Elephants are signs of luck and longevity in India and China cultures. Many elephant statues are made of jade, thought to have its own luck providing powers, and a stone I hold near to my heart. Elephants are known to be "large and powerful, intelligent, useful, and long-lived" thus leading the pack as a symbol of strength, wisdom, happiness, and longevity. Elephants are religious symbols in the Hindu faith; in Sri Lanka, crawling under an elephant's belly is said to protect you from the evil eye and drive away your protects you from the evil eye while driving away fears.
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There is a wide-spread belief that a lucky elephant holds its trunk pointed up. I plan to follow the elephant's luck and always walk with my head held high and looking ahead in 2009.