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JAIN BUDDHISTS DON'T EAT MEALS AFTER SUNSET FOR FEAR THAT THEY
WILL EAT GERMS AND SIN.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD

Keyword(s): JAIN IS A CLASS OF BUDDHISTS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 00-00-1967

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IF IT RAINS ON HER WEDDING DAY IT MEANS THAT THE BRIDE LIKES
TO NIBBLE BETWEEN MEALS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew
BELIEF -- Marriage
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 06-00-1987

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If you leave food uneaten at a big family gathering
you will have bad weather the next day. Conversely,
if you make sure that all the food has been consumed,
you will be sure to have good weather on the morrow.

Submitter comment: Elinor heard this saying while a young girl. She has
been told that it is a German belief. To this day in her
family, the phrase "Finish it so it'll be a good day
tomorrow" is used to encourage everyone to eat.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRASER

Keyword(s): function, prediction, celebrations, meals

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Use of Object Food
BELIEF -- Weather sign or control

Date learned: 00001950S

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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

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IF YOU SWALLOW THE SEEDS OF A WATERMELON WHILE EATING IT
ONE WILL GROW IN YOUR STOMACH.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Plant food Fruit
BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Plant
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 02-01-1990

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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

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When you're eating a whole fish that still has
the bone in it, you should only pick the meat
from one side. To get at the other side you
should break the bone, remove it, and then
continue eating. If you flip the fish over to
get at the other side, your boat will flip the
next time you go fishing.

Where learned: THAILAND

Subject headings: Observation
Favorites
ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Means of transportation Water craft or boat propelled by human, wind, mechanical or other force
BELIEF -- Fish
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 00001960S

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When you clear the table you should never put
the crumbs on the floor so that you won't go
hungry. You should never sweep the dirt and
crumbs from the floor directly out the door;
you should always use a dustpan.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: KANSAS ; Manhattan

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; Domesticity ; Housekeeping ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): DIRECTION ; POSITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 00001920S

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Superstition

My mother used to be terrified to weep at the table,
because my grandmother told her that her tears would
turn her food to poison.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 00001950CA

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Only Child

At dinner times a person can tell who an only
child is because they eat the slowest. I am an
only child and always the last to leave the table.
This was told to me by another only child.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UTICA

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 -- Birth
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Number Last events: the last person to the table...

Date learned: 11-16-1990

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My grandmother was very emphatic about eating good foods. Even
though she was very poor she always bought the best quality of
food that she could afford in order to keep her family healthy.
One of her sayings was :" What you don't pay to the butcher and
baker you pay to the doctor."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Method of Curing
PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: 00-00-1974

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According to my father you should never drink milk out of a beer
mug. If you do then every time that you drink beer out of that
mug your beer will be flat and taste thick.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.

Date learned: 00001950CA

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Keep your table fixed and it will bring you good luck.

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Service Table furnishing and decoration
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Good luck

Date learned: 00-00-1966

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Since I was little, the kitchen table always had to be cleaned
before we went to bed at night in case the spirits, especially
those relatives that had passed, wanted to come and have dinner.
The spirits must leave the table the way they found it; therefore,
the table must be cleaned of crumbs, etc., before we go to bed;
otherwise it would be too difficult for the spirits to clean their
crumbs and only leave the ones we had left on the table.

Submitter comment: This custom came from Poland, and even in my house today it is
followed, more out of habit than anything--I never knew the reason
for having been taught to clear off the kitchen table every night.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Mount Clemens

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Measure of time Sleeping

Date learned: 00001920S

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IF YOU EAT YOUR MEAT BEFORE YOUR POTATOES AT
SUPPPERTIME, YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK.

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Plant food Vegetable
Food Drink -- Meat
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

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THE GREEKS CONSIDER IT UNLUCKY TO PASS THE SALT
SHAKER FROM ONE PERSON'S HAND TO ANOTHER.

Submitter comment: GATHERED FROM FAMILY TIES.

Where learned: THROUGH THE MAIL

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mineral
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 08-00-1967

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IF YOU SING A TUNE WHILE YOU EAT, IT IS BAD LUCK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BERKELEY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 03-24-1970

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IF YOU SING BEFORE BREAKFAST, YOU WILL HAVE BAD
LUCK BEFORE LUNCH.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 11-13-1969

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NEVER SING AT THE TABLE; IT BRINGS BAD LUCK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 03-16-1971

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DO NOT SING OR TELL YOUR DREAM BEFORE BREAKFAST OR
YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK. SOMETIMES, IF YOU TELL YOUR
DREAM BEFORE BREAKFAST, IT WILL COME TRUE.

Submitter comment: ABOUT 1915.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour
BELIEF -- Measure of time Eating For menu, see N222.
BELIEF -- Dreams
BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities

Date learned: 00-00-1915

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