Do you really know? Why do we cross our fingers to wish for luck?
Mar 24, 2026
They explore why crossing fingers became a universal sign of hope and luck. The history jumps from ancient cross symbolism to medieval uses for protection against evil. The conversation follows how Christianity adopted the sign and how it morphed into modern phrases and symbols like lottery logos.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Ancient Origins Of Finger Crossing
- Crossing fingers signals hope for luck and traces back before Christianity to the cross as a symbol of perfect union connecting only good spirits.
- Originally two people crossed index fingers together; over time it became a solo gesture with index and middle fingers crossing for luck.
Medieval Adoption As Protection Gesture
- In the Middle Ages people crossed fingers to mimic a priest's exorcism phrase Varde Retro Satana and to ward off the Devil.
- Christianity later adopted the gesture as protection and as a secret sign among persecuted early Christians.
Modern Symbolism And Branding
- The finger-crossing gesture evolved into a general symbol of luck and entered modern culture and branding.
- Example: the National Lottery used a crossed-fingers hand logo designed by Saatchi and Saatchi in 1994.