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Tocross one's fingers is ahand gesture commonly used to wish forluck.[citation needed] Early Christians used the gesture toimplore the protection of the Holy Cross.[1] The gesture is referred to by the common expressions "cross your fingers", "keep your fingers crossed", or just "fingers crossed".
The use of the gesture is often considered by children as an excuse for telling awhite lie.[2] By extension, a similar belief is that crossing one's fingers invalidates a promise being made.[3]
The crossed fingers gesture is believed to have originated with its resemblance to the Cross of Christ.[4] It gained traction, especially in 16th-centuryEngland, where people crossed theirfingers to ward offevils and ill health.[5]
The practice of crossing fingers for luck or protection against misfortune is deeply ingrained in thecultural fabric of theUK and parts ofScandinavia. This tradition is less familiar in mainlandEurope. Its earliest documented reference is from 1912, linked to the superstition surrounding ladders. Remarkably, the crossed fingers gesture persists in schoolplaygrounds, where it serves as asymbolic shield against perceived threats.[citation needed]
Crossed fingers remain a widely recognized and practised symbol, showing the enduring nature of cultural superstitions and protectiverituals. The symbol is used as the logo of the UK National Lottery.
InVietnam the gesture is considered rude,[6][7] especially to another person. Referring to female genitals, it is comparable to themiddle finger in American culture.[citation needed]
In German-speaking countries, as well as Sweden and Latvia, the gesture is a sign of lying. Instead, wishing for luck is gestured by holding one’s thumbs.[citation needed] The same gesture is used in manySlavic countries such as Poland,[8] theCzech Republic,Slovakia, Bulgaria and ex-Yugoslav[9] republics. In South Africa, Afrikaans speakers also have the related phrase "duim vashou" meaning "holding thumbs tightly".
In pre-Christian Western Europe, a related gesture had two people crossing their index fingers to form a cross, which represented perfect unity; this gesture was used to make wishes.[10]
To a child, forget ethics. Crossing your fingers while making a promise truly invalidated the promise.
we started crossing our fingers in order to represent the cross of Christ, which grants a person protection from evil. Crossed fingers are dispayed in some Christian art, apparently with the meaning that "Christ is victorious".
Media related toFingers crossed at Wikimedia Commons