Birth & Pregnancy Folk Beliefs

Birth and pregnancy folklore here focuses on birth-day omens, newborn character signs, family resemblance, first carrying, and upward-first customs.

5 documented beliefs · 1 country

Explore This Cluster

Beliefs in This Cluster

Person carrying a bag outdoors near a fence, illustrating the superstition of the first outdoor carrying affecting a child's disposition.

First Outdoor Carrying Superstition

Infant Folk Belief A recorded Georgia superstition holds that a child will develop a nature and disposition resembling the person who first carries the baby…

Person carrying a baby upstairs cautiously, illustrating the superstition of carrying a baby upstairs first for good luck.

Carrying a Baby Upstairs Superstition

The carrying-a-baby-upstairs superstition holds that a newborn’s first journey away from the birth room should begin with an upward movement. Carrying the child upstairs was…

Baby resembling father is considered a sign of good luck in superstitions.

Baby Resemblance Good-Luck Superstition

A baby’s resemblance to its parents has sometimes been treated as more than a family observation. In documented folk belief, looking like one or both…