A collection of 'Olde Wife's Tales' found on the interweb...
I find these fascinating and often wonder about their origins!
my PA German side of the family has a few of these that have been passed along & down the family,
...do you know of any others??
- Superstitions About Scissors -
You will "cut off'" your fortune if you use scissors on New Year's Day.
Scissors should be put away during thunderstorms
...to decrease the likelihood that the house will be struck by lightning.
Placing a pair of scissors under the pillow of a woman in labor will
‘cut her pain in half’....
As with childbirth, placing a pair of scissors underneath the pillow of anyone in pain will halve their discomfort, making it more bearable.
Breaking both blades is a sign of an impending disaster.
Giving a pair of scissors as a gift
will cause problems in a friendship by cutting the relationship in half.
When giving scissors as a gift,
the receiver should always give a little money in return,
since ‘buying’ the scissors will not cause the friendship to be cut.
Scissors should always be sold, they should never be given.
A pair of scissors nailed above a door in the ‘open’ position,
so they resemble a cross to some extent, was said to protect a household from dark witchcraft and evil influences.
Dropping a pair of scissors is said to warn that a lover is unfaithful.
Breaking one blade of a pair of scissors
is an omen of quarreling and discord;
...if both blades are broken at once; a calamity is to be feared.
On Wednesday and Friday,
...no should use a needle or scissors, bake bread or sow flax.
You will "cut off'" your fortune if you use scissors on New Year's Day.
Scissors should be put away during thunderstorms
...to decrease the likelihood that the house will be struck by lightning.
Placing a pair of scissors under the pillow of a woman in labor will
‘cut her pain in half’....
As with childbirth, placing a pair of scissors underneath the pillow of anyone in pain will halve their discomfort, making it more bearable.
Breaking both blades is a sign of an impending disaster.
Giving a pair of scissors as a gift
will cause problems in a friendship by cutting the relationship in half.
When giving scissors as a gift,
the receiver should always give a little money in return,
since ‘buying’ the scissors will not cause the friendship to be cut.
Scissors should always be sold, they should never be given.
A pair of scissors nailed above a door in the ‘open’ position,
so they resemble a cross to some extent, was said to protect a household from dark witchcraft and evil influences.
Dropping a pair of scissors is said to warn that a lover is unfaithful.
Breaking one blade of a pair of scissors
is an omen of quarreling and discord;
...if both blades are broken at once; a calamity is to be feared.
On Wednesday and Friday,
...no should use a needle or scissors, bake bread or sow flax.
- Superstitions about Needles,Pins & Thread -
See a pin and let it lie, ...sure to rue it by and by.
Never lend a pin to a friend lest it prick the friendship.
A bent or crooked pin is thrown into a wishing well for good luck.
Dropping a needle was good luck unless it sticks upright in the floor, then company was expected.
Remove a needle or pin from the packet
and prick the recipient before giving it to them.
If you break a needle while sewing a dress you will live to wear that dress out. If you prick you finger with a needle depending on the hand and finger it means something different.
Hand: Right – Work, Left – Heart
Thumb: Happiness
Index Finger: Trouble
Middle Finger: Love
Ring Finger: Letter
Pinky: Farewell
See a pin and let it lie, ...sure to rue it by and by.
Never lend a pin to a friend lest it prick the friendship.
A bent or crooked pin is thrown into a wishing well for good luck.
Dropping a needle was good luck unless it sticks upright in the floor, then company was expected.
Remove a needle or pin from the packet
and prick the recipient before giving it to them.
If you break a needle while sewing a dress you will live to wear that dress out. If you prick you finger with a needle depending on the hand and finger it means something different.
Hand: Right – Work, Left – Heart
Thumb: Happiness
Index Finger: Trouble
Middle Finger: Love
Ring Finger: Letter
Pinky: Farewell
- Sewing/stitching in General -
Single girls who sew a single piece of hair into a wedding dress in couture, will get married within the next year. A bride can sew a swan’s feather into her husband’s pillow to ensure fidelity. If you make a quilt, finish it, or you’ll never get married.
Never sew on Sunday because you will have to rip out all of those stitches when you get to heaven. There is harm in sewing on Sunday if you do not use a thimble.
It is bad luck to sew clothing while some one is wearing it unless the person in the clothes holds a thread in their mouth.
Always sew a pillow case on New Years Eve to hold all of your troubles.
When you are sewing and your thread knots and tangles,
someone is talking about you.
A knotted thread means an argument is coming.
A tangled thread on a needle during mending gives health and prosperity to the owner.
Single girls who sew a single piece of hair into a wedding dress in couture, will get married within the next year. A bride can sew a swan’s feather into her husband’s pillow to ensure fidelity. If you make a quilt, finish it, or you’ll never get married.
Never sew on Sunday because you will have to rip out all of those stitches when you get to heaven. There is harm in sewing on Sunday if you do not use a thimble.
It is bad luck to sew clothing while some one is wearing it unless the person in the clothes holds a thread in their mouth.
Always sew a pillow case on New Years Eve to hold all of your troubles.
When you are sewing and your thread knots and tangles,
someone is talking about you.
A knotted thread means an argument is coming.
A tangled thread on a needle during mending gives health and prosperity to the owner.
Blessings from the Farm
~
Lori
8 comments:
Hi Lori,
I grew up hearing a number of these tales or variations of them. Putting scissors or a knife under the pillow or mattress during labor was meant to cut the pain and is still spoken of even today. Thread knotting during quilting meant the quilt would go to newly-weds. A bent needle in a wishing well will direct good luck back to the person that bent it. I love hearing these things. And breaking scissors could bring about all sorts of calamities. Sewing was such a huge part of everyday life back then I think some of the warnings were to make us understated how important these needful sewing notions were and it certainly made for some interesting conversations and thoughts while one was stitching. Thank you so much for sharing.
These are wonderful, Lori! I have one...but it's only sort of related to sewing. My mother used to call those small, colorful dragonflies "Sewing Needles," saying that, if someone said something unkind, the "Sewing Needles" would sew up their mouth! She did say it chuckling, so we knew it was just a tale...:)
Needle-less to say :) we were made very aware not to say unkind words...
This was great !!!
Enjoyed reading your 'stitchy superstitions'
Here's one I grew up with--
"Don't sew on Sunday or you will have to pick it all out with your nose."
What a hoot. Never knew about these superstitions. But think I might put a pair of open scissors over my door as ....if I remember... that will keep pain at bay.
OOOPS..... no that is to keep witchcraft out, but I'll do that too. But guess the scissors under my pillow might reduce my arthritis pain. Uh, yeah, right.
My grandma always said no sewing on Sunday because if you do, you'll have to rip every stitch out with your nose....She never stitched on Sundays! Love all those old superstitions! My grandma was from Alabama...she had a book full of them!
Fun post! Have a great day creating
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