New Year Wishes – Wild Animals Represent Luck – and a Healthy Environment
- Written by Portal Editor
New Year Wishes - At the turn of the year, most people wish for happiness, health, and optimism. As symbols of this longing, chimney sweeps, horseshoes, and marzipan pigs adorn flower arrangements and New Year's doughnuts.
But native wild animals are also considered symbols of success, hope, and new beginnings. The German Wildlife Foundation presents five animal lucky charms – and explains why they are also true beacons of ecological hope.
New Year Wishes by Ladybugs – Spotted Beneficial Insects
The ladybug is probably the best-known symbol of good luck in Europe. Even in the Middle Ages, it was considered a "gift from the Virgin Mary" – farmers were delighted with the beetle because it protected their harvests from pests.
A single ladybug eats up to 150 aphids a day, making it a natural helper in the garden and field. Anyone who discovers a ladybug in the new year can rejoice: over a diligent beneficial insect – and perhaps a little bit of luck, too.
Crane – Indicator Species for Healthy Wetlands
When the trumpeting of cranes can be heard in spring, it is considered a sign of the end of winter and the beginning of a new cycle. In many cultures, especially in Asia, the crane symbolizes good fortune, wisdom, and a long life. A Japanese legend says that whoever folds 1,000 paper cranes will have a wish granted.
Cranes are very selective birds that depend on undisturbed, wet habitats. Therefore, the bogs, marshes, swamp forests, and wet meadows where they settle are in good condition.
New Year Wishes by Red Deer – Gardener of its Habitat
The king of the open countryside represents strength, grace, and renewal. The fact that the red deer sheds and regrows its antlers every year was understood early on as a symbol of the cycle of life and death. Thus, the deer became a symbol of fertility and good fortune.
Ecologically, the animal of the year 2026 shapes our landscape in a special way: In the forest, where it retreats from humans, it maintains small clearings where sun-loving herbs and grasses can grow – ideal living conditions for butterflies, wild bees, and wood ants. During their long migrations, young deer, in particular, carry seeds of various plants for many kilometres in their fur or excrete them in their droppings, thus ensuring their dispersal.
Butterfly – Important Pollinator
Butterflies are the symbol of new beginnings, hope, and freedom. A caterpillar transforms into a graceful butterfly through metamorphosis. In many cultures, especially in Asia, the butterfly is considered a symbol of a long life, success, and a happy partnership.
Ecologically, butterflies play a central role as pollinators: They flutter from flower to flower, sucking nectar through their proboscises. In doing so, they become covered in pollen, which they then transfer to the next flower as they land.
New Year Wishes by Owl – Guardian of the Forest
With its large eyes, silent flight, and nocturnal habits, the owl is often perceived as eerie. In ancient Greece, however, the owl, as the sacred animal of the goddess Athena, was a symbol of wisdom, intelligence, foresight, and also of protecting the city. In Japan, the owl still represents good luck and protection. It is considered a talisman for success in one's career and at school.
Beyond belief and mythology, the owl provides ecological benefits in our forests: As a skilled hunter, it regulates the populations of mice and other small mammals.
The German Wildlife Foundation wishes you a happy new year!
Jenifer Calvi / Press Officer
German Wildlife Foundation
Lucy-Borchardt-Straße 2
20457 Hamburg
Phone +49 40 970 78 69-14
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.DeutscheWildtierStiftung.de
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