Hooray!  September has arrived – my most favorite month.  It ushers in cooler temperatures, football, fall colors, and holidays ahead.  It is a month to savor and plan and dream.

I awoke shouting “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” as I do on the first day of every month.  I’m not sure why except that Martha Melton, my college room-mate, swore up and down that would bring luck during the month, so I follow suit.   Besides, I feared the phrase might work inversely – that if you didn’t say it, you would experience bad luck!

You must say it before you utter another word or it won’t work. According to Wikipedia, the exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it has appeared in print at least as early as 1420 in England, where it is most commonly said to have originated, though some reports place its origins even earlier, into the 1200s. That’s good enough for me to continue the silly rabbit habit.

Today it has spread to most of the English-speaking countries of the world, although like all folklore, determining its exact area of distribution is difficult. This superstition is related to the broader belief in the rabbit or hare being a “lucky” animal, as exhibited in the practice of carrying a rabbit’s foot for luck.

I said it first thing this morning, then set out on my morning hike through campus.  I found a quarter and two pennies (face side up which means more good luck). Now don’t tell me “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” is a silly superstition.

Aw shucks.  Just go ahead and say it.  And if you’ve got to go to work today, slow down and pause to enjoy the beautiful weather.  As a wise man once said, “You may win the rat race, but you’ll still be a rat!”