The Grit-advocate., 1900-07-27
SOME ODD CUSTOMS.
OLD TIME SUPE ERSTITIONS
WHICH LIVE.
Fascinating Folk Lore Which Is Every
where Believed in-southern Negro
and His Numerous Signs - The "l3"
Superstition.

no other race can equal the southern
negro in the number and variety of his
signs and omens, good and bad. The
one day of all which by him is regard
Cd with superstitious dread is Chill
mers day." Even now, while not 10
generally practiced as in years agone,
the negro who would do any kind OF
work on this day and especially be-
gin 1t, was regarded with aversion and
1t was confidently expected that ill
luck would accompany him the re-
ma1nder of the year. This day, in the
early church and long afterward, was
looked on as an especially unlucky day.
IT was believed that the children
slaughtered by Herod on that day did
not go into Paradise, but into Limbo,
where they had to wait the coming of
the Redeemer, who opened the gates of
heaven. In Rome the day was OBJ
served as day of mourning, and meat
was forbidden. In mediaeval England
children were treated to a sound whip
ping In bed that morning that the
memorie of his murther might stick
the closer"
The First Foot"
The Significance of the first foot" is
perhaps generally known. 1t is very
old belief that the luck of the year for
each particular household is affected
by the first foot that crosses the
threshold on New Year morning. A
woman brings ill-luck; in some parts
OF England it is believed that she rep
resents death. A man brings luck, but
there are graduations there for red
haired man is unlucky, and in some
places light-haired one is looked
upon askance. 1t is the dark-haired
man who brings the best luck, and in
England it was at one time customary
FOR dark-haired men to hire themselves
out for liquor and an aims to be on
hand at midnight to take the new
year in Bread has an immense
amount of folklore connected with it,
and has been regarded as being pos
sessed with certain occult powers that
nave caused it to be looked upon as
almost sacred, certain ceremonies be-
Ing connected with the dedication of
the bake oven itself, as in Brittany,
where, among other things, the break
Ing of an egg before it is first used is
considered essential to good luck.
There bread must never be baked on
All Saints day, for the ghosts will
get it and eat it.
World mt Large Superstitious.
1t is often asserted that it is only
the ignorant and unlettered that are
really superstitious, but Philadelphia
has recently furnished an example of
the hold certain popular superstitions
have on the world at large, regardless
of rank or education. During the time
of the summer exit certain gate in
the Broad street railroad station, lead
ing to one of the popular outgoing
trains, was not equal to the demand
upon it, and to relieve the congestion
a second gate was opened, but, to the
surprise of the officials, only a few
struggling tourists could be persuaded
to make use of it, the others preferring
to risk the loss of seat and train rather
than go through gate whose number
they could see was 13. All know how
this unfortunate number is avoided, SO
that it is now rarely to be seen on the
doors of hotel rooms or the state rooms
in ocean steamers; while the feeling
that it is unlucky or the sign of death
to sit down to meal with thirteen at
the table is familiar to every one. In
parts Of England it is considered worse
to do this on Saturday than any other
time. In the south the result may be