Since the late 1800s, it has been considered lucky to bow, greet, and tip one’s hat when passing a chimney sweep in the street. One wedding custom from the British Isles was to have a sweep stand outside after the ceremony and kiss the bride and shake hands with the groom to bring good fortune to the marriage The chimney sweep's association with luck was said to have stemmed from an incident in the 1700s when King George III was rescued by a chimney sweep from a runaway horse. One old European superstition is to rub your button and make a wish when you see a chimney sweep in the distance, another is to touch their sooty sleeve if they pass close by for good luck.
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