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Lucky Number Superstition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: J.M.
  • Date Collected: 11/8/20

Informant Data:

J.M. is a White American sophomore at Dartmouth College. He is from Portland, Oregon but was living in Hanover, New Hampshire this fall. J.M. grew up playing all sorts of sports, but his favorites were always football and lacrosse. He wore the same number in football from 4th grade until senior year of highschool. He is a member of the varsity lacrosse team at Dartmouth College. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: J.M. has considered number 44 to be his lucky number since he was in 4th grade. J.M. plays both football and lacrosse, but received number 44 for his jersey in football in 4th grade and has loved the number ever since. J.M. knows that this number is lucky because he was able to receive it again and again all throughout middle school and then again in highschool, the number was always available for him to wear. J.M. began to doubt that number 44 may not be lucky anymore when his football team got all the way to the championship two years in a row, and lost both times while he was wearing his lucky number. He uses number 44 in other small ways in his life, such as using number 44 in passwords. J.M. does not actually believe that his lucky number has to do with his success, but he just likes the number for what it is. 
  • Cultural Context: While J.M. does not know what his number specifically means for his culture, he does believe that the number stands for his family name, especially because the tradition of wearing number 44 in sports games has been passed on to his sister too. 

Item: J.M.’s lucky number has been 44 ever since he was in 4th grade and was randomly assigned to wear the number for his football team. J.M. does not believe that this number has to do with his success, and he is not very superstitious, but he just generally enjoys the number. 

Transcript: “It’s been my favorite number since 4th grade … It was my first number in football … I began to doubt that my number wasn’t lucky when we lost in the championship two years in a row … I just like it.”

Collector’s Comments:

I definitely found this to be an interesting lucky number. For me it was another example of someone who was not particularly superstitious, but still had a lucky number that they considered important. Number 44 is not a common lucky number from my experience, so this was cool to hear about. I do feel like this number may have significance in some cultures, just because it is double 4’s.  

Collector’s Name: Allie Winstanley