Why does the chimney sweep bring luck?
The tradition is thought to originate from the 18th Century, when it is rumoured that an unknown chimney sweep grabbed the reins of a panicking horse saving the rider from a fatal accident. The sweep then disappeared into the crowd before he could be thanked. The grateful rider, being none other then the king himself, afterwards declared that all chimney sweeps should be treated with honour. The ‘luck’ of the monarch then became the sweeps’ talisman.
