Every New Year it is tradition in many cultures to visit shrines, temples and churches. Some go to pray to their God or Gods for a prosperous year, or some just to worship and enjoy the fellowship with like-minded folk. Some belief-systems also sell or give out lucky charms as protection or help to worshippers, like at some Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto places of worship.
Lucky charms are a global belief. Chances are you have met someone with a horseshoe mounted on their wall to ward of evil or for prosperity. Others may think themselves lucky finding a four-leaf clover (especially the Irish), there are also people that believe in the Native American dreamcatcher to keep bad dreams away. We all have met someone that know or believe in a lucky charm of some kind or another.
In Japan, there are amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples called Omamori, and these charms can provide various types of protection or luck. The word omamori comes from the word mamori (守り) which means protection. These charms were originally made from wood or paper where-as modern ones are small item bags usually containing little objects, prayers and religious writ of invocation.
There are various types of Omamori:
Katsumori – success; to win/succeed at something you have hoped for
Shiawase – happiness; to help you achieve happiness in life
Kenko – general good health
kōtsū-anzen: traffic safety—protection for drivers and travellers of all sorts
yaku-yoke: warding off evil/ill fortune; prevents bad luck from hindering your goals
kaiun: good fortune; the general “good luck” sort of talisman
gakugyō-jōju: education and passing examinations—for students and scholars
shōbai-hanjō: prosperity in business—success in business and matters of money
en-musubi: acquisition of a mate and marriage—available for singles and couples to ensure love and marriage
anzan: protection for pregnant women for a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery
kanai-anzen: safety (well-being) of one’s family, peace and prosperity in the household
Omamori is not opened because they can loose their protective benefits. They are carried on your person or tied to a backpack or purse, traditionally they are replaced once a year to ward off the bad luck of the previous year. Old charms are usually returned to the shrines they come from where they are disposed of properly, there they are usually burned as a sign of respect to the diety that help the person during the year.