# Birthday Card Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 25, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747 "2013-11-25T12:59:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747/1 "2013-11-25T12:59:33Z")

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From time to time I receive a birthday card with a $2.00 bill inside. Is this some kind of “good luck” wish?

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**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747/2 "2013-11-25T15:20:35Z")

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I thought Americans figure their $2 bills are \*bad \*luck.

(I assumed you’re in the U.S. from your username.)

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**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747/3 "2013-11-25T15:29:30Z")

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I think $2 bills are considered good luck and bad luck by people who believe in luck. I go to the bank and get a wad of $2 bills before Christmas and use them to tip the newspaper delivery person, the garbage collectors and to give as small cash gifts. And, no, I don’t just tip or gift $2, I give multiple $2 bills.

Why? If I give someone $20 in $2 bills, they will likely remember it more than if I give $5 or $10 bills. In fact, they will remember it as long as they have the $2 bills, which may be as short as a day or as long as a few weeks. I think (though I have no proof) that giving the $2 bills has more memory value. The same applies to $1 coins, which just haven’t caught on, and won’t until/unless we stop making $1 bills.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747/4 "2013-11-25T15:49:56Z")

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I think of $2 bills as good luck. I’ve carried one I got as change for over a decade now.

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**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birthday-card-question/674747/5 "2013-11-25T16:04:18Z")

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I think it is kind of a cool thing to give someone. Most people seem to think they are rare or whatever. People tend to save them. It is a way for someone that knows that they are only worth $2.00 to give something that will be remembered a lot longer than say two singles or even a five.