Glücksbringer: the little German lucky charms behind Glückino

In Germany, the first days of January come with a small tradition. People hand each other tiny lucky charms called Glücksbringer, which means “luck bringers.” A marzipan pig at the office, a little pot of clover on the kitchen table, a chimney sweep tucked into a New Year’s card. They’re small and a bit silly, and that’s the point. You give one to say: I hope this year is kind to you.

Our name comes from the same word. Glück means luck, and it also means happiness. A few of our friends come straight out of this tradition, so here’s who’s who.

The four-leaf clover

Four-leaf clovers are rare, so finding one counts as lucky. Around New Year, German shops sell little pots of “lucky clover” to give away. Our Clover is a four-leaf clover with a big, happy heart.

The red mushroom with white dots

The fly agaric shows up on cards, ornaments and chocolate wrappers every winter. It’s poisonous, so admire it and leave it in the forest. A lucky person in German is a Glückspilz, a “luck mushroom.” That’s Pilzi, whose favorite thing to say is Viel Glück! (good luck!).

The pig

Schwein gehabt! means “got a pig,” and Germans say it when something works out by pure luck. Pigs stood for plenty, and at New Year they turn up as marzipan pigs. Rosi, our party piglet, wears a party hat for exactly this reason.

The horseshoe

A horseshoe goes over the door with the open end up, so the luck can’t spill out. Hufi hangs that way on purpose.

The lucky penny

A coin you find on the street is lucky, and even more so if it lands heads up. It used to be the Glückspfennig, and now it’s the Glückscent. Penny is our shiny copper coin who always lands heads up.

The chimney sweep and the ladybug

Chimney sweeps kept homes safe from chimney fires and used to make their rounds at the start of the year with New Year’s wishes. Meeting one is still lucky, and touching a button on their jacket is luckier. The ladybug is called Marienkäfer, or Glückskäfer (“luck beetle”), and one landing on you means good fortune. Neither has joined the family yet. Maybe next year.

How to give a Glücksbringer

Keep it small. A sticker, a mug, an ornament or a card all work. Give it in the last days of December or the first days of January, and write Guten Rutsch! (the usual German wish for a good start to the new year) or Viel Glück im neuen Jahr (lots of luck in the new year).

Our Viel Glück New Year cards come in a pack of 10, so there’s one for everyone. You’ll find the rest of the lucky charms in the Glücksbringer family and in the “A little luck” part of the gift guide.