Most rabbit foot keychains are not actually made with an actual rabbit foot. Faux rabbit feet are normally covered in faux rabbit fur and can be dyed in a variety of colors. To give the fake foot that feeling of dried bones, the internal structure is often made of latex. Keychains made from real rabbit paws are available, although to be considered truly lucky, some believe that the rabbit must be killed under very specific circumstances.
The superstition behind rabbit foot keychains has roots in European cultures and hoodoos, a blend of different American magical traditions. The reason rabbits’ feet are considered lucky also varies from the belief that rabbits embody spirits to the value placed on the highly reproductive nature of the rabbit. Carrying around a piece of rabbit is believed to keep that luck with the carrier.
The full rabbit’s foot luck superstition is quite complex. Not only does it have to be a real rabbit’s foot, but it has to be the left hind leg, as it is considered luckier than the right hind leg. The luckiest feet are those taken from rabbits that have been caught or killed in a graveyard. The times the rabbit is killed can also matter; some sources suggest that only a rabbit caught on a full moon, new moon, or Friday the 13th will have a lucky left hind foot. Some sources recommend cutting off the rabbit’s leg while it is still alive, while others suggest that the rabbit should be killed by shooting it with a silver bullet or killed by a cross-eyed person.
There are still many rabbit paw keychains made with real rabbit paws. They are widely available on the Internet, in tourist shops and sometimes in casino vending machines. They are often considered particularly lucky for gamblers and are usually quite cheap. As with any amulet, icon, or other lucky piece, the rabbit’s foot’s effectiveness is highly questionable. A rabbit killed for the purpose of obtaining rabbit foot keychains might want to argue that his feet were certainly not his luck.
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