In American superstition, a rabbit’s foot is carried as a good-luck charm.
The custom became especially popular in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The charm was often attached to a key ring or carried in a pocket, and some versions were sold as commercial talismans. Its symbolism combines the rabbit’s reputation for fertility and abundance with older European beliefs about powerful animal remains.
Popular stories sometimes say that only a foot taken under particular conditions has magical power. Those details vary widely by region and period, so there is no single universally accepted ritual. The belief is cultural rather than scientific: carrying a rabbit’s foot has no demonstrated effect on probability or luck.
A related modern concern is animal welfare. Antique charms may involve real fur, while contemporary novelty versions are often synthetic. The rabbit’s foot is therefore best understood as a historical folk charm, not evidence that rabbits themselves are inherently lucky.