When I was a child，my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that，if I wanted something，I should save money to buy it.We associate piggy banks with children，but in many countries，the little containers are also popular with adults.Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth.Around the world，many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year's Day brings good luck and financial success.Ah，yes，but you have to put something in it.

　　Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving？Why not an elephant bank，which is bigger and holds more coins？In the Middle Ages，before modern banking and credit instruments，people saved money at home，a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish.Potters (制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange­coloured clay(黏土) called “pygg”， and folks saved coins in pygg jars.The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”．While the Saxons pronounced pygg，referring to the clay，as “pug”，eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation，sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy.As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal，a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig，delighting children and adults.The piggy bank was born.

　　Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money，bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings.While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving，adults often need to relearn childhood lessons.Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money—college education，weddings，cars，medical care，starting a business，buying a home，and fun stuff like great trips.So when you have money，take off the top 10%，put it aside，save and invest wisely.

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