Want to know a secret?

“Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell. You are standing by a wishing well.”

Do you ever wonder about wishing wells?  How many lovers have stood beside one to toss in a coin?  Do you think more people wish for love or riches?

Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy is probably the most famous and one of the most beautiful, with the magnificent marble Neptune riding his sea horse drawn chariot. The Trevi Fountain was in the 1954 movie, Three Coins in a Fountain. Three roommates throw coins in the fountain wishing for the man of their dreams. But this isn’t what I was thinking of. We need to downsize a bit. Way down. A simple wishing well is what I was thinking of.

Cinderella has one in the Florida Magic Kingdom. It’s the happiest place on earth, why wouldn’t lovers want to make a wish in the Magic Kingdom?

Also Disneyland in California has Snow White’s wishing well. Lovers toss coins hoping to find their one true love.  “Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell. You are standing by a wishing well.” That tune came from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  If you’re a Beatles fan, then you already know it also inspired John Lennon to write his song, “Do you want to know a secret?”

All over the world, Spain, Turkey, Scotland, Paris, Israel, India, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and many more countries have wishing wells. It’s surprising just how many there are.  Some are simple and some are grand.  It seems people of all ages and all cultures want their wishes to come true.

Water is a source of life. In many countries it is scarce so some believe it is a gift from the gods. Water is also believed to have healing properties bringing many wishers in for health.

Some wishing wells require hand written wishes, fruit, flowers or coins. All were gifts to the gods. Although you might think tossing your coins in are gifts to the property owners making them a lot of money.

But this isn’t necessarily true. Maybe it was years ago. In Rome, Las Vegas and with most wishing wells and fountains, the money goes to charities. The Trevi Fountain itself makes so much, they close it down for an hour every day. The fountain makes over a million dollars a year and feeds needy folks all over the world.

Places in Vegas like New York New York donate to the Make a Wish Foundation, The Belagio donates to Habitats of Humanity and Disneyland donates to various children’s charities. Tossing coins and making a wish in Las Vegas not only gives you luck on the tables or slots to win lots of money, but you also support numerous charities.

Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Where there is great love, there are always wishes. — Willa Cather