Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P684 returned 334 results.
Chinese custom
Howson (a Chinese mourning period) lasts for 49 days. A white
flower made of yarn is worn by the daughters in their hair and
a black band is worn by the sons around the arm during this
period.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: CHINA
Keyword(s): China ; Chinese ; CUSTOM ; FLOWER ; Mourning ; SYMBOL ; White
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Number P686.1.49 |
Date learned: 00-00-1955
Balinese custom
To bring back dead spirits one must place a white box on a
table with a pencil through the middle of the top towards the
bottom and meditate to talk to the dead.
Where learned: Bali ; Indonesia
| Subject headings: | Spirit / Mind / Body BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00-00-1955
It is customary in my family when someone gets married to give
the bride the following: something old, something new,
something borrowed, something blue.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 01-00-1980
If a black cat walks across your path, you
will have bad luck.
Submitter comment:
Informant said her family strongly believed in
superstitions.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Bad luck Animals |
Date learned: 00001950S
In Hungary the day after Easter, Easter Monday,
is also considered a holiday. On that day all
the boys visit the homes of their neighbor girls
and sprinkle them with water. Today they often
use cologne. The girls, in turn, give the boys
a colored Easter egg. The boys that they really
like are given red eggs.
Where learned: GERMANY ; Binabiburg
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Easter eggs CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Easter Monday Dyngus BELIEF -- Water BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001940S
Superstition
A pregnant woman should mix her urine with Drano. The
resultant color determines the sex of the child.
Unfortunately, the informant (a nurse) forgets which color is
which.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Childbirth, divination
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Mafia Tradition
Mafia members send white roses to the widow of an
enemy upon his death. This means that they will take
care of the widow. The grudge is broken because her
husband is dead.
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Outlaw Criminal Bandit Pirate BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001972CA
Death Custom
After a family member dies in an Italian family,
the relations must all wear black for one week.
They have to wear everything black!
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001972CA
THIS IS A BELIEF IN MY FAMILY, THEY BELIEVE THAT BY KEEPING A
A PIECE OF RED CLOTH IN THEIR POSSESSION THEY ARE PROTECTED
FROM EVIL AND HARM, FOR THIS CLOTH SIGNIFIES THE SHROUD THAT
COVERED JESUS WHEN HE ROSE FROM DEATH AFTER DYING ON THE
CROSS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Lansing
Keyword(s): RED BELIEF
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Sign Color BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001980S
Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.
GREEN M&M CANDIES MAKE A PERSON HORNY.
CHILDREN AND EVEN ADULTS WOULD ALWAYS SCRAMBLE TO GET THE
PRECIOUS FEW GREEN M&M'S IN A BAG OF THE CANDIES SO THAT
THEY MIGHT HAVE BETTER LUCK FINDING OR STAYING WITH A MATE.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sterling Heights
Keyword(s): APHRODISIAC ; CANDY ; COLOR ; Green ; Sexuality ; Urban Legend
James Callow Keyword(s): SEXUALLY AROUSED = HORNY ; SLANG
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001976CA
RED M&M CANDIES CAUSE CANCER.
RUMORS WERE CIRCULATING NATIONWIDE ABOUT CARCINOGENIC NATURE
OF THE DYE USED TO MAKE RED M&M'S. THIS WAS STRENGTHENED WHEN
M&M BEGAN SELLING M&M'S WITHOUT RED CANDIES. THE RED CANDIES
WERE BROUGHT BACK AROUND 1985, BUT MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL LEERY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sterling Heights
Keyword(s): CANDY
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00001980CA
Forever Young
If a Chinese girl with green eyes marries any man that man
will remain forever young. It is very hard to find a
Chinese girl with this type of eye color so luck is also
a great factor.
Submitter comment:
I personally have never seen a Chinese girl with green eyes
but my informant has and he spoke with her, that's how he
gave me this story.
Where learned: OHIO
Keyword(s): Eternal youthfulness
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1991
According to an old Irish tradition, if you surround a room
with green where a baby is about to be born, you will
have a child that will be happy, healthy and prosperous.
Submitter comment: Learned this from a tour operator in Ireland.
Where learned: IRELAND
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 07-00-1988
Whenever a black cat crosses in front of my mother, something
tragic will happen. When the cat crosses her path, she tells her
family to be extra careful because something wrong will happen.
Usually when my mom sees a black cat, she'll stay inside all day.
Submitter comment:
My mother is a very superstitious person, especially when it
comes to black cats.
Where learned: USA
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00001950S
The sanctified religion says women are not allowed to wear make-
up, jewelry, pants, or red in church or outside of church.
Submitter comment:
Leah says that these rules are stated in the bible; the bible
says: "women should dress in modest apparel"; if they don't "Women
should be shame-faced."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CLOTHING
James Callow Keyword(s): COSMETICS
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Church BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001970S
A penny in your shoe,
And wearing something blue.
Will keep your marriage true.
Submitter comment:
The informant can recall the exact date she learned this because
it is the day of her marriage to Willis Muckle. Her mother gave her
the penny and a blue flower for her hair. The marriage lasted more
than thirty-five years.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): LOVE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth BELIEF -- Color |
Never cross the path of a black cat or you will be doomed to
seven years bad luck.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | 686 Seven / Sevenths / Several BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Color BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00001970S
No black: We celebrate the dead and heaven one's life by wearing
color.
Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00-00-1991
When passing over railroad tracks while driving in a car, you
must lift both feet off the floor until you pass the first white
house. It's considered bad luck if you don't.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Date learned: 00-00-1976
Never do laundry on New Year's Day or you will wash someone out
of the family. My mother did it once, two loads of colored clothes
and one load of white clothes. Two of the darker family members died
and the lightest also passed.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Measure of time Year BELIEF -- Measure of time Working BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00-00-1982