History Of The Koi Fish Good Luck Charm
The Koi carp is popular in both Japan and China as a good luck charm, and the fascination with this creature first began in the 1800s. It was first bred in the west of Japan in the modern-day prefecture of Niigata, on the Honshu isle that makes up the archipelago. Locals originally bred them for food, and they were kept in large ponds which the rice paddies were flooded with. It was only when they started to breed with strange color mutations that they began to be bred purposefully to obtain different colors. Both red and white were the main colors which attracted attention, and crossbreeding began. It was during both the Taisho and Meiji periods that this hobby really took off, and rare koi with certain patterns became lucky emblems. Before long, the koi was featured in hundreds of Japanese paintings, sewn onto clothes like kimonos, and the general pattern of their scales was found on everything from hairbrushes to furniture and belts.
Why The Koi Fish Charm Brings Luck
They have always been known in Japan as symbols of success and luck since folk stories began to be told about them. One legend states that a koi fish once jumped over a very tall river gate and it became a mighty dragon, so having a koi charm around you means you can overcome anything in your career or life in general.
How To Use The Koi Fish Charm
Place the charm on your window so you can see its scales reflecting in the light. Alternatively, if you have a smaller carp figurine it can be carried in your car or wallet, or even attached to a necklace.
How The Koi Fish Charm Is Made
Koi good luck charms are usually made with painted ceramic, however in modern times they can be made with molded plastic. You will also find small koi charms in Japan made of stone, as they adorn gardens and home exteriors. Alternatively, you can build a pond at home and fill it with different colored koi to bring your home good luck.
How To Make The Koi Fish Charm At Home
To make your own koi fish charm, you can carve it in wood if you’re skilled enough, or one of the easiest ways is to create it with silicone and a fish mold bought online. If you are confident of your ability to create something detailed, you can buy some ceramic clay to make a china or porcelain koi good luck charm, then paint it with glossy durable colors.
Interesting And Fun Facts About The Koi Fish Charm
- In Japan, koi are called ‘swimming flowers’ or even ‘living jewels’ because they are held in such high esteem
- On May 5, a celebration of masculinity occurs in Japan, where households with boys in them hang paper windsocks featuring carp outside their homes
- Real koi fish are also considered to be lucky and can be incorporated into Feng Shui designs
- Koi have even been known to scale waterfalls in a bid to spawn, much like salmon
- If you see a koi swimming with the current, going downstream, it’s an omen of bad luck
- Female koi can lay over 100,000 eggs when spawning!
