Whether it is the white and gray circle with a black dot in the middle, the hand print or the red bracelets, students see these symbols around everywhere, but many do not know that these bracelets embrace more than just a fad.
The Evil Eye and Hamsa bracelets have recently become popular trends among students at CHS. For some students, the religious jewelry is a representation of their background, while for others it is just another fashion statement.
“I wear the evil eye because it looks cool as well as represents my Greek and Turkish heritage,” junior Rachel Trello said. “I began wearing the Evil Eye three or four years ago when my grandfather brought me a couple of bracelets back from Greece.”
According to Azer.com, an online magazine about the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Evil Eye is a form of protection against jealousy and maliciousness. To many people from the Middle East and Turkey, the eye is considered a beautiful gift, but it can turn against you if people wish bad luck upon you.
“I wear the [Evil Eye] because I believe in what it stands for,” junior Sydney Gold said. “It is pretty, [but] I also am superstitious and believe that it works.”
The Hamsa hand also serves as another form of protection.
According to symbols.net, an informational website, the five fingers of the human hand on the Hamsa protect whoever is wearing it, because it is a representation of God’s hand.
Although the Hamas’s purpose is to guard those from harm, many students just wear the bracelet because of its look.
Junior Natasha Lazerev says that she wears the Hamsa bracelet because of how stylish it looks.
“[I wear it] because I think it is cute,” Lazerev said. “They are original from the other jewelry you [see around].”
According to Ezinarticles.com, an online article database, Evil Eye bracelets and other religious bracelets have recently been in high demand, especially since more and more celebrities have began to wear the bracelets.
“Celebrities do have an impact on why kids wear [these bracelets],” Lazerev said. “They are trend setters for kids and kids follow what they do.”
Whether the jewelry is being worn for the spiritual value or simply for making a fashion statement, these bracelets will appear more and more.
