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POLISH CUSTOM

WHEN MY MOTHER WAS A YOUNG GIRL, THERE WAS A SMALL
HOLY WATER FONT AT HER FRONT DOOR. UPON LEAVING THE
HOUSE, ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY WERE EXPECTED TO
"BLESS THEMSELVES." AFTER THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED,
MY GRANDMOTHER OR SOMEONE NEARBY WOULD SAY-IN
POLISH-"GO WITH GOD." WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL WOULD
RETURN HOME FROM CHURCH, MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SAY
-IN POLISH-"BLESSED BE JESUS CHRIST FOREVER AND
FOREVER."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROSEVILLE

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Home
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Church
BELIEF -- Home
SPEECH -- Gesture

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EAT CABBAGE OR SAUERKRAUT ON NEW YEAR'S FOR GOOD LUCK.

Submitter comment: LEARNED FROM YOUTH.

Where learned: INDIANA ; Hudson Lake

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Week Day Hour
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 11-25-1967

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IF YOU PUT MONEY ON THE WINDOW SILL ON NEW YEAR'S EVE
YOU'LL HAVE A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR--YOU'LL NEVER BE
BROKE.

Submitter comment: LEARNED FROM HER PARENTS WHO RETAIN THE PRACTICE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Year
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 05-10-1965

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SOME FRIENDS OF OURS, MR. AND MRS. ED GERRY, ALWAYS
SPEND THE FEW MINUTES BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW YEAR
IN THEIR OWN HOME. THEY LEFT OUR PARTY LAST YEAR
AT 11:40 AND WERE BACK AT 12:20. AND THERE WAS SOME-
THING ABOUT MONEY INVOLVED THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER--
MAYBE THAT THEY DIDN'T PASS MONEY DURING THAT TIME.

Submitter comment: HAPPENED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE IN 1964-5 IN DETROIT,
MICHIGAN. MR. YOUNT'S BROTHER, WALTER, TOLD ME HE
BELIEVED THIS WAS A PRACTICE IN PENNSYLVANIA.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Year
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 05-11-1965

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GERMAN PEOPLE HAVE SEVEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF GREEN STUFF
(VEGETABLES) ON NEW YEAR'S DAY FOR GOOD HEALTH:
CABBAGE, PEPPERS, PICKLES, CELERY, SPINACH, LETTUCE,
AND SAUERKRAUT.
ALSO, THEY HOLD MONEY IN THEIR HAND AT 12:00 ON NEW
YEAR'S EVE. IF THE KIDS ARE IN BED, THEY WAKE THEM
UP AS IT WOULDN'T WORK IF IT WAS JUST IN YOUR POCKET.
THEY DO IT FOR A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Submitter comment: TOLD TO HIM BY JOE KELLER FROM HUNTINGTON, WEST
VIRGINIA, WHO NOW WORKS WITH HIM IN DETROIT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Year
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 05-18-1965

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WE ALWAYS HAD SAUERKRAUT AND PORK ON NEW YEAR'S DAY
FOR GOOD LUCK.

Submitter comment: PRACTICE AT HOME IN GLOUCESTER, OHIO

Where learned: OHIO ; GLOUCESTER

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Year
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 05-11-1965

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SLOVAK CHRISTMAS-EVE CUSTOM

BEFORE A FARMER SAT DOWN TO EAT, HE WENT OUT TO THE
BARN AND GAVE HIS LIVESTOCK GARLIC SO THAT THEY MAY
BE HEALTHY DURING THE COMING YEAR. HE ALSO SPRINKLED
THEM WITH HOLY WATER.

Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 00001967 FALL

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THE GOOD FAIRY

WHEN YOU LOSE A TOOTH, PLACE IT UNDERNEATH YOUR PILLOW
AND BY MORNING THE GOOD FAIRY WILL HAVE REPLACED IT
WITH A DIME.

Submitter comment: I LEARNED THIS FROM MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD IN 1948 IN DETROIT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 05-12-1965

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DON'TS ON THE SABBATH

SABBATH BEGINS AT SUNDOWN ON FRIDAY (JUDAISM). A
PERSON CANNOT TURN ON A LIGHT OR LIGHT UP AN OVEN
UNTIL SUNDAY. ONCE COULD NOT / TELL SOMEONE ELSE TO DO
IT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT HE WERE
WORKING. (THE SOMEONE ELSE WOULD BE WORKING, TOO).
ONLY BEFORE
SUNDOWN ON FRIDAY, COULD ONE EMPLOY SOMEBODY TO DO
SOMETHING FOR HIM; AND, ONLY, BEFORE OR AFTER THE
SABBATH, COULD HE OFFER PAYMENT.

Submitter comment: SHE LEARNED THIS FROM HER FAMILY, BUT DOES NOT PRACTICE
IT TODAY. SHE RECALLED THAT HER FATHER WOULD COME
HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY AND THEN RUN SEVERAL BLOCKS
TO THE THEATER TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE SATURDAY
MATINEE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Home
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Week Day Hour
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 04-00-1965

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CROSS BREAD BEFORE YOU CUT IT, THUS YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE
FOOD.

Submitter comment: FROM FRIENDS.

Where learned: NEIGHBORS

James Callow Keyword(s): SIGN OF THE CROSS?

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Sign Geometric figure Cross and its various modifications

Date learned: 10-22-1967

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IF ALL THE PLATES WERE SCRAPED CLEAN (IF THERE WERE NO LEFT OVERS)
THERE WOULD BE GOOD WEATHER THE NEXT DAY.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CLIO

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Weather sign or control
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 00-00-1973 ; 11-00-1987

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IF YOU TAKE ALL OF YOUR POTATO PEELINGS AND PUT THEM IN THE FIRE-
PLACE AND BURN THEM WITH YOUR FIRE, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ANY CREOSOTE
BUILD-UP, AND YOU WILL NEVER NEED YOUR CHIMNEY SWEPT.

Submitter comment: SHE SWEARS THAT THIS IS TRUE, AND SHOWED ME HER CHIMNEY FLUE, WHICH
HASN'T BEEN CLEANED IN FIVE YEARS TO PROVE IT. THE FLUE WAS CLEAN
AS A WHISTLE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Ortonville

James Callow Keyword(s): CREOSOTE ; FIREPLACE

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 00001930S CA.

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A MAN MUST BUY A BROOM FOR HIS HOUSE, AND CARRY IT
INSIDE UPSIDE DOWN ALONG WITH A BOX OF SALT. IT IS
GOOD LUCK TO DO SO.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; SMALL MINING TOWN IN

James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mineral
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Good luck

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If you hang wolfbang (an herb) above the
kitchen door all will be well in your house.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION ; wolfbane?

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Plant
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Magic of Speech, Sign, Color

Date learned: 00001985ca

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Whatever door you enter from that is the same door you must
exit through so you don't leave any bad luck behind.

Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Bad luck

Date learned: 00-00-1929

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When you're washing you clothes don't get wet or your husband
will become a drunk.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; RIVER ROUGE

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 00-00-1955

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Never whistle in the house because it is bad luck.

Submitter comment: My mother always yelled at all of us kids when ever we would
whistle in a house no matter whose house we were in.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Bad luck

Date learned: 00-00-1970

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If you keep whiskey on the window ledge, it will keep evil
thoughts from disturbing your home.

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Alcoholic beverage Distilled
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

Date learned: 00-00-1970

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You should always keep your door ledges clean, because that's
where thoughts are held.

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Subject headings: ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Wall Partition Door Window
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

Date learned: 00-00-1971

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Never put new or used shoes on the kitchen table; to do so
will bring about bad luck in the household.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LIVONIA

Subject headings: 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Dress HandsFeet
BELIEF -- Home
BELIEF -- Bad luck

Date learned: 03-02-1992

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