The origin of the superstition is unknown, though it was recorded in Notes and Queries as being said by children in 1909:[1] My two daughters are in the habit of saying "Rabbits!"
Other children, I find, use the same formula.In response to this note another contributor said that his daughter believed that the outcome would be a present, and that the word must be spoken up the chimney to be most effective; another pointed out that the word rabbit was often used in expletives, and suggested that the superstition may be a survival of the ancient belief in swearing as a means of avoiding evil.
and discusses the tradition:[6] Trixie Belden awoke slowly, with the sound of a summer rain beating against her window.
She half-opened her eyes, stretched her arms above her head, and then, catching sight of a large sign tied to the foot of her bed, yelled out, "Rabbit!
Trixie laughed.In the United States, the tradition appears especially well known in northern New England[7][8][9] although, like all folklore, determining its exact area of distribution is difficult.
As with most folklore, which is traditionally spread by word of mouth, there are numerous variants of the superstition, sometimes specific to a certain time period or region.