Superstitions About Children.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2000, 2 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

Superstitions About Children.

A sui'KiibTinoN used to exint that a child which did not cry when sprinkled in baptism would not live long. In the west of Scotland, according to James Napier, it was considered unlucky to name a child by any name before the rite of baptism was performed. When children seemed prematurely smart it was believed they would not live long. Shakspeare puts this superstition into the m^uth of Richard 111. Bulwer mentions tho tradition concerning ohildren born opened handed, that they will ba liberal and big hearted. A character in one of Dekker's plays says ; "lam a most wretohed fellow; surely some left-handed priest christened me, lam so unlucky." Acoording to Irish and Scotch fairy superstitions, the elves, though in the main harmless, have tbe bad reputation of stealing obildren from the cradle and substituting for them changelings who bear resemblance to the stolen infants, but are ugly little creatures and never thrive. On such a th°ft of a female infant, who is carried to fairyland, but in the course of years returns to her parents, James Ho^g founded hia fine ballad of " Kilraeny" (Queen's Wake.) In some parts of Saotland it is a popular notion among tbe lower olasses that when a child is for the first time taken into the open, the bearer of it should give something to eat to the first person met, otherwise the child will be unlucky. The gift is called " the bairn's piece." When a child was taken from its mother, and carried outside the bedroom for the first time after its hirth, it was lucky to take it upstairs, and unlucky to take it down stairs. It was not considered lucky to carry a baby into a neighbor's houso until the mother took it herself ; and this was unlucky for her to do until she had been to church. It was considered unluoky for children to walk backwards while going on an errand. It was deemed unlucky to measure a baby ; and if its nails were cut before a year old, it would turn out a thief ; it was unluoky for a boy to wear trousers made on a Friday, and to sweep dust over the feet of the girls would prevent them getting husbands. In Hindostan, when a baby sneezes, tho mother snaps her thumb and finger, and repeats aloud the name of one of her gods. When a child casts a tooth, in >S:>uth Sweden, the tooth is thrown into the fire. In Switzerland it is carefully wrapped in paper, and salt enclosed with it before it is thrown into the fire. In Herriok's time it was regarded as a lucky omen to piace a knife near a sleeping child. Good Friday and Easter Sunday were considered lucky days for changing the caps of children. In the West of England the fortunes of children are believed to be largely regulated by the day of the week on which they are born :—: — " Monday's child is fair in face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, And a child that is born on Christmas day Is fair and wise, good and gay." Among some of the tribes in Africa if two babes oome to a family at the same time they think it a dreadful thing. Nobody except the family oan go into the tent where they were born, nor u?e any of the things in it. The twins are not allowed to play with other children, and the mother cannot talk to anyone outside of the family. This is kept up for six years. If the babies live to be six years old, the rcstriotions are removed, and they are treated like other children. — Chicago Current.