Rabbit Rabbit: The Good-Luck Tradition and Its Origins
Need good luck? We explain where this quirky tradition and superstition came from.
The “Rabbit Rabbit” Tradition at a Glance
- The rule: Say “rabbit rabbit” before anything else on the first day of the month
- The reward: A full 30 days of good luck, by tradition
- Common variations: “bunny bunny,” “rabbits,” or “white rabbit”
- First written record: The English journal Notes and Queries, March 27, 1909
- Famous practitioners: Franklin D. Roosevelt, British WWII pilots, and comedian Gilda Radner
Saying “rabbit rabbit” before any other words on the first day of the month is a quirky little tradition that many people follow for good luck. It costs nothing, takes a second, and has charmed everyone from a sitting president to wartime fighter pilots. So where did the rabbit rabbit custom come from, and what does it mean? Here is the origin story and the deeper lore of the lucky rabbit.
Rabbits and Good Luck
Rabbits are a common symbol of good luck, positivity, fertility, and growth in cultures from North America to Europe and Asia. They are most prominent in spring, tied to renewal and rebirth after winter. Gentle and peaceful, they are favorite pets, though they can wreak havoc in a vegetable patch. If yours are nibbling the garden, here is how to keep rabbits out of the garden.
That bundle of associations, new life, quick wits, and a fast escape from trouble, is a big part of why the rabbit became a luck charm in the first place. A creature that thrives, multiplies, and slips away from danger is exactly the kind of helper people have always wanted on their side. Pair that with the rabbit’s link to spring, the season of fresh starts, and saying its name to open a brand-new month starts to feel less random than it sounds.
“Rabbit Rabbit” Origins and Tradition
By the superstition, saying “rabbit rabbit” before anything else on the first day of the month brings you good luck for the next 30 days. “Bunny bunny” is said to work just as well, while some people prefer “rabbits” or “white rabbit.” The origin in the United Kingdom may owe something to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), in which a young girl is luckily guided through her adventures by a white rabbit.
The first written record of the phrase being said for luck appeared in the English periodical Notes and Queries on March 27, 1909. A parent wrote that his children called “rabbit rabbit” up the chimney on the first of each month, hoping for a present. Over the following decades, people repeated the words to make wishes come true, to invite financial good fortune, and to secure a month of general good luck.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt claimed to say “rabbits” on the first of every month. He was also known to carry a lucky rabbit’s foot during the 1932 presidential election, which he won in a landslide, becoming the first Democrat in 80 years to take both the electoral college and the popular vote.
During World War II, many British fighter pilots said the phrase daily for an extra measure of luck. The Royal Air Force went on to repel the German Luftwaffe in both the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. Other well-known practitioners include Saturday Night Live comedian Gilda Radner, who said “bunny bunny” for luck, and British-American journalist Simon Winchester, who noted in 2006 that he had recited “white rabbits” for 696 consecutive months, ever since 1948 when he was four years old.
Alternative Associations
In the Chinese Zodiac
Rabbits are especially lucky in the Chinese zodiac, where the Rabbit is the fourth of the twelve signs. Considered one of the most beautiful signs, it also represents longevity, peace, and prosperity. People born under it are said to be skillful, responsible, and quick-minded, as well as gentle and attractive. Lunar New Year runs from late January into early February, when one of the twelve zodiac animals is celebrated and revered.
In Native American Culture
In many Native American traditions, rabbits and hares are tricksters, prized for the cleverness and problem-solving that let them slip away from predators. For the Ojibwe, Mishaabooz was a great hare form of the god Nanabozho, a trickster who named the plants and animals at the world’s creation. For the Cherokee, the hare was a mischievous, not-quite-trustworthy trickster, the one who lost his tail by playing a trick on a bear, yet who tended to learn from his mistakes.
Rabbit Rabbit FAQ
What does saying “rabbit rabbit” mean?
It is a good-luck tradition. Saying “rabbit rabbit” before anything else on the first day of the month is said to bring you luck for the next 30 days. Some people say “bunny bunny,” “rabbits,” or “white rabbit” instead.
Where did the rabbit rabbit tradition come from?
Its roots are in the United Kingdom and may connect to the white rabbit in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The first written mention was in the journal Notes and Queries on March 27, 1909, describing children who called the words up the chimney on the first of the month.
When are you supposed to say rabbit rabbit?
First thing on the first day of the month, before you speak any other word. Many people leave a note on the calendar or the nightstand so the phrase is the first thing they say when they wake.
Why are rabbits considered lucky?
Across many cultures, rabbits symbolize luck, fertility, growth, and the renewal of spring. They are the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac, tied to longevity and peace, and they appear as clever tricksters in Ojibwe and Cherokee tradition.
Did any famous people say rabbit rabbit?
Yes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said “rabbits” each month and carried a lucky rabbit’s foot, British WWII pilots used the phrase daily, comedian Gilda Radner said “bunny bunny,” and writer Simon Winchester recited “white rabbits” for hundreds of consecutive months.
Join the Discussion
Ever hear of this fun tradition? Do you practice it? Do you know a variation we did not list above? Let us know in the comments below.
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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz is a writer who specializes in birds and birding, though her work spans a wide range—from folklore to healthy living. Her first book, Migration: Exploring the Remarkable Journeys of Birds was published in 2020. Mayntz also writes for National Wildlife Magazine and The Spruce. Find her at MelissaMayntz.com.
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We say “Happy Rabbits’ Day” thanks to
my sister introducing us to it many years ago.
I was on a summer study abroad program in Siberia nearly 40 years ago and one of the other students from the U.S. had a tradition with a group of friends that the one who said “rabbit rabbit” to the rest of the group first got to claim the good luck for the month. I remember that a telegram was involved that month, but don’t remember if he sent it or if one of his friends back home sent it to him.
What a fun memory! Thanks for sharing, Natalie 🙂
I hope you’re still collecting comments! My dad (b. 1929) grew up saying White Rabbit White Rabbit White Rabbit. I think it was from his father’s side (Jamaican Scotch). My siblings and I still share a group text on the first of each month (2025).
Hi Amy, Thanks for sharing your Dad’s version with us! We’ll say it your way today. White rabbit white rabbit white rabbit 🙂
Greetings, I’m from Argentina, I can’t remember where I read about this nice little luck ritual (probably reddit or something), but I swear it works! Definitely life-changing. The few months where I’ve forgotten to say “rabbit rabbit rabbit” out loud as my first words of the first day of the month SUCKED! Bad things and unfortunate encounters would happen constantly during said months.
Now, to stop forgetting about saying rabbit x3 I’ve decided to set up an alarm at 23:59, on the last day of the month to remind myself. The first day of the next month arrives just a minute after that alarm, so, I can’t miss it! If I somehow forget and fall asleep, I’ll just wake up later in the morning for work and my phone will still have the “rabbit rabbit rabbit” notification so I can say the thing right after waking up.
So, 1st of March. Just did it. Have a great RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT month, everyone!!!!
What a good idea, Joaquin! Hope you have a lucky month … and year 🙂 Rabbit Rabbit!
My Nana from Scotland said “wee white rabbit, wee white rabbit, wee white rabbit” the first of the month for luck – she said you also had to get of out bed on the opposite side from usual and turn around 3 times while you said it. She was always looking for luck especially at her Thursday night Bingo.
How fun! This made us smile. Thanks for sharing your family’s version, Eileen!
We say White Rabbits, White Rabbits, White Rabbits first thing upon waking up on the first day of each month. Our mom was from Swansea, Wales. We got this from her. We’ve done this daily for many years. I love seeing your post on the first day of each month. It brings back a lot of memories. Thanks.
White Rabbits seems to be a British, Welsh, European preference. We love that it is a special tradition for you!
Where can I buy violets. I can never find them. And people act as if they never heard of them …???
My mother was Jamaican. She taught the saying to me over 60 years ago, as a little phrase, said almost like a poem: “Rabbit, rabbit, come today, and bring me something good.” I thought it was a Jamaican tradition superstition, until I was in my 20s and met someone from Maine who just said “Rabbit, rabbit.” Apparently, it is more common in New England than other parts of the U.S.
I guess I’ll mark my calendar for September 1st. 🐇🐇!
My friend in fifth grade taught me this, but she said “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”. Still do this 50 years later!