Why are buckeyes lucky

Buckeyes are spiny-shelled nuts that grow on trees and are related to the horse chestnut. That might explain why they sometimes eat only a portion of the buckeye. We have the Germans and Dutch to thank for that. They believed that carrying a horse chestnut would cure headaches, rheumatism, arthritis, and bring winning hands in card games. When spread around the house, they were thought to keep spiders away, because the insects dislike the oil. But when horse chestnuts were scarce, our fore-bearers carried the buckeye.

I have a very old one in my collection of political items. A small McKinley for President campaign button, was impressed in the buckeye when it was still soft and stayed in place as the nut hardened. Paul Long with a handful of buckeyes, shelled and unshelled.

Not only did the Longs find enough buckeyes to bring good luck to themselves and their neighbors, they discovered an arrowhead in the creek bed.

We were going through her belongings in her house and I came across a buckeye. I vaguely remembered it having some significance, but could not remember what exactly. I had a strong feeling I should keep it and not just throw it away. I came home and looked them up on Google. I am glad I kept it. I will make sure my kids keep it someday too. Wednesday, August 22, Many superstitions, folktales and legends surround buckeyes.

Buckeyes can be found in Wilcox County, Ala. One of The Wilcox Progressive Era's readers e-mailed me the other day asking about buckeye trees in and around Camden. While buckeyes are most commonly associated with the state of Ohio, I told him that I was sure that there were a more than a few red buckeye trees in Wilcox County. And they continue to favor the soft, white wood of the tree for carving. There are four native species of buckeye in the southeastern United States: Ohio, red, painted, and yellow buckeyes.

Horse-chestnut, a native of Asia, was introduced into this country from Europe as an ornamental shade tree. Here in Western North Carolina there are two native species: painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica , a shrub that occasionally becomes a small tree, is rarely encountered; and yellow buckeye A. Average trees are about feet tall and 3-feet in diameter. They are encountered from the lowest altitudes to over 6,feet, but flourish in the rich cove hardwoods of the middle elevations.

George Ellison is an award-winning naturalist and writer. His wife, Elizabeth Ellison, is a watercolor artist and paper-maker who has a gallery-studio in Bryson City. Contact them at info georgeellison. Yet the tree grows in inclement weather and uninviting conditions and is hard to kill. Among all its descriptions, the buckeye is tenacious, making it appropriate as the name for a winning football team and a state mascot.

A versatile writer, Jann enjoys research as well as doing the actual writing. A career in television writing, as a magazine editor and celebrity interviewer, Jann adapts to her environment, having traveled the world, living overseas and packing and unpacking her treasures for a new location over 30 times.

By Jann Seal Updated September 28, Related Articles.