You’ve heard of the luck of the Irish, but what about the luck of the Welsh? Could that be a thing?
We all know that if you live in Wales, you’re blessed. After all, it’s one of the most picturesque places in the world with some of the finest folk. But did you know that Welsh people are officially some of the jammiest in the United Kingdom?
That’s right. The stats show that people from Wales have been unbelievably auspicious when it comes to lottery winnings. There’s a chance that this has something to do with people here believing that they are lucky.
Many Lottery Winners from Wales
The National Lottery has been going in the UK since 1994, and has made 389 people from Wales millionaires in that time. According to a recent report, there are winners hotspots in the country that boast high numbers of fortunate prize claimers.
It seems like the good fortune over here is on the rise as well, with 58 millionaires named over the last three years. Now, this could all be completely random, of course. But could there be some sort of supernatural force at play that’s giving Welsh people a high chance of success?
Is Luck Real?
Even though it can’t be seen or quantified, people from cultures all over the world believe in luck. There are also those who fall into the other camp and think that they are unlucky. Indeed, there are even debates online about who is the unluckiest person in the world. Some would say it’s Bruno Venturi, the man who famously won £650,000 on a slot game only for the online casino to refuse to pay out. Others might mention James Howells, the IT expert who lost a hard drive that was holding 7,500 Bitcoin.
Some psychologists have researched the concept of luck, with Richard Wiseman’s The Luck Factor one of the best books on the subject. The 57-year-old professor performed various studies on people who believed they were lucky or unlucky, and discovered many commonalities between those who belonged to each group.
Wiseman concluded that people who simply believed that they were lucky were more likely to experience the phenomenon of luck, and vice versa. Derren Brown was influenced by Wiseman’s work and decided to do his own similar experiment in Derren Brown – The Experiments – The Secret of Luck. He embedded a story about a supposedly lucky dog statue in a small UK village and watched as the people of the town started to believe in the myth. It’s well worth a watch as it culminates in a fascinating finale.
You may not have considered this before, but there could be an aspect of Welsh culture that leads people to believe they are lucky. This attitude can then result in them taking opportunities that could put them in a position to get lucky – such as remembering to pick up a lottery ticket. As if you needed another reason to be grateful you’re from Wales…