The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

WHEN SOMEBODY DIED, NO ONE WOULD GO TO THE FUNERAL.
THEY WENT THE ROUNDS INSTEAD. (THEY DID THIS TO NOTIFY
PEOPLE OF THE DEATH, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO NEWSPAPERS
TO LET PEOPLE KNOW.) THE ROSARY WAS SAID IN THE
DEAD MAN'S HOUSE. NO ONE WOULD GO TO THE BURIAL
WITHOUT A BLACK SUIT OR BLACK DRESS. THE PEOPLE WERE
VERY FRIENDLY AND IF A FAMILY DID NOT HAVE A BLACK
SUIT FOR THE OCCASION THEY WOULD BORROW IT ; THIS
WAS VERY COMMON. ALSO BLACK WAS WORN FOR WEDDINGS.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT TOLD ME THAT PEOPLE THEN HAD ONLY ONE GOOD
SUIT AND IT WAS BLACK AND HE ALSO SHOWED ME SOME WEDDING
PICTURES OF HIS RELATIVES WHO WORE BLACK ON THEIR
WEDDING DAY.
THIS TOOK PLACE IN BELGIUM ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; BELGIUM

Date learned: 00-00-1951