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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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SLOVAK SEWING BELIEF

NEVER SEW CLOTHES WHILE A PERSON IS WEARING THEM OR YOU WILL SEW HIS
BRAINS UP.

Submitter comment: JOHN MIHAL
LEARNED THIS ITEM FROM HIS FATHEE'S PARENTS WHO WERE
SLOVAK IMMIGRANTS. THEY NOW LIVE IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- P743

Date learned: 10-15-1975

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POLISH BELIEF

MANY POLISH PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE MOON IS FULL, IT IS
A GOOD TIME TO PICK MUSHROOMS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN

Keyword(s): FARMING ; Full ; HARVEST ; MOON ; Mushrooms ; POLISH

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 00001930S

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FLOWERDAYS AND BEANS

YOU ARE NOT TO PLANT BEANS DURING THE FLOWERDAYS. ( AGAIN
MY FATHER COULD NOT REMEMBER THE SPECIFIC TIME). MY GRANDFATHER
PLANTED A ROW OF BEANS DURING THE FLOWERDAYS AND ANOTHER AFTER THE
DAYS WERE PAST. THE ROW PLANTED DURING THE DAYS GREW WITH AN
ABUNDANCE OF BLOSSOMS BUT VERY FEW BEANS. THE ROW PLANTED AFTER
THE FLOWERDAYS GREW WITH FEW BLOSSOMS BUT WITH AN ABUNDANCE
OF BEANS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Keyword(s): Beans ; BELIEF ; FARMING ; Flowerdays ; GARDENING ; HARVEST ; Horticulture

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 10-30-1968

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WHEN TO PLANT YOUR CROPS

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS ACCORDING TO MY FATHER, IS THAT THERE
IS A CERTAIN TIME OF THE MOON WHEN IT IS FAVORABLE TO PLANT
YOUR CROPS SO THAT THEY WILL BE PRODUCTIVE. IF YOU DO NOT PLANT
AT THIS TIME THE CROPS WILL NOT BE PRODUCTIVE. MY FATHER WAS
UNABLE TO RECALL THE EXACT TIME OF THE MOON.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Keyword(s): Botany ; CROPS ; FARMING ; HARVEST ; Horticulture ; MOON ; PLANT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 10-30-1968

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BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WORK ABSENTEEISM ON FRIDAYS AND MONDAYS
(DAYS SURROUNDING WEEKENDS, AND OR HOLIDAYS) AND THEREFORE
MANY TEMPORARY SUBSTITUTE WORKERS, AUTOMOBILES MADE
ON THESE DAYS ARE SUBJECT TO CONSIDERABLY MORE DEFECT
POSSIBILITIES.

Submitter comment:

SOME PEOPLE ARE SO SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT THIS THAT THEY REFUSE
DELIVERY OF SUCH CARS, SO SAID TIME MAGAZINE IN 1971.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TIME MAGAZINE

Keyword(s): Automotive ; Cars ; Defects ; Labor ; SUPERSTITION ; Time Magazine ; Workers

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 12-00-1971

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IF A FISHERMAN WENT OUT TO THE OCEAN TO FISH AND SAW A PERSON
HE DID NOT LIKE OR THAT DISLIKED HIM, IT IS SAID THAT
HE SHOULD GO BACK TO SHORE, BECAUSE HE WILL NOT
CATCH ANY MORE FISH THAT DAY.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CATCH ; Fisherman ; OMEN ; Relationship ; SIGN

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 03-00-1971

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IT IS VERY IMPORANT TO A JEWISH STORE-OWNER THAT THE FIRST
CUSTOMER ON A MONDAY MORNING MUST BUY SOMETHING, REGARDLESS
OF THE PRICE. IF AND WHEN THE CUSTOMER DOES BUY SOMETHING, IT
MEANS GOOD LUCK AND GOOD SELLING THE REST OF THE WEEK.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Buy ; CUSTOM ; Customer ; Jewish ; Merchant ; Monday ; OMEN ; Purchase ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 10-00-1969

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PUTTING UP A RAILFENCE DURING THE FLOWERDAYS

THE BOTTOM LOG OF A RAILFENCE (A FENCE MADE OF INTERLOCKING
LOGS WILL ROT AWAY WITHIN THREE YEARS IF THE BOTTOM LOGS ARE
LAID DURING THE CERTAIN TIME OF THE MOON. OTHERWISE THE BOTTOM
LOG WILL LAST MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. THAT IS WHY THE BOTTOM LOGS ARE
ALL LAID AT ONCE SO AS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RIGHT TIME OF
THE MOON.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Construction ; Fence ; Logs ; MOON ; Rot ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 10-30-1968

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TALLER CORN

IF YOU PLANT CORN DURING A CERTAIN TIME OF THE MOON, IT
WILL GROW MUCH TALLER THAN CORN PLANTED AT ANOTHER TIME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Keyword(s): CORN ; FARMING ; HARVEST ; Horticulture ; MOON ; PLANTING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 11-08-1968

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MOON TIME

IF A PLANK IS LAID ON THE GRASS DURING A CERTAIN TIME OF THE
MOON THE GRASS UNDERNEATH THE PLANK WILL DIE IN TWO
WEEKS TIME. IF A PLANK IS LAID ON A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE
MOON THE GRASS BENEATH THE PLANK WILL STILL BE GREEN AFTER TWO WEEKS
TIME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Grass ; MOON ; Plank ; WOOD

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 11-08-1968

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BELIEF

THERE ARE CUFFS ON PANTS BECAUSE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN FARMERS USED
TO ROLL UP THEIR TROUSERS WHEN THEY WENT TO WORK IN THE FIELDS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Cuffed ; English ; Farmers ; Fashion ; Functions ; Menswear ; Origin ; Pants

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 11-05-1968

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BELIEF

HARD WORK WILL PUT HAIR ON YOUR ARMS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Arms ; BELIEF ; GROWTH ; HAIR ; SUPERSTITION ; WORK

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 03-29-1968

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CHIPEWYAN ESKIMO

THEY DO NOT KILL WOLVES OR WOLVERINES BECAUSE THEY ARE
POWERFUL SPIRITS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MARQUETTE

Keyword(s): ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; Chipewyan ; Cultural ; Eskimo ; Inuit ; Kill ; Native Indian ; Wolverines ; Wolves

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 03-00-1968

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SEWING ON SUNDAY

IF YOU SEW ON SUNDAY YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE ALL THE
STITCHES WITH YOUR NOSE WHEN YOU DIE.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; NOSE ; PUNISHMENT ; Sew ; SEWING ; Stitches ; Sunday ; SUPERSTITION ; WORK

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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SUPERSTITION

IF A SHOP OWNER DOES NOT PLEASE THE FIRST CUSTOMER HE HAS IN THE
MORNING, HE WILL HAVE BAD LUCK FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

Submitter comment: MY INFORMANT CLAIMS THAT THIS SUPERSTITION IS BELIEVED WIDELY AMONG
JEWISH PEOPLE. SHE TOLD ME THAT HER FATHER USED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
SHOP OWNERS WHO BELIEVED IN THIS SUPERSTITION BY MAKING IT A POINT
TO BE THE FIRST CUSTOMER OF THE DAY AND HAGGLING OVER THE PRICE
OF SOME ITEM IN ORDER TO GET A GOOD BUY.

Where learned: DETROIT

Subject headings: 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
Favorites
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Bad luck

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OMENS

TO SLEEP ON A LARGE PILLOW DENOTES A SUCCESSFULL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

Where learned: CALIFORNIA ; MONROVIA

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- Measure of time Sleeping
BELIEF -- Measure of space: distance, height, depth

Date learned: CA00001966

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BELIEFS

TO SWIM IN MUDDY WATER IS A SIGN OF FAILURE IN BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

Where learned: CALIFORNIA ; MONROVIA

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: CA00001965

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IN GERMANY MY MOM AND DAD SHOPPED AT A LOCAL BUTCHER. LATER MY MOM
FOUND OUT HE GOT SOME OF HIS MEAT FROM HUMANS. MY MOM WOULD NOT
EAT MEAT FOR A LONG TIME AFTER THAT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; TROY

James Callow Keyword(s): CANNIBALISM

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business
Food Drink -- Meat
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business

Date learned: 00-00-1950

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GOOD LUCK IN RESTAURANTS

ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, A NEW ONE DOLLAR BILL IS PLACED
ON THE WALL OF THE RESTAURANT. IT REMAINS ON THE
WALL UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR, WHEN A NEW ONE DOLLAR
BILL IS PUT UP.

Submitter comment: BY DOING THIS, THE RESTAURANT WILL HAVE GOOD LUCK
ALL YEAR, AS WELL AS GOOD BUSINESS. GOOD FOOD AND
GOOD SERVICE WILL PREVAIL ALL YEAR ROUND.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; EAST DETROIT

Subject headings: 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- Work Commerce Business
BELIEF -- Measure of time Year
BELIEF -- Good luck

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DON'T TRANSACT ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS ON FRIDAY OR MAKE
ANY KIND OF VISIT, OTHERWISE, YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK.

Submitter comment: MRS. MUGGLETON LEARNED THIS BELIEF FROM HER ENGLISH-
BORN HUSBAND AND STILL PRACTICES IT.

Where learned: TELEPHONE

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

Date learned: 11-02-1963

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