Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P545 returned 667 results.
WHEN YOU DRIVE OVER RAILROAD TRACKS YOU MUST LIFT YOUR
FEET SO YOU DON'T LOSE YOUR BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Marriage |
Date learned: 01-01-1990
IF YOU SING WHILE AT THE DINNER TABLE YOU WILL MARRY A
CRAZY MAN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222. |
Date learned: 02-01-1990
IN THE GYM AT MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WE USED TO HAVE A ROPE
ABOUT THIRTY FEET LONG THAT HUNG DOWN FROM THE CENTER OF
THE CEILING. EVERY YEAR EACH PERSON WAS REQUIRED TO TRY TO
CLIMB THE ROPE AS FAR AS THEY COULD FOR GYM CLASS. EVERY
BOY THAT TRIED CARRIED A PENCIL IN HIS MOUTH. IT WAS BELIEVED
THAT IF YOU GOT TO THE TOP AND WROTE THE NAME OF THE GIRL YOU
LIKED ON THE CEILING, SHE WOULD LIKE YOU BACK. THE TEACHERS
USUALLY ENCOURAGED THIS PRACTICE AND EVERY YEAR THE CEILING
WAS CLEANED TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S CLASS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School BELIEF -- School BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Word Letter |
Never get married on Friday the 13th of any month or your
marriage will be doomed with divorce or some other tragedy.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | 686 Specific number by specific number being described BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of time Month BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 01-00-1980
It is bad luck for the groom to see the bride on their wedding
day before she walks down the aisle for the ceremony. It
is also bad luck for him to see the gown before the wedding.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; TROY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 01-00-1984
If a woman or girl sings at the table, she
will marry a crazy man.
Submitter comment:
Informant said this happened to a friend of hers who
used to listen to the radio and sing while she was
eating. When she grew up she married a man who was
crazy.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): EATING ; FUNCTION ; Meals ; TABLE MANNERS
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222. |
Date learned: 00001940S
If you attend a wedding, and that night you sleep
with a piece of wedding cake from that wedding under
your pillow (wrapped in a napkin) you will dream of
the person you will marry.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Date learned: 00-00-1966
Before my grandmother got married she was
told that she should never love her husband
or her children more than she loved God. If
she did God might decide to take them to heaven
for himself.
Submitter comment: My grandmother is very religious.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Gods BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 00001940S
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
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
Wearing your wedding ring the night before your wedding can
prove disastrous on your wedding day, because you have
jinxed yourself. This only applies to the individual who
wears the ring. Bad luck and embarrassment will come upon
the wedding day.
Submitter comment:
This was the advice given to my father by his father a
couple days before my fathers wedding.
Keyword(s): JEWELRY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
In Russia, newlyweds place flowers at the nearest statue
of Lenin for good luck throughout their marriage.
Where learned: NEW JERSEY ; Tuckerton
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Good luck |
Old English Saying
Mirror, mirror tell me
Am I pretty or plain?
Or am I downright ugly, and ugly to remain?
Shall I marry a gentleman?
Shall I marry a clown?
Or shall I marry old knives and scissors
Shouting through this town?
Submitter comment: A saying of women in fear of becoming an "old maid."
Where learned: ENGLAND ; LONDON
Keyword(s): Knife Grinder
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Use of Object |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
If your soap breaks in two, it's a true sign of parting.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR
Keyword(s): breaking up, end
James Callow Keyword(s): SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | 686 Seconds / Twice / Two BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Marriage |
Date learned: 00-00-1991
It is unlucky for the newly married couple
to go home from church on the same road they came.
Submitter comment: She was told this on her wedding day.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF
| Subject headings: | 686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually. BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Marriage |
Before you eat an apple, take the stem and twist it around
until it comes off. Every time you make a twist, say a letter of
the alphabet, and the last letter that you say when the stem
breaks will be the first letter of the name of your husband.
Submitter comment:
Christine did this with her friends when she was younger to
see what her husband's name would be.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Word Letter BELIEF -- Use of Object |
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 |
It is believed in Greece that if an unmarried woman places three
"koufetta," meaning sugar-coated almonds, taken from a priest's tray
(meaning they were blessed) during a wedding, and places them under
her pillow at night while she is sleeping, she will see in her dreams
who she is to marry. The same is true for an unmarried male.
Where learned: GREECE
Date learned: 00001950CA
When a Greek couple is in the process of getting married and the
minister says "...to honor and obey..." the bride steps on the
groom's toe with force to show to herself that she does not have to
obey him.
Submitter comment:
My informant told me that this occurs so the bride can prove to
herself that she does not fear her husband. If she can't bring
herself to do this, she carries with her the doubt of having any
authority in the marriage. To this day this can be seen in Greek
weddings. This applies even to some Greek weddings that occur in
America if the families decide to follow tradition.
Where learned: GREECE
Keyword(s): authority
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Marriage |
Introducing a friend of the opposite sex to your parents means
that you want to marry that person.
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Marriage |
Date learned: 00-00-1971