Stamping (custom)
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Stamping is the act of licking one's thumb, pressing the wet thumb into the opposite palm, then striking the wet palm with the opposite fist.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Stamping is usually done in response to seeing a specific subject, such as a white horse or mule.[1][2][3][5] Stamping is thought to bring good luck, usually after a certain number of subjects have been stamped, typically one hundred.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Stamping may have originated as an imitation of the act of placing a postage stamp on a piece of mail.[6] It may also be related to the use of a wax seal, as some recorded versions of the superstition refer to stamping a subject as "sealing" the good luck.[2] The motion of striking the palm with a closed fist after it has been wet by the thumb is also suggestive of an exaggerated imitation of the action of using a seal.[2]