Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Its seems to me, we don’t hear or mention them as much as we did.

I can’t recall my kids mention/warn of such things like :

Beware when picking a Dandelion you don’t get the white sap on you, If you do, You’ll wet the bed.

Or eating the Crust of bread makes your hair Curly.

And could it be, different parts of the Country have different Myths along with the Old Wives Tales.

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

The ones that come to mind are:

Saying "White Rabbit" on the first day of every month, it supposedly ensures good luck for that month.

Don't put new shoes on the table as it's bad luck.

An itchy right hand means you will come into some money.
An itch on your left hand means you'll lose money!

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Seem to recall something about it being unlucky to kill a fox on a Thursday.

Tempted as one might be to turn this into a religion based thread, think I might refrain (for a while anyway)

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

That’s why foxy never posts on a Thursday

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Maybe the 21c Conspiracy Theory killed it off.

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

My old Nan would never swear on a Sunday. It was ok the rest of the week.

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Not sure if this is an old wives tale or power of suggestion.
When I was about 10 yrs old, a friends mother noticed a large wart on my index finger. She wrapped a length of silk tread around the wart, muttered some language I didn't understand, and she told me to bury it near running water, and the wart would be gone in a fortnight. I did as she said, and so help me, the wart was gone in two weeks. True story.

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

My gran had a few, these are the only ones I can remember.


Never open an umbrella indoors, never hand over scissors without receiving a coin. For good luck a dark man had to be your first caller on New Years day

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Some from the list of Bubbe Meises that I remember hearing. A Bubbe Meises is a sorta old wives tale but usually based on an element of truth :-

# A nursing mother won't fall pregnant. (seemingly partially true)
# Tree moss prevents infection in wounds (Russian and partially true!)
# Willow bark tea cures headaches (Russian and true)

There's quite a few more, mostly of Russian origin, which for me is hardly surprising.

There are also LOTS of superstitions too. One my old grandfather was red hot on was about not wearing shoes or slippers or worst of all was going bare footed in the house. He maintained that because going round without shoes was part of mourning to do so if no one had died would result in mlakh fun toyt (the angel of death) to enter thinking it had missed one and finding none grab the first person it saw.

So many more too!

Re: Urban Myths and Old Wives Tales.

Talking of things partially true, my other Gran used to take an aspirin every morning, "In case I get a headache".

Of course now taking an aspirin daily is a recognized treatment for thinning the blood. She certainly lived into her 90s and was obviously well ahead of her time even if for entirely the wrong reason!