Always place money in a gifted wallet or purse to ensure the recipient’s future financial prosperity.

Never Gift an Empty Wallet: A Wealth Luck Belief

Details

The custom of placing money—usually a small denomination such as a coin or note—into a purse or wallet before gifting it is a widespread superstition across many cultures. The gesture is believed to ‘seed’ the item with prosperity, encouraging future wealth to fill its compartments. Omitting the money risks symbolically giving away emptiness or poverty, potentially cursing the recipient with financial hardship. Some interpretations recommend using coins for continuity (as they do not expire), while others suggest a higher denomination to ‘set the bar’ for the recipient’s fortune. The money should remain untouched in the wallet for at least a day or two to allow its symbolic meaning to ‘take root.’ This belief is particularly prevalent during birthdays, weddings, graduations, or New Year celebrations where financial luck is a traditional aspiration.

Historical Context

The origin of this superstition is not singular but appears in various forms across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In many cultures, wallets, purses, or money pouches symbolized a household’s or individual’s wealth and economic outlook. Gifting an empty one was thus seen as an ominous sign, equating to gifting a life of lack. In Victorian England, it was customary to place coins into wallets gifted during Christmas. In parts of Asia, particularly during Lunar New Year, red envelopes with money (hongbao) are given to symbolize blessings of wealth and good fortune. Though these traditions vary, they share the underlying idea that the state of the gift (empty vs. filled) communicates the giver’s intentions about the recipient’s fate.

Modern Relevance

Today, the superstition remains prevalent in many regions including North America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. It is frequently circulated in etiquette guides, lifestyle blogs, and social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, especially around holiday seasons and graduation months. Modern gift sets sometimes include a dollar bill or coin with the wallet to avoid the ‘empty wallet curse.’ Financial advisors and online gifting shops occasionally reference this tradition to encourage more thoughtful or personalized gift-giving. The practice is often embraced more as a cultural or sentimental gesture than a strict belief—but many still avoid gifting empty wallets ‘just in case.’ It reflects a continuing cultural appreciation for symbolic affluence and the desire to ‘bless’ loved ones with practical and spiritual abundance.

Sources

Brunvand, Jan Harold. Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. ABC-CLIO, 2001.

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