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When a baby is born to a Polish mother, you are supposed to put
a red ribbon on a safety pin so the child is always protected by
their guardian angel; a medal of a saint, angel, or the Mother of
God may be added also-- but the red ribbon is essential. This
will protect the child from ladies with evil eyes who will look at
your child, and the child may get sick, get a rash all over its
body, or could even die; this also protects the child from evil-
eyed women who may abduct the child, also.
Submitter comment:
This is yet another custom that my mother has passed on to her
children. It has worked with all my grandmother's children and
grandchildren so far.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Curse BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00001920S
On Sundays, when I was a little girl, all my Grandma's children
would go to her house after church, and we would eat a Sunday
dinner. There were about 6 grandchildren at that time (now there
are 17). My grandparents live in Mount Clemens, and had a large
field (7 acres) where they grew vegetables: tomatoes, pumpkins,
squash, and corn; there were also pear and apple trees, and grape
vines. They sold the vegetables and fruit to the fruit market, and
also sold them to passers-by from their garage or the stand on the
road. Most of the time, my aunts and uncles would work in the
field with my grandparents hoeing the weeds, and someone would be
at the stand and the garage selling the fruits and vegetables.
There were days where people used to come and actually pick the
tomatoes themselves, too; one vision that stands out in my mind is
that of Italian women carrying the baskets on their heads. While
the grown-ups were working, we either pulled weeds with our hands,
shined the apples and pears, or played on the island of trees that
was in the center of the field, or had a picnic back there.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Week Day Hour SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001970'S
Willia (Veeleea) (unsure of spelling)
This is a Polish custom that was brought over from Poland, near
Krakow. On Christmas Eve, we would eat a supper of 12 items,
including fish, pierogi, sour mushroom soup (made with dried
mushrooms), bread, butter, prunes and barley. I can't remember
what else-- except no meat. We did not get presents because we
really did not have money, so there was usually a long table set up
that had straw on it, covered by a white table cloth. Under the
straw, there were pennies, and when it was time, the children put
their hands under the straw and found as many pennies as they
could. We would then go to Christmas Eve Mass, and then go
caroling from house to house. This was the big thing years ago.
We were gone half the night, usually in a horse and buggy. We
would then go back to the house we started at, and eat the ham
which we were now allowed to eat because it was after midnight.
The money that we had gotten from under the straw we used to buy
candy. There was a candy store at the corner of 23 Mile Road, and
when we went back to school we would stop there to buy the candy.
Submitter comment:
Because of this "penny tradition," I remember that whenever my
Great Uncle Al came to Grandma's house when we were there, he
always passed out silver dollars to the children. He also did this
when my mom was a little girl. We liked it when he came over
because he gave us the silver dollars, but we could have done
without his cigars.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens
Date learned: 00001920'S
Every year on Saint Patrick's Day, we wake up in the morning to
find that our milk in the fridge has been turned green by the
Leprechauns.
Submitter comment:
This happens every year, but of course there comes a time when
kids find out the "truth" about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny,
and so we learned the truth about the green milk as we got older--
it was only mom or dad who put green food coloring in the milk;
another disappointment.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- March 17 Feast of St. Patrick |
Date learned: 00001970'S
Story of the Brownies
There was a little boy and girl who lived with their father and
grandmother. By the time the father and grandmother were done with
their daily work in the field, they were too tired to keep up the
house. They asked the children, but they were too spoiled and
never did anything. Their grandmother told them the story about
the brownies that came and cleaned and helped. They asked the
grandmother who the brownies were, but she would not tell them. So
the children went to the wise old owl and asked him who the
brownies were. The wise old owl only gave them an unfinished poem
which they had to finish, and they would know the answer. "Twist
me and turn me, and show me an elf. I looked in the pond and saw
my----". Well, the children did not know what to think; they were
upset at the owl for not telling them the answer, and so they sat
there discussing the poem and trying to figure out what rhymed with
"elf." Finally, the girl looked into the pond, like the poem said.
She saw herself! "myself" rhymes with elf, so she and the little
boy figured out who the "brownies" were. They went home to their
father and grandmother and decided not to tell them that they knew
who the "brownies" were. Late that night, when everyone was
asleep, the little boy and little girl got up and cleaned the house
until everything sparkled. In the morning when the father and
grandmother woke up, they could not believe their eyes. The
"brownies" had been there!
Submitter comment:
This story is learned at the first stage of girl scouts, when
a girl is a brownie. It illustrates that we are the brownies that
can be helpful, courteous and good.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale |
Date learned: 00001980'S
Nieman Marcus Cookie Recipe:
2 cups butter 1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. soda 4 eggs
24 oz. chocolate chips 2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour 3 cups chopped nuts
1-8 oz. Hershey bar, grated 2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal
Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix
together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add
chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls and
place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at
375. Makes 112 cookies (recipe may be halved). Measure oatmeal
and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
Submitter comment:
Story has it that a lady begged to buy the cookie recipe from
Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas and was refused. After several
attempts, she was told that the recipe would cost two fifty. The
lady said fine and requested the store put it on her charge
account. When the lady received her bill the next month, she was
shocked to see the total $250.00 for a cookie recipe on there.
When she questioned the store, she was told the recipe is a very
expensive one and the store would not refund her money. She was
also told that the recipe is a company secret and should not have
been sold. To get even, the lady is spreading the recipe all
over the country by mail, word of mouth, etc. She is the first
to admit she indeed learned an expensive lesson.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert |
Bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in your garden, if
your house is for sale it will sell immediately.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LIVONIA
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Religious hero |
Live so that you won't be ashamed to sell the family parrot
to the town gossip.
Submitter comment:
My mother told me this a long time ago and I have passed it
down to my children. I only hope they are living by this
saying.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 00-00-1980
You might be considered a redneck if:
Your front porch collapses and you've killed more than six dogs.
You think potted meat and saltines are hors d'oeuvres.
There's a stuffed possum somewhere in your house.
Less than one-half of the cars you own run.
The primary color of your car is "Bondo."
Your wife's hairdo has ever been ruined by a ceiling fan.
You've ever hollered, "Rock the house, Bubba!" during a piano
recital.
You've ever barbecued Spam on the grill.
You have a rag for a gas cap.
Submitter comment:
I just love these sayings. I laughed for days and so did my
friends.
Where learned: ONTARIO ; WINDSOR
| Subject headings: | Favorites REDN |
The older women in my church would tell the younger girls, that
if you sit in a chair behind a pregnant woman, that you would also
become pregnant. We would spend the entire day avoiding any seats
that were occupied by anyone pregnant.
Submitter comment: That was their way of scaring us into not being promiscuous.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Birth |
Experience
One day as my friends and I were walking home from school, some
of the older kids approached us and told us we shouldn't walk down
Wisconsin because the pig lady lived on that street and she would
chase you home if you walk past her house. They even went on to
say that she had a face that was half pig and half lady. They
scared me so badly, that from that day forward I either walked down
Ohio or Northlawn to get home, regardless of what exit I came out
of. I didn't realize until I became an adult that the pig lady
everyone was referring to was a lady named Shirley, who had been
badly burned on one side of her face and one time in her life she
led a productive life as an intelligent woman. But, because she
could no longer function in society as we know it to be, she lost
everything she had, including her mind. She wandered the streets
in the neighborhood and because of her appearance, she scared a lot
of people. Upon my realization, I felt sorry for Shirley, because
she and I had one-on-one contact, merely by standing in the same
line in the
grocery store and she always treated me nicely.
Submitter comment: Never judge a book by its cover.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed PROSE NARRATIVE -- Mammal PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Song
My Dad taught my brother and me the Hambone song. We would
make our own rhymes to go along with ones Dad taught us:
Hambone, Hambone have you heard?
Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird.
If that mockingbird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children |
Date learned: 08-00-1977
MERCHANT MARINE CUSTOM
IN HONOR OF THE SEAMEN OF THE MERCHANT MARINE WHO ARE
LOST AT SEA, THERE IS A PLACE ON THE EASTERN SEA
COAST NEAR BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS WHERE THE FAMILIES
OF THE LOST SEAMEN COME AND TOSS FLOWERS INTO THE SEA
AT LOW TIDE TO COMMEMORATE THEM.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 01-16-1968
SLOVAK MARRIAGE CUSTOM
IN SLOVAKIAN VILLAGES, THE PEOPLE ARE FARMERS. SO, WHEN
A YOUNG MAN MARRIES, HE BRINGS HOME HIS BRIDE TO HELP.
WHERE THERE ARE NO YOUNG MEN IN THE FAMILY, THE BRIDE
BRINGS HOME THE HUSBAND.
IN THE CASE WHERE THE YOUNG MAN BRINGS HOME HIS BRIDE,
THE WHOLE WEDDING PARTY GOES TO HER HOME AND LOADS HER
BELONGINGS--CHEST, FEATHERBED, PILLOWS, LINENS AND
WHATEVER HER PARENTS CAN AFFORD TO GIVE HER. THEY ALSO
HAVE A GYPSY STRING ORCHESTRA PLAYING ALL THE WAY.
THE WEDDING CELEBRATION LASTS THREE DAYS. THERE IS NO
HONEYMOON.
Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND
| Subject headings: | 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
Date learned: 00001967 FALL
THERE IS A WEDDING CUSTOM IN COUNTY KERRY, IRELAND WHEN
"STRAWBOYS" CRASH IN ON THE WEDDING PARTY AND TRY TO
STEAL THE GROOM. A "STRAWBOY" HAS TO BE A BACHELOR, AND
MUST WEAR A STRAW HAT. THE "STRAWBOYS" STEAL THE GROOM
AND HIDE HIM IN A STACK OF STRAW MANY MILES AWAY FROM
THE BRIDE AND THE PARTY. A GOOD STRAWBOY MANAGES TO GET
AWAY WITHOUT BEING LICKED BY THE BRIDE'S BROTHERS AND
RELATIVES.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; IRELAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
Date learned: 11-00-1970
ON THE DAY OF HER WEDDING SHOWER, AMY SERVED JORDAN
ALMONDS (CANDY COATED ALMONDS, IN VARIOUS PASTEL
COLORS) AS A SIGN FOR HOPEFUL FERTILITY.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT SAID THIS IS A WELL KNOWN CUSTOM.
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage Bridal shower |
Date learned: 02-17-1972
HENNA PARTY
THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE HAVE A NICE CUSTOM CONCERNED WITH
MARRIAGE. THE WEEK BEFORE A GIRL GETS MARRIED, HER
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES (GIRLS) GIVE HER A PARTY. AT
THE PARTY ALL OF THE SINGLE GIRLS DIP THEIR LITTLE
FINGER AS FAR DOWN AS THE NAIL INTO HENNA (RED DIE).
THEY PUT A GRAPE LEAF AROUND IT TO DRY THE FINGER.
THE GIRLS HAVE THIS STAIN ON THEIR FINGER FOR SOME
TIME TO BRING THE ENGAGED GIRL GOOD LUCK. BY THE
TIME THE HENNA WEARS OFF, THE SINGLE GIRL SHOULD
HAVE FOUND A ROMANCE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage Bachelor parties |
Date learned: 07-20-1964
BEFORE THE ACTUAL WEDDING CEREMONY, THE MAN STANDING
UP WITH THE MATRON OF HONOR IN A ROMANIAN WEDDING
"BUYS" THE BRIDE FROM THE FATHER FOR AN AMOUNT
WHICH THEY BARGAIN FOR. THE AMOUNT IS THEN GIVEN
TO THE YOUNG COUPLE FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT SAID THAT DESPITE THE TREND IN MODERN
MARRIAGES, THIS IS STILL PRACTICED IN ALL ROMANIAN
WEDDINGS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage F545.057 |
Date learned: 10-29-1971
I HAVE FORGOTTEN WHO TOLD ME THIS, BUT I HEARD THAT
BEFORE A WEDDING CEREMONY, THE BRIDE SHOULD PUT
HER RIGHT AND LEFT RING FINGERS END TO END AND SLIDE
HER ENGAGEMENT RING ONTO HER RIGHT HAND SO THE
GROOM CAN PUT THE WEDDING RING ON HER LEFT HAND.
THIS ENSURES THAT THE ENGAGEMENT RING WILL NOT LEAVE
EITHER OF THE BRIDE'S RING FINGERS; IT ALSO
SUPPOSEDLY GUARANTEES A HAPPY MARRIAGE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage F545.058 |
Date learned: 00-00-1966
AFTER A WEDDING IN FLANDERS, THE BRIDE AND GROOM WOULD
WALK BACK TO THEIR HOUSE. ON THE WAY, VILLAGE
CHILDREN WOULD HALT THEIR PROGRESS BY HOLDING A
RIBBON ACROSS THEIR PATH AND GIVE THEM FLOWERS. THE
PARTY COULD NOT PROCEED UNTIL THE GROOM GAVE THEM
SOME MONEY.
Submitter comment: MISS VANNESTE LEARNED THIS FROM HER FLEMISH MOTHER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; BELGIUM ; FLANDERS
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage Ceremony |
Date learned: 10-02-1967