Current superstitions : $b collected from the oral tradition of English speaking folk
General
Current superstitions : $b collected from the oral tradition of English speaking folk
Folklore -- England; Folklore -- United States
1405. If you wash your face in dew before sunrise on May Day, you will
become very beautiful.
_Alabama._
1406. Dry spots, where there is no dew, are called "fairy rings."
_Salem, Mass._
1407. Run round a fairy ring twice on Easter Sunday morning, and fairies
will arise and follow you.
_Salem, Mass._
1408. The looking-glass is often turned with the face to the wall, or
taken out of the room during a thunder-storm, because "quick-silver is so
bad to draw the lightning."
_Bathurst, N.B._
1409. You are said to "take the manners" if you take the last of any kind
of food from a plate.
_New England._
1410. "Manners dish" is the dish put on for show, and not expected to be
eaten.
_Northern Ohio._
1411. Homoeopathic pills must be taken in odd numbers.
_New England._
1412. When a meteor is seen, Catholics often say, "A soul is ascending
into heaven."
1413. A present of a knife or any pointed instrument cuts friendship;
always sell it for a penny.
1414. A present of pins breaks friendship.
_General in the United States._
1415. There was a superstition among old people who had never been much
abroad, in the town where I was born (Stratham, N.H.), that if they were
photographed they were likely to die soon after, and many rather objected
on that account.
_Stratham, N.H._
1416. After sneezing, it is customary to say, "God bless you."
_General in the United States._
1417. A bit of steel, such as a needle, protects one from witches.
_Brookline, Mass._
1418. A thief may be detected by a key turning in the Bible to Psalm i.
18-21, when the name of the guilty person is mentioned.
_Labrador._
DAYS.
1419. What you do on your birthday, you will do all the year.
_Salem, Mass._
1420. On cutting the finger-nails:--
Cut them on Monday, cut them for news,
Cut them on Tuesday, a pair of new shoes,
Cut them on Wednesday, cut them for health,
Cut them on Thursday, cut them for wealth,
Cut them on Friday, cut them for sorrow,
Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow,
Cut them on Sunday, cut them for evil,
All the whole week you'll be ruled by the devil.
_Baldwinsville, N.Y._
1421. If you wear a garment for the first time on Saturday, you will have
another one before it is worn out.
_Bedford, Mass._
1422. Study on Sunday, forget it through the week.
_Nashua, N.H._
1423. If, of your own accord, you leave home for Sunday visiting, you
will be forced to leave for two Sundays following.
_Labrador._
1424. Get a letter on Monday, and you'll get six during that week.
_New York, N.Y._
1425. If you break anything on Monday, you will break something every day
in the week.
_Somerville, Mass._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account