Statue rubbing is the act of touching a part of a publicstatue. Popular amongtourists, it is a form ofsuperstition that is believed to bring good luck, ensure a return to the city, improve love life or make a wish come true.

The parts that are supposed to be rubbed are usually the most protruding or characteristic ones, for examplenoses orfeet.^[1] InSpringfield, Illinois, atLincoln's Tomb, rubbing the nose ofHonest Abe's large bust is good luck.^[2] Some of those superstitions also involve touchingbreasts orgenitalia of the person depicted on the statue – this is usually supposed to bring luck in love or improvefertility. One example is thestatue of Juliet inVerona.^[2]

Rubbing statues can have negative effects on them as it causes erosion. Because of that some well-known statues had to be replaced with a replica^[2] and some places discourage or ban tourists from doing it.^[3][4] It is also possible to acquire abacterial infection from touching statues.^[5]

• Rubbing the testicles of theCharging Bull inNew York for good luck^[6]
• Rubbing the snout of thePorcellino statue inFlorence and putting a coin in its mouth for good luck^[7]
• Rubbing the breast of theJuliet statue inVerona to bring luck in love^[8]
• Rubbing the crotch of theMonument of Victor Noir on thePere Lachaise Cemetery, kissing his lips and leaving flowers in his hat to improve woman's love life and fertility^[3]
• Rubbing or kissing the right foot of theSaint Peter statue inVatican to have the prayers heard^[9]
• Rubbing the arm ofEverard t'Serclaes statue inBrussels, as well as the angel's face, the dog's face and one of the shields to make a wish come true^[10]
• Rubbing the left foot of theTimothy Eaton statue inWinnipeg to bring good luck^[11]
• Rubbing the toes of theStatue of Margaret Thatcher and theStatue of Winston Churchill in theBritish Parliament.^[12]
• Rubbing the nose on theBust of Abraham Lincoln (Borglum) in front of theLincoln Tomb to bring good luck
• Rubbing the nose of the badger outside the Governor's Office in the Wisconsin Capitol Building to bring good luck^[13]
• Rubbing the nose of thestatue of the loyal dog inTolyatti by newlyweds to signify their "unbreakable fidelity".^{[citation needed]}
• Gently rubbing the bear's nose of the "Legends of Samogitia" statue inTelšiai is said to grant wishes if they are well-intended.
• Rubbing the two plaques at the statue ofSt. John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge in Prague; rubbing the dog on the left plaque is said to bring good luck, while rubbing the plaque showing St. John being thrown into the river is believed to ensure a return to Prague.
• Similarly rubbing the belly of any statue depictingBudai is said to bring good luck.^[14] This custom might have originated from the Laughing Buddha statue in theLingyin Temple.^[15]

• Kissing theBlarney Stone inBlarney,Ireland to endow the kisser withthe gift of the gab. Because of the location of the stone it can only be done while leaning backwards, usually with a help of an assistant.^[16]
• Putting the hand insideBocca della Verità mask inRome which is said to work as a lie detector. Tourists make a statement while holding their hand inside the mask. If they told the truth, the hand comes unscathed, but if they lied, the mouth supposedly bites the hand off.^[17]
• Standing on top of one of themascarons near the entrance to theFranciscan Church inDubrovnik, taking off the shirt and putting it back on while maintaining balance to bring luck in love.^[18]

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• Wishing well
• Love lock

• Superstitions
• Statues
• Tourist activities

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