Baby and Mirror Superstition
Infancy Folklore The baby and mirror superstition warns against letting an infant see its reflection too early. The forbidden period is not fixed: some versions…
People & Life Cycle
People & Life Cycle Folk Beliefs
People & Life Cycle groups beliefs by life stage and relationship, with current subtopics for birth, babies, young children, family roles, and first-care customs.
8 documented beliefs · 1 country
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Stepping Over a Child Superstition
Childhood Folk Belief The superstition against stepping over a child says that crossing over a young child’s body may stop the child from growing or…
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…
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…
Double Hair Crown Two-Kingdoms Belief
Hair Whorl Folklore The double hair crown belief treats two distinct hair whorls on the crown of the head as a sign that a person…
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…
Open-Handed Baby Superstition
Birth and Infancy Folklore An old English folk belief held that a baby born with its hands open would grow up to be generous and…
Day-of-Week Birth Superstition
Birth Folklore A long-standing folk belief assigns a child’s character, fortune, or future to the day of the week on which the child was born.…