[Mr Jamie]

Originally Posted by marianne237

My mother had this "thing" about giving a gift that had a sharp edge (ie: scissors, knife) without receiving a piece of silver (nickel, quarter) first from the recepient.

I remember reading somewhere that this goes way back in German myth, but don't remember the story. And to this day, I do the same.

Also, Mom and Grandma prayed extra prayers for lost souls on All Souls Day...and I do the same too. Guess these superstitions/whatevers do stick with us all our lives.

My Grandparents also had the superstition about a "sharp" gift ... I believe the reason being "... you do not want to "cut" the friendship" ...so by paying a small token amount, it is not a gift, it is a transaction.

[redwitch]

Knowing my parents and their backgrounds, I'm sure they had a few but I'll be danged if I can remember any of them.

[LI SNOWBIRD]

Originally Posted by tomwed

I just thought of another one. Whenever I got a new car [even if it was used] my mom would throw a couple of coins on the carpet on the passenger's side. I don't know why.

I do the same as I learned it from my parents. Only I add my own saying, " May this car carry you safely to every destination and never see the inside of a repair station'

[pivo]

As a kid at easter, after having the basket blessed filled with all home made perogees, sausage, breads, etc, it would be put on the table lite two candles each end blow the candles out, open the windows, doors and wherever the smoke went out their were certain things we could,.'t eat from the basket.

[TheVillageChicken]

Originally Posted by pivo

As a kid at easter, after having the basket blessed filled with all home made perogees, sausage, breads, etc, it would be put on the table lite two candles each end blow the candles out, open the windows, doors and wherever the smoke went out their were certain things we could,.'t eat from the basket.

No superstition about naming a kid, "Beer"?


We will be celebrating Wigilia this year with pierogi and mushroom soup...no herring...the children and grands don't have a Polish palate that extends beyond pierogi and kielbasa.

[TheVillageChicken]

When passing the salt, we had to place it on the table...no hand-to-hand.

[pivo]

villagechicken you got that right that's part of my last name, the full name means beermaker

[bkcunningham1]

My mom grew up dirt poor. She was the daughter of a sharecropper in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. As an adult looking back, I know she tried desperately to fit in and not be what she considered an embarrassment because of her impoverished upbringing and lack of education. I can remember one of my sisters talking about her new mother-in-law's superstitions. It fascinated me then and still does to this day. My mom poo-pooed the ideas and would not allow us to even entertain any of this "nonsense."

So learning and trying to understand superstitions is one of my guilty pleasures. My sister said her mother-in-law insisted that you exit through the same door in which you entered. Otherwise, it was bad luck. She would never allow you to rock an empty rocking chair because it was a sign of death. She wouldn't let you put a hat on a bed either. No opening umbrellas inside the house for fear of bad luck and no walking under ladders.

A cricket in the house brings good luck and you should never kill it nor make it leave the house. Death comes in threes. A cat can suck the breath from a newborn baby. Jars won't seal when you are canning if it is, ummm, excuse me here, your time of month.

My dad wrote the day's actual weather on a calendar everyday of his life. One year he counted the number of fogs we had in August to determine if it was true that the number of fogs would be the number of snows we had that winter. It worked. My mom would have nothing to do with his fog count.

I could go on and on with the beautiful superstitions handed down from generation to generation. It intrigues me. I've loved reading this thread. Thanks everyone.

[Villages PL]

I had an aunt who believed that if you talked at length about a dead relative it would make them restless. So you had to stop and say, "God rest his/her soul."

There was a talk show host who believed the same. After talking about his dead relative he would say, "God rest her soul."

See, you just have to know how to do it. First you agitate them and then you put them back at rest.

[jblum315]

I must have agitated dozens of dead relatives in my time, and never knew to put them to rest. Well, Ill do it now,
"God rest their souls, all of them"

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by jblum315

I must have agitated dozens of dead relatives in my time, and never knew to put them to rest. Well, Ill do it now,
"God rest their souls, all of them"

When someone brings this up I always think of Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof. That was one agitated chick.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

My mom grew up dirt poor. She was the daughter of a sharecropper in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. As an adult looking back, I know she tried desperately to fit in and not be what she considered an embarrassment because of her impoverished upbringing and lack of education. I can remember one of my sisters talking about her new mother-in-law's superstitions. It fascinated me then and still does to this day. My mom poo-pooed the ideas and would not allow us to even entertain any of this "nonsense."

So learning and trying to understand superstitions is one of my guilty pleasures. My sister said her mother-in-law insisted that you exit through the same door in which you entered. Otherwise, it was bad luck. She would never allow you to rock an empty rocking chair because it was a sign of death. She wouldn't let you put a hat on a bed either. No opening umbrellas inside the house for fear of bad luck and no walking under ladders.

A cricket in the house brings good luck and you should never kill it nor make it leave the house. Death comes in threes. A cat can suck the breath from a newborn baby. Jars won't seal when you are canning if it is, ummm, excuse me here, your time of month.

My dad wrote the day's actual weather on a calendar everyday of his life. One year he counted the number of fogs we had in August to determine if it was true that the number of fogs would be the number of snows we had that winter. It worked. My mom would have nothing to do with his fog count.

I could go on and on with the beautiful superstitions handed down from generation to generation. It intrigues me. I've loved reading this thread. Thanks everyone.

Yes, death in threes came up at every funeral.
And no cats while we had babies in the house.
wow,,,i forgot those

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Pointer

LOL too funny, i've heard of the Onions on the bottom of the feet, you were lucky I know some had to endure a cold bath or enema. I had the fortune of responding to ST Josephs aspirin.

There's usually something to the The old remedies. My great grandfather would plant potatoes at night in the light of a full moon. I remember having to wait an hour after eating before I could go swimming. My mother remembered having to wear wool tights until a certain date no matter what the temperature to avoid getting sick.

I hate the newer cyber superstition that if you don't forward something you will have bad luck, not get the money thats coming your way or miss out on some blessing.

That's not new; that's just the online version of a chain letter. Chain letters were more fun when they went through the mail.

My husband's grandmother pitched a fit when we set the time of our wedding at 11:00. You had to have the hands of the clock going toward 12, not down from, or it was bad luck for your marriage. Fortunately the pastor set the time, and 11 it was. 44 years ago, so I think we're doing okay.

[Halibut]

My grandmother was from Sicily and she truly, truly believed that a woman there had given her the evil eye and caused a miscarriage. She would never praise a child publicly because compliments draw the attention of the evil eye.

I have been known on occasion to make the sign against the evil eye behind someone's back.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Halibut

My grandmother was from Sicily and she truly, truly believed that a woman there had given her the evil eye and caused a miscarriage. She would never praise a child publicly because compliments draw the attention of the evil eye.

I have been known on occasion to make the sign against the evil eye behind someone's back.

You could share it with us. You never know when you need these things. I love The Villages. You learn all kinds of new stuff.