The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1905-04-29
Good Friday Superstitions


II Is pratH safe 10 assert aaf ha.
man conduct is controlled more by
uuwruru Jaws and ancient custom
than by the statutes of The existence
Of which many are made aware Tor
che first time WAlu having inviting.
~ transgresaed them, they are called
upon 10 suffer consequence pm
sshmcut
How Otherwise IS 70 be explained
the conscientious keeping up OF quaint
obser'auces which are required
neither by written law nor apparent
reason?
These customs are, as rule. as
ISOLATED With red letter days of the
ecclesiastical calendar. and Good Fri
day has its share OF this old fashion.
ed devotion with some women 90
che English midands there is po-
cent belief that ON the great fastday
OF the year Il is wholly impious 20
do the family washing or acmbbIng
though 20 bake or sew is perfectly
permissible employment And though
80 enter upon an understanding ON
ordinary Friday U.s.. as rule looked
upon as step II illumcn. yet The
beginning ~ the years work I'm the
garden is with many among th"
working classes rrlieunsly reserved
Cor Good Friday and III propItious
spring weather it Is a very agreeable
sight 10 see the men M their health
ful spade work Ito borrow q phrase
from current POLITICAL rhetoric I'D
their limited urban garden plots or
more open suburban allutments The
day could hardly be better spent hy
mcn confined go factories or ware
houses in their quest Of livelihood
and. as it Is the first week day In .hr
year that they get free from their
ordinary avooatims its conservation
10 garden WorI IFS ln some mcasur,
explained But ll rs just possible lha'
Vhe custom is survival Of the belief
chat prevailed iu old mnuastic times
when Calvary clover The blood spo'
ted little plant with seed pot case
which when pulled out resembles
miniature crown ~ thorns, was sup
posed not 10 grow unless sown ON
Good Friday or is 10 due 90 be.
lief that the hcucircnt influence nf
the holy day extends no less 20 ma
terial than 20 spiritual matters as is
confessed In some parts ~ The coup
cry. where the good fnll say tha'
cross buns made ON that day never
become mouldy and That Good FrI
day baked loaf hung hi Tho kitchen
averts llluck and crumbs grated
from II as required are an excellent
remedy for numerous ailments
A Cornish custom indiasolubly con.
meets tho gathering OF limpcts cookies
aud wrinkles with Good Friday. and
Che practice Of Rocking 10 the wafer
60 gather the shcllhsh on that dag.
once general throughout the country.
ts still observed in some of It's out
ofthe.way corners. But the origin of
this quaint custom Is far 10 seek az
"a that OF playing marbles with witch
innocent pastime both boys and mon
In certain Sussex villages feel I'm duty
5ound TO acknowledge the advent ~
food Friday, while az the soaboard OF
che same county az Brighton. be Il
lnown-the day was for long hailed
as Long Rope pay" from the strange
sustom kept mp until within quite rc.
rent year. az the fishing fraternity
amusing themselves throughout the
cay by numbers IL them Erowuup
skipping together at one long
fope.
What ancient aspects ot Good Fri.
Jays great lesson such customs were
Intended 90 perpeuate u rs difficult
Go discover. and the most patient and
prolonged antiquarian and ecclcsiolo.
clcal investigation 10 this end would
probably prove futile AZ first blush