Family traditions and superstitions

I've started this because I didn't want to hijack the Electrical Appliances thread, but there's some mention there on 'old' coins, which set me thinking about those (and other things) I've got or inherited ... and why.

I've a small bag full of Victorian silver sixpences, inherited from my Gran. A very superstitious lady my Gran, but she believed that every child should receive one of these coins when they were born and another when they were baptised - no doubt something to do with 'all the while you've got 6d you've got something'.

Anyhow, her superstition went further, whenever anyone 'came of age' and there were the inevitable celebrations, the coin given at birth was put into one of the empty 'bottles' opened for the occasion (a sort of early moneybox I guess). This of course meant that there were a number of these things hanging around and getting in the way so, it became the tradition to insert the coin into the cork instead.

The second coin, that given at baptism, was not (as appears traditional) worn in the shoe of the bride on her wedding day, but again inserted into a cork - by 1948 when my parents married, this had become a champagne cork.

Daft it may be, but I have now collected a number of these corks, those from my Mother's birth and wedding, those from my own and yes - those of my daughter's too - with enough coins left to ensure 'good luck' to any grandchildren.

Any other family traditions quite as strange as ours?

 

I think family traditions are brilliant and not daft at all!! People don't bother with such things these days, half the time they don't even bother to get married!! My Mum was very superstitious and as I decided from an early age that it was all rubbish it caused quite a few upsets. The BAD things included dropping salt, spinning knives, new shoes on the table, opening umbrellas indoors, never give scissors as a present the list is endless and God help you if you broke a mirror!!!

Val

 

Every Easter my mother insists on hanging a hot cross bun inside the kitchen cupboard and leaving it there all year before replacing it with another identical item the following year. I have no idea why and I don't think she has either. But she daren't stop this bizarre practice for fear that something terrible will happen.

 

There's an old family tradition in my wife's family amongst the women.
"It's bad luck to offer to pay for anything."

 

My great aunt was once told that it was good luck if you accidently put your underwear on inside out. She did it on purpose every morning thereafter. She never married...

 

Are you sure we didn't share the same Mother, Gemini? :hehe:

Any blades given as presents when my Mother was around, had to be 'paid' for by the handing over of a silver coin in exchange. Stirring with a knife was also a big no-no, as was anything green. Bedroom curtains were always closed with the left hand curtain crossing in front of the right, whilst the downstairs ones were crossed right over left and, (I have it on good authority), that until the day I left home, my Mother would creep into my room every night after I was asleep to ensure not a single chink of light was visible between the closed curtains as 'something dreadful' would happen if moonlight touched your face.

Naturally, my daughters thought all this was hilarious, although I notice all 3 of them to say good morning to a magpie ... but of course that doesn't count!

 

If your shoes squeak when you walk...............means they hav'nt been paid for!!!! :cnfs:

 

My Wife does this Greeting to a Magpie if there is only one. " Good morning Mr Magpie where is your lady Friend " . music .

 

My mother was superstitious, but not as bad as your mum, Fidgetsmum. She wouldn't allow peacock feathers in the house, threw a pinch of salt over her left shoulder if she spilt any and, if she dropped a glove, one of us had to pick it up (hats and gloves were worn more often then). She wouldn't walk under a ladder and we couldn't open umbrellas indoors either. I'm not superstitious at all and would happily do all the above should the occasion arise.

 

The only superstition my mother had was "Don't put new shoes on a table."

If you bought any and brought them home in a bag.

 

Our birthdays were big occasions.
We never had a birthday cake but a cloutie dumpling was made - I suppose it was a days work to make that on a stove.
A silver 6d bit (I thnk that's about 2 1/2 p) was cooked in the dumpling.
No end of good fortune befell the person who found that coin in their slice of the dumpling. It warranted a big celebration - more so than the birthday.

 

Hi Doghouse, I remember this saying from my Mother "Dont Put Shoes On The Table "
it will Cause A Fight :D. as this was many years ago when 6 people lived in a 2 bedroom house, i can understand how it could cause a fight :flag:.
music .