Thursday, July 18, 2013

Maneki Neko

Maneki Neko


A while back a friend , who loves cats, gave me this little ornament. I thought it a strange looking little cat and put it on a shelf . I started to see these little cat figures in other places so I called my friend and asked about it .She said it is a symbol of good luck and often to be found in Chinese and Japanese and other Asian businesses and homes as well.

I checked this out and the story of Maneki Neko starts a long time ago in Japan. According to the legend the little cat lived in a temple .One day in a storm Maneki Neko beckoned a great lord into the temple by holding his paw up. The lord moved towards the shelter of the temple and a stroke of lightening fell a tree just where the lord had been standing. So the little cat was credited with saving the great lord's life. The lord was so thankful he honored the little cat by dedicating the temple to him.The temple of Goutokuji still exist and the little cat is still honored there with dozens of his statues on display.


So if you come across one of these little figures keep it . It is beckoning good luck to you.

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