Does Your Right Hand Itching Mean a Lottery Win? It Might – Here’s How to Know

How to know what it means when you have an itchy right hand or an itchy left hand. Could the superstition be right?

Author: Kari Lorz, Certified Financial Education Instructor

Author: Kari Lorz – Certified Financial Education Instructor

There are many superstitions in the world. One of them is about itchy palms. Left hand itching or right hand itching, what some people call “right-handed luck.”

The idea behind this superstition is that when you start to feel a tingling sensation on your right hand, it’s a sign that good fortune is coming to you; specifically, money is coming to you. But if your left hand is itching, money is leaving you.

Whether it’s true or not, there are ways for you to take advantage of this superstition! Let’s dive in on which palm itching is luckier.

right hand itching lottery win

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What do itchy palms mean (financially speaking)?

Of course, this is barring any medical condition that makes your palms itch, like psoriasis or eczema. There’s an old superstition that when your palms itch, it means money coming in or out of your life; it’s meant to be “energy flow.”

An itching left palm means money to be paid out, while an itching right palm is money coming in.

The verdict? Whether you believe in “right-handed luck” or not is up to you – but what if your left hand itches?

Right hand itching meaning around the world

Does it always work this way? No! Sometimes it can mean money is leaving. Some debate which hand is the good luck depending on gender; male or female. In contrast, some cultural and religious teachings state the opposite.

For instance, in India, the Goddess Lakshmi resides on the right hand. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, and prosperity. So Hindus believe that when your left-hand itches (female), she is leaving you. So the right hand being the lucky one, that’s the hand you exchange money with. With males, it’s reversed.

Again this all depends on your belief system or superstition of choice!

What does it mean when your left-hand itches?

Our world is one of opposites. Hot vs. cold, short vs. tall. In the case of itchy palms, if the right hand is money coming in, then the left-hand itching means money going out.

It’s not all doom & gloom; it could be as simple as a bill coming due. It doesn’t have to mean financial downfall, and you’ll be penniless. At least, I hope not – I have my fingers crossed for you!

Some say you can make it stop if you put your itchy palm on a piece of wood (that is, “touch wood”). In some traditions, touching wood is seen as a way to transfer the bad energy that’s causing the itch.

If your left hand itches, you may want to take extra precautions…

  • Avoid any gambling.
  • Avoid making large money moves such as investing or buying large ticket items (house, car, etc).
  • Be very aware of people who may want to take advantage of you – scammers.
  • Double-check your paperwork, did you forget to pay a bill? Pay it now and call customer service to see if you can reverse any overdue fees or extra charges.
  • Don’t go on any trips – stay close to home.
  • Secure your account login and password information.
  • Freeze your credit. In fact, pull a credit report to see if there has been any fraudulent activity (it’s better to find out about it now than wait).

Again, some cultures believe that the rule of which itching hand brings good luck is the opposite depending on if you’re male or female. Or some people believe it just depends on you, and your individual belief system. Or from your experience in the past.

How did this itchy palms idea start?

This notion has been around for hundreds of years. The origins of this concept may be traced back to the Saxons and Celts in Europe during the pre-Christian era. According to their belief, rubbing one’s skin on silver would cure almost all ailments. As a result, they rubbed them against silver whenever they had itchy palms.

Over the years, this belief turned into the superstition that your palm itching means that silver is coming your way.

Later, the concept was taken up by Roma fortune-tellers, who transformed it into the version we know today. The belief that only the right-hand itches indicate that money can be found is traceable to Romany people’s fortune-telling customs.

Want to make the most of an itchy palm?

There are a few things you can do to take advantage of this superstition if it’s something that you believe in. One way is to put your right hand out, palm up, and visualize money coming into your hand.

You can also say a prayer or affirmation asking for wealth and prosperity.

Another thing you can do is get a hold of some green tea bags. Take one and put it in your right pocket for wealth to come into your life, or give the rest away as gifts. That way, not only are you spreading good fortune but also receiving it!

The obvious way to make the most of an itchy hand is to buy a lotto ticket. Yup, right hand itching – lottery time!

Right hand itching – lottery time?

While I am against gambling as a whole due to its addictive properties (and that it can ruin people’s lives). I’m not opposed to having a tiny bit of fun every now and then. As long as you know and fully understand that you won’t win. As the disclaimer goes, “It should be played for entertainment purposes only.”

In fact, Forbes reports that “The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are even lower, 1 in 302.6 million.”

But what if you could win? It’s kind of fun to dream about what you’d do with the winnings. (I’d move to DisneyWorld, just saying.)

If you’re going to play, let’s give yourself the best chance. The luckiest numbers for the Powerball (aka the numbers that hit the most often).

The New York Post asked a statistician, Dr. Min Su Kim, from Southern University, “The Powerball drawing consists of five white balls and one red Powerball. Dr. Kim went back 10 years and found the top 5 numbers that have won millions of dollars for thousands of people. Dr. Kim says the most frequently drawn Powerball number for the past 10 years is number 20. It is followed by 37, 2, 31, and 35.

As for those white balls, the most popular is number 42. It is closely followed by 16, 35, 26, and 19.”

In fact, I play the lotto, but I only buy tickets on holidays. It sounds silly, but it’s my rule, so I don’t buy them more often. It’s a fun diversion to dream about what I’d do with the money, and I work it into my budget at $3 a ticket. It’s less than a Starbucks drink, so I’m okay with it.

I make it easy on myself and use Jackpocket. It’s an app for the lottery, and yes, it’s legal.

Now, if you win, let’s be smart here. Depending on how much you win, you should splurge with 5-10% of that money. Seriously, this probably won’t happen to you again; live it up just a little. Then you should look at paying off your debt and looking at some smart things that people save up for, which you may now be able to pay for in cash!

Play now in NY, NJ, TX, OH, CO, MA, MN, OR, AR, NM, NH, and Washington, D.C.

Are there any official instances of an itchy palm bringing money?

Yes and no, again, this is a personal belief. But for fun, some people swear by their left hand itching lottery win.

  • According to Newsweek, “Maryland Lottery officials reported that a Baltimore woman, identified only as Lucy, bought the winning ticket after three of her daughters told her their hands had been itching on the same day. A superstition believed by the family says this means good luck is on the way.”

  • CBS reported, “Brooklyn grandma Mary Shammas was on the bus when her left palm started itching. Remembering the old superstition that an itchy left palm means money is on the way, Shammas, 73, jumped off the bus and bought a lottery ticket. The next Tuesday, she won the $64 million jackpot!”

  • UPI said, “Flint Michigan resident Jacquette Prater, 28, told Michigan Lottery officials she started playing Mega Millions about a month before Tuesday night’s drawing because of an itch on her hand.”

  • “A Silver Spring, MD couple says their itchy hands are responsible for a $50,000 lottery win.” According to a local news outlet, Later that night, her hands began to itch. When she told her husband, he said his hands were itching, too. Still dreaming of a lottery win the next day, he dropped his wife off to work and swung by the Food Stop Mini Mart at 4820 Boiling Brook Parkway to buy a $5 Super Bonus Bucks instant ticket.”

  • In Australia, the West Australian reported that “It’s often derided as an old wives’ tale, but don’t tell that to the Mandurah man who’s just won a small fortune in Saturday Lotto. The man was the only WA winner last weekend, netting a cool $928,000.”

  • Denise in North Carolina said to a local lottery agency, “Whenever my hand is itching, I go and buy a lottery ticket,” said McKenzie, a warehouse worker. So McKenzie bought three $5 tickets in the Crossword Money Multiplier game at the Community Stop on U.S. 401 South in Laurinburg and went back to her home to see if her lucky feeling was right. “She came in saying, ‘Help me, check my heart,'” said her husband, Addison. “‘Check my heart. My heart is beating real hard.’ Then she showed me her ticket.” Her ticket had one of the eight $100,000 top prizes in the game.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that this will work. In my personal belief, it’s for fun. But if it works, I absolutely want you to let me know!

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The truth about superstitions

New data from YouGov finds that nearly “one in 10 people (9%) say that they’re “very superstitious,” while another 20 percent consider themselves “somewhat superstitious.”

According to a different survey by Gallup, “One percent of respondents admitted to being very superstitious, 24% somewhat so, 28% not very and 47% not at all.”

This goes anywhere from believing in ESP to having bad luck on Friday the 13th. I hate to admit it (but I’m not sure why); I throw salt over my shoulder if I accidentally knock it over. Better safe than sorry, right!

So the truth about superstitions is whether you believe in them or not. Have you personally experienced something that made you a believer? Well, if there’s one time I would want a superstition to be true, it’s with an itchy right palm!

Other good fortune superstitions

  • In Italy, if a bird poops on you, your fortune is only going to get better.
  • If you see a spider in the house, it means good luck will be coming soon! See something black? It might mean bad things for others but always brings good news for you personally! (Some sources say it needs to be a brown spider or be in your pocket).
  • The Greeks believe that if you spill coffee, then you’ll be rich soon.
  • Who can forget about the classic horseshoe? Said to bring good luck, hung above doorways – especially in the United States.
  • According to Latino tradition, having money in your hand when the clock strikes 12 will ensure economic prosperity in the coming year.
  • If you put your handbag on the floor in Chinese culture, it’s a sign of disrespecting your money (you’re just asking for trouble there).
  • Or for money leaving you, in a good way, there’s the wishing well. You throw your money in and ask for a wish. But you can’t tell anyone what it is, or it won’t come true.
  • According to today’s Feng Shui experts, keeping the toilet lid closed puts you in a mindset to prevent prosperity and abundance from “going down the drain.”
  • According to a centuries-old tradition in the United Kingdom, good luck and financial fortune can stem from hammering coins into a downed tree.
  • Eight has long been regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture. With the pronunciation of ‘Ba’ in Chinese, the number 8 sounds similar to the word ‘Fa,’ which means to make a fortune. It contains meanings of prosperity and success.
  • If you say “money” when you see a shooting star, it will bring you wealth and fortune.

What does the bible say about good fortune and hands?

A few verses could be interpreted as ‘good fortune’ and hand-related. Full transparency – I am not a religious person so I am not an expert by any means.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”Matthew 6:3

You could assume that the right hand gives, and the left hand receives; However, another passage could be seen as the right hand being the prosperous one.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”Isaiah 41:13

What could itchy palms mean medically speaking?

When your palm itches, it could be a symptom of a more serious problem, such as liver disease, diabetes, or thyroid problems. So let’s not automatically assume it’s just good fortune. Better safe than sorry.

If you’re experiencing other symptoms along with the itchy palms, see your doctor right away to rule out any underlying health conditions. According to Medical News Today, an itching palm could mean a number of conditions, such as…

  • Hand eczema – According to the National Eczema Association, an estimated 10 percent of people in the United States have hand eczema, which causes severe itching.
  • Allergic reactions – Sometimes itchy palms are the result of repeated exposure to an irritant or chemical that eventually results in an allergic reaction. This is called contact dermatitis. An allergic reaction may appear 48 to 96 hours after contact with an allergen.
  • Diabetes – When a person has diabetes, too-high blood sugar levels can cause dry skin that also feels itchy.
  • Reactions to medication – When a person has a mild allergic reaction to a new medication, the histamine reactions in the body can cause itchy skin.
  • Cirrhosis – An autoimmune disorder called primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) can cause itchy, blotchy palms. PBC affects the bile ducts that connect the liver to the stomach. Bile that travels between these two organs builds up in the liver, causing damage and scarring.
  • Nerve disorders – Sometimes nerve damage to the hands, resulting from conditions such as diabetes, can cause itchy palms. Other dysfunctions of the hand nerves can have similar effects, including carpal tunnel syndrome.

How to help itchy palms – what to do when you think it’s medical

  • Drink more water – Ideally, you’d drink about 8 glasses (8 oz each) a day – generally speaking (more if you’re on the taller/bigger side). As when your skin is dehydrated it pulls tight and can itch.
  • Use lotion – You’ll want a fragrance-free lotion that’s gentle on the skin to help keep moisture loss from happening. A good brand that many dermatologists recommend is Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream. You can find it at any store and it’s inexpensive too!
  • Brainstorm – Have you started using any new products lately (i.e. soaps, detergent), wearing new gloves? If so, try eliminating them for a week and see if your problem disappears.
  • Wash in warm water – For hygienic reasons, hot water is recommended to help wash away germs. But hot water can be very drying for the skin; try turning to heat down just a bit.
  • See a dermatologist – If you’ve tried “all the things,” then consider making an appointment with a dermatologist to help you diagnose what’s happening. They can help you with things like figuring out if you have any allergies or skin sensitivities to products.

Hands itching FAQ

Right hand itching female means?

Many in the Hindu religion believe that if you’re a female and your right-hand itches, that is prosperity leaving you.

Right hand itching meaning? (if you’re male)

If you’re male, your right-hand itching means good fortune is coming to you.

Left handing itching – lottery win coming?

If your left hand itches, many believe that you should go buy a lottery ticket, as it means you’ll have good luck where money is concerned. If you have a few dollars to spare, then go ahead and have some fun; but don’t take it too seriously. Don’t forget that you can buy the major lottery tickets from your phone with Jackpocket.

At the end of the day

There are endless amounts of superstitions that people use worldwide to try and control their fortune or future. What will you choose to believe in? What makes you feel lucky? And you’ll be in good company if it’s your right hand itching, lottery ticket purchase could be in order!

All of these have a common thread: you must be open to receiving good luck or fortune for it to happen. You’ll need to take action and embrace what’s coming your way!

But what if you don’t believe in your right palm itching? Well, I’d still be cautious; no need to offend any gods or deities for no reason. So play it safe, be respectful, and believe, if only a little bit.

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So is your right hand itching… lottery time? Sure, take $3 and dream your big dreams!

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