The legend of the Barcelos cockerel goes back to the 13th Century. A pilgrim on his way to Santiago de Compostela stopped in Barcelos and was wrongly accused of theft and sentenced to death by hanging. After appealing to Our Lady and Saint James the Great, he announced that if he was innocent, the roasted rooster that the judge was about to eat would get up and crow. It did, the pilgrim was spared, and since then, brightly painted ceramic cockerels are sold throughout Portugal as symbols of good luck.
so my luck is actually portuguese (not irish!) i had to look this up at wikipedia, because i have had this 'good luck token' for a long time, but i was very vague on the 'good luck' part of it.
seven years ago, when matty and i moved into our first home, my sister, patricia (hi, patty!) came to visit and announced that we needed a 'kitchen chicken' for good luck. she promptly went off and found this one for us at a local craft fair. he's been in our kitchens ever since. (i believe he is intended to hold toothpicks).
he has always resided in the kitchen, which for me, is the heart of the home. he's had a few falls, shows a few chips. his ceramic glaze is cracking in all the best ways (kind of like marriage? family?) i believe he brings us luck, and i know he brings us love.
besides, it's just fun to say 'kitchen chicken' ten times fast!!
what is lucky for you?
28 comments:
this was the first thing I did this morning was check your blog as I know us east coaster would be posting early.
i love this little education i received this morning and will be new gift for new home owners, a kitchen chickn, it is fun to say fast.
Fun. I guess I need a kitchen chicken.
That is a very cool story. I love the kitchen chicken.
I have never heard of this before- good little history behind it. I love Kristi's idea for a new home owner gift.
This is hilarious. I can't wait til Paul gets back from work tonight and I announce, 'I need a kitchen chicken!'
Have you seen Sharon Neuhaus' 'Poultry in Motion'? It's fabby.
http://www.katstation.com/gifts/Poultry_In_Motion.html
That is a pretty fun charm. At first when I looked at it I thought of my fisher price farm (my plastic chicken looked like that when I was little)
I had to laugh because saying that 10 times fast is a challenge by itself!
Wonderful!
I feel the need to run out and find myself a kitchen chicken!
I love your kitchen chicken. I think I need to find one for myself!
My brother lived in Portugal for a few years and brought my mom back a few ceramic chickens, yes...for the kitchen. How cool to learn the history behind them. Thanks!
Ah - the miracle took place in Santo Domingo del Calzada. The family were on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (Sant Iago = Saint James) The judge was eating two cooked fowls and you can still see a white hen and a white cockerel in the church today.
They are kept in a gilt cage inside the church!
Your little hen is double lucky!
Sil
What a FUN little Good Luck Charm, a Kitchen Chicken!! I love it!!
I love that you had a lucky charm and researched where the luck came from. And I love how you said, I know it brings us love.
Saying that fast is hilarious....I think I only said it 5 times before it was a complete mess. Cute kitchen chicken. I love the history behind it. Very fun!
Fun kitchen chicken. It is definitley a tongue twister. Maybe we all need one.
I've never heard that story before or ever heard of kitchen chickens as being a good luck symbol, I always thought they were just kitchen decor. Hmmm. It's cool that your sister gave that to you.
What a neat story, thanks! I have a few in my kitchen because I like them, but it's neat to know a story behind them.
Little late getting mine on but it's there. Thansk again for these challenges, I enjoy them!
Love your little chicken. My mom had chickens in our kitchen growing up, I wonder if she knew the story behind their luck? I'll have to send this her way. Great post!
How fun! I have a kitchen chicken (that is hard to say!), but never knew it brought me luck! I'll pay better homage to it now. :)
great story. I will probably be trying to say kitchen chicken all day! :)
I never have heard this story. I like it! What a fun little charm for the kitchen.
I love that it was a gift and that it has been with you in all your kitchens.
Best lucky charm! We are remodeling our kitchen, maybe I need to look in to etching chickens into the stone or something!
Love your little chicken.
This is a cute story. I love that you have an item in your home that represents luck.
Kitchen chicken is a fun tongue twister.
I don't think my chickens in the kitchen are the same, but cool story. Actually I have a rather large italian pottery rooster on my island. Then I counted a total of 7 others in different forms -all in the kitchen. haha
My goal is not to buy any more!! ;)
(they blend with the decor in there, hope no one else counts them!) -ciao,Janae
sounds like we all need a kitchen chicken! great story.
I never knew about kitchen chickens, but I guess now I know why chicken decor abounds for the kitchen... pretty fun that you have a good luck charm!
oh how i love this little luck charm and most of all i love your words about it. the kitchen surely is the heart of our home, as well. love it!
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