What Does a Rooster Symbolize in a Kitchen?

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If you’ve spotted various rooster ornaments and images in people’s kitchens, you’re probably wondering, “what does a rooster symbolize in the kitchen?”

If you’re interested in feng shui or the meaning and symbolism behind different objects and images around the home, as I am, I think you’ll find this article interesting!

The rooster has been a symbol for many different things across various cultures for thousands of years.

According to these cultures and various folklores, putting a rooster in your kitchen can do a lot more for you than just adding an impressive looking ornament.

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What Is the Symbolic Meaning of a Rooster in a Kitchen?

As legend has it, if a rooster would come into your kitchen it would bring you good luck and good fortune.

Not everyone has the opportunity to allow a rooster to walk into their kitchen nowadays. In fact, I would say very few people do!

Which is why people originally started placing ornaments or pictures of roosters on their walls.

It’s fair to say that most people are probably aware of this history and the connection between a rooster and good fortune today.

Most people use rooster images and figures because they look stylish and fit in with kitchen decor. As well as either being subconsciously or consciously aware that they’ve seen roosters in other kitchens and liked the look.

So, there are two reasons to have a rooster in your kitchen; one is to bring you luck, wealth, and good fortune. The other is because they make for a stylish piece of kitchen decor.

If you’re looking for rooster item ideas for your kitchen, here are some relevant products available on Amazon:

Which Way Should a Rooster Face?

I’m a believer in Feng Shui. Feng shui is of Chinese origin and is the practice of arranging items in the home to work with the environment and strike a balance with the natural world.

If you’re new to feng shui and that sounds a little too much, my advice is not to pass judgment until you try it. You have nothing to lose, and there’s a lot of benefits to living in an orderly environment.

The rooster has a strong presence in Chinese culture and feng shui. It’s believed to bring luck, as I discussed above, and also able to keep negative energy away.

According to feng shui best practices, you should face your rooster towards the main doorway leading into your kitchen or any other room you wish to place it.

This way, it’s able to “peck away” at negative energy trying to enter the home. While allowing good fortune to enter into your life, of course.

It’s also important that you only have one in the home to avoid conflict. As well as not placing it facing the bathroom or in a cluttered area.

Related - A look at the superstitions behind roosters crowing at night.

Year of the Rooster Meaning

The rooster is so important in Chinese culture that it’s one of the twelve zodiac animals.

This is where the meaning of being able to ward off negative energy and evil spirits comes from. Legend has it that the rooster, along with a dog and monkey helped god defeat evil spirits.

I just wanted to add this as I thought it was an interesting bit of information to back up some of the other beliefs surrounding roosters.

The Legend of the Portuguese Rooster

Another iconic rooster I’ve seen in various kitchens over the years is the Portuguese rooster (see image above).

This is basically a national symbol, and you can’t help but see all kinds of ornaments with these colors and designs in gift shops and the like in Portugal.

Legend has it that back in the 15th century a man was set to be hanged in the city of Barcelos. He said he was innocent of the crimes he was being hung for and pointed to a cooked rooster on the table, claiming it would crow when he was hung to prove it.

Just before he was about to be hanged the rooster (cooked and prepared to be eaten) stood and crowed - just as the man had claimed it would.

Quite the story, right? There is a statue in the Archeological Museum of Barcelos representing this story, it’s an important story to the history of the city.

The Meaning of Rooster Weathervanes

Another interesting common rooster symbol that you may have seen in the kitchen or around the home is the weathervane.

You will have almost certainly seen one on top of a church. This is because, in the 9th century Pope Nicholas passed a decree that all churches must display the rooster.

He did this because according to the bible, after the last supper Peter would deny Jesus three times before the “rooster crowed”.

This is why Christians started to associate the rooster as the symbol of St. Peter. Putting them atop of churches became law, and at some point barns and other farmyard buildings started to have them too.

It makes sense from a practical standpoint. Knowing the direction of the wind is important to some farmers, and displaying a rooster is about as iconic a farmyard animal as it gets.

Hence, why smaller weathervane ornaments and pictures have made their way into the modern-day kitchen.

In Summary

I hope you found this article as fun and as interesting as I did writing it!

Now you know; whether you believe in the power of the rooster to bring you luck, good fortune, and wealth, or simply use one for decor - it’s a win-win.

Here’s to good wealth and fortune all round! I have my golden rooster next to my skelter pointing towards the door, how about you?