Hats....hats for bats
Came across an interesting read at the library yesterday. Being that I've always been one to enjoy a compendium of information (used to read the dictionary and the World Books when I was younger), I saw this and immediately tweaked it off the shelf.
I don't really consider myself overly superstitious (Stevie Wonder not included), but there are elements of feng shui I've deliberately included in the house decor, and I have my share of habits and/or symbolic actions in daily life.
Some of that is just my somewhat-dormant OCD come to life, but it amounts to the same thing. Still, I have a love of all things nostalgic and/or folklore-ish, and maybe 95% of what's listed in the Encyclopedia is of that realm. But I thought I'd jot down a few of the things I hadn't heard before, things that intrigued or baffled or caught my eye.
Using live flowers on a theatrical stage is bad luck; artificial only.
It is bad luck to wear opals unless you were born in October. (Need to stop wearing my necklace, then.)
The word "goodbye" is derived from "God be with ye." (I knew about "zounds!" and "s'blood!" but always just assumed "fare-well" and "good-bye" were two sides to the same coin.)
Amethysts are named from the Greek 'amethystos' which means 'not drunken'...supposedly keeps you from becoming intoxicated. (Must see about opal exchange rate...)
Single men must not fold a handkerchief before putting it in a pocket, or they will remain lifelong bachelors. (Guess we know George Clooney doesn't use Kleenex.)
A baby should always be held upward or carried upstairs after birth to promote progress and success in their life...never take them downstairs first.
The Romans practiced divination by watching birds in flight. This was known as 'auspicy'...didn't know that's where the word 'auspicious' came from 'til now.
You should not sing while baking bread, and touching the face of a young boy with doughy hands means his beard won't grow.
If you get a fishbone stuck in your throat, pull on your big toe to dislodge it.
Never have the foot of your bed pointing directly at the door of the room; the similarities to a coffin, carried "feet first," are nothing but bad.
The reason you say "bread and butter" when briefly separating from the person you're walking with is because you can never unbutter bread once it's done; this ensures you will come back together.
The practice of wearing lipstick began as a means of protecting the mouth (using the symbolic closed circle of the paint) from evil spirits. Which is also why people cover their mouths when yawning....not for etiquette's sake, as you might assume.
Blow tobacco smoke into the ear of someone with an earache.
Use a different pen to write love letters than the one you use to pay bills and create other correspondence. (So in this day and age, does that mean you should have a separate keyboard?)
The placement of moles on the body, according to the Romani people, have corollary personality characteristics and/or predictive functions:
Eyes: Confident and serious
Ears: Destined to achieve wealth
Nose: Sensuous and lustful
Cheeks: Kind-hearted and friendly
Mouth: Passionate
Chin: Thoughtful and generous
Neck: Ultimate wealth
Shoulders: Keen on learning
Arms: Suspicious and cautious
Armpits: Ups and downs in life
Elbows: Talented but procrastinates
Wrists: Creative and entrepreneurial
Hands: Modest and successful
Fingers: Anxiety and stress
Back: Obstacles and setbacks
Buttocks: Laziness and lack of motivation
Chest: Amorous nature
Stomach: Egotistic and self-indulgent
Navel: Success in all undertakings
Genitals: Long-term, happy relationship
Hips: Responsible and faithful
Thighs: Hard work pays off
Knees: Caring and supportive
Legs: Lack of confidence
Ankles: Strength of character
Feet: Disappointment.
If a young man wants to win a girl's heart, he should prick an orange all over with a pin, then go to sleep with the orange held firmly in his armpit. The next day, he must offer the orange to the girl in question...if she accepts and eats it, she's his. (Just...wow.)
Planting and growing parsley will bring about pregnancy, but transplanting parsley will cause a death in the family.
Likewise, sage brings good luck but growing your own brings bad luck. (So I guess everybody grows some and gives it all away and hopes the circle brings it back around?)
Rum poured on the head can either prevent baldness or turn the hair curly. (I'm pretty sure that's not what happened to me, but maybe beer down the back of the pants has the same effect. Eh, Jason Bills?)
Well, well, well. Sailors would often touch their wives' genitals before leaving on a trip to ensure protection and a safe return. They called this "touching the bun." (I call it all kinds of awesome.)
If you suffer from chronic headaches, call upon Saint Stephen, who by virtue of being stoned to death understands your pain.
Whistling on board a boat brings storms.
It's good luck to pick up a snail by the horns and toss it over your left shoulder. (For you, not the snail. He'll probably land on the pinch of salt you threw last time.)
Eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Years' Eve ensures twelve prosperous and healthy months ahead.
And finally, it's bad luck to start making a garment or item of clothing and not finish it before year's end.
So put down your needle, pick up your champagne, watch out for the broken mirrors, and have a wonderful start to 2010!
I don't really consider myself overly superstitious (Stevie Wonder not included), but there are elements of feng shui I've deliberately included in the house decor, and I have my share of habits and/or symbolic actions in daily life.Some of that is just my somewhat-dormant OCD come to life, but it amounts to the same thing. Still, I have a love of all things nostalgic and/or folklore-ish, and maybe 95% of what's listed in the Encyclopedia is of that realm. But I thought I'd jot down a few of the things I hadn't heard before, things that intrigued or baffled or caught my eye.
Using live flowers on a theatrical stage is bad luck; artificial only.
It is bad luck to wear opals unless you were born in October. (Need to stop wearing my necklace, then.)
The word "goodbye" is derived from "God be with ye." (I knew about "zounds!" and "s'blood!" but always just assumed "fare-well" and "good-bye" were two sides to the same coin.)
Amethysts are named from the Greek 'amethystos' which means 'not drunken'...supposedly keeps you from becoming intoxicated. (Must see about opal exchange rate...)
Single men must not fold a handkerchief before putting it in a pocket, or they will remain lifelong bachelors. (Guess we know George Clooney doesn't use Kleenex.)
A baby should always be held upward or carried upstairs after birth to promote progress and success in their life...never take them downstairs first.The Romans practiced divination by watching birds in flight. This was known as 'auspicy'...didn't know that's where the word 'auspicious' came from 'til now.
You should not sing while baking bread, and touching the face of a young boy with doughy hands means his beard won't grow.
If you get a fishbone stuck in your throat, pull on your big toe to dislodge it.
Never have the foot of your bed pointing directly at the door of the room; the similarities to a coffin, carried "feet first," are nothing but bad.
The reason you say "bread and butter" when briefly separating from the person you're walking with is because you can never unbutter bread once it's done; this ensures you will come back together.
The practice of wearing lipstick began as a means of protecting the mouth (using the symbolic closed circle of the paint) from evil spirits. Which is also why people cover their mouths when yawning....not for etiquette's sake, as you might assume.
Blow tobacco smoke into the ear of someone with an earache.
Use a different pen to write love letters than the one you use to pay bills and create other correspondence. (So in this day and age, does that mean you should have a separate keyboard?)
The placement of moles on the body, according to the Romani people, have corollary personality characteristics and/or predictive functions:
Eyes: Confident and serious
Ears: Destined to achieve wealth
Nose: Sensuous and lustful
Cheeks: Kind-hearted and friendly
Mouth: Passionate
Chin: Thoughtful and generous
Neck: Ultimate wealth
Shoulders: Keen on learning
Arms: Suspicious and cautious
Armpits: Ups and downs in life
Elbows: Talented but procrastinates
Wrists: Creative and entrepreneurial
Hands: Modest and successful
Fingers: Anxiety and stress
Back: Obstacles and setbacks
Buttocks: Laziness and lack of motivation
Chest: Amorous nature
Stomach: Egotistic and self-indulgent
Navel: Success in all undertakings
Genitals: Long-term, happy relationship
Hips: Responsible and faithful
Thighs: Hard work pays off
Knees: Caring and supportive
Legs: Lack of confidence
Ankles: Strength of character
Feet: Disappointment.
If a young man wants to win a girl's heart, he should prick an orange all over with a pin, then go to sleep with the orange held firmly in his armpit. The next day, he must offer the orange to the girl in question...if she accepts and eats it, she's his. (Just...wow.)
Planting and growing parsley will bring about pregnancy, but transplanting parsley will cause a death in the family.
Likewise, sage brings good luck but growing your own brings bad luck. (So I guess everybody grows some and gives it all away and hopes the circle brings it back around?)
Rum poured on the head can either prevent baldness or turn the hair curly. (I'm pretty sure that's not what happened to me, but maybe beer down the back of the pants has the same effect. Eh, Jason Bills?)
Well, well, well. Sailors would often touch their wives' genitals before leaving on a trip to ensure protection and a safe return. They called this "touching the bun." (I call it all kinds of awesome.)
If you suffer from chronic headaches, call upon Saint Stephen, who by virtue of being stoned to death understands your pain.
Whistling on board a boat brings storms.
It's good luck to pick up a snail by the horns and toss it over your left shoulder. (For you, not the snail. He'll probably land on the pinch of salt you threw last time.)
Eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Years' Eve ensures twelve prosperous and healthy months ahead.
And finally, it's bad luck to start making a garment or item of clothing and not finish it before year's end.
So put down your needle, pick up your champagne, watch out for the broken mirrors, and have a wonderful start to 2010!
Comments
I wish I'd had me some grapes last night. And I'm glad I don't have any sewing project mid-stitch.
I had to wonder, upon reading the origin of 'goodbye' how many heathens out there will eventually push to have it stricken from our language, as a separation of God from our culture :)
'Touching the bun'. Love it. I wonder if we still call our ass cheeks 'buns', from a misguided understanding of what those sailors were laying hold of....
And no he's not, because it's one of my all-time favorite stories to tell. That, and the time I was wearing the same belt and sitting next to one of my producers during a team meeting. He stopped in mid-sentence, sniffed and went, "Do you smell beer?" LOL!