sheff_minx Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Originally posted by peterdo I think it was called "First footing". A tradition still alive and well in Scotland! Many a time when I stayed at my Grans in Edinburgh for Hogmanay, was I dragged out of bed as a youngster given a bit of coal and told to come in only when I heard them all cheering... It seemed strange to me as a nipper as my gran had a gas fire but hey... She still does it now she's moved to Derbyshire as her neighbours are all, strangely, Scottish!! The idea is, as peterdo said, to keep the fire burning into, and therefore throughout, the new year, ensuring warmth to the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albatross Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Hat on the bed , shoes on the table were ones I used to hear too. Then there were ones like, Crossed knives means cross words. If you dropped a knife it was a disappointment for you if you picked it up but a suprise for someone else to pick it up for you. If you gave a friend a knife as a gift you must receive a coin from them or it would cut the friendship. or a purse you would put a coin in it, if you gave it empty it would always be empty. A whistling woman wakens the devil. A black cat crossing your path was supposed to be bad luck but to stroke one brought good luck. If we took notice of em all we would never have left the house:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjenkinson Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 My Mother always said - a hanging wall picture to fall or to dear a dog howl was a sign of a death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dowkeruk Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 We used (in the 40's) to cross our fingers when we saw an ambulance and only uncrossed them when we saw a four legged animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 And of course everyone knew of the dire consequences of treading on the cracks between flagstones:nono: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parcher Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 I am from London originally and my family hail originally from Devon. Down there, black cats are lucky and we also hang onto our collars when we see an ambulance and then hunt for a dog before our fingers go numb! It is unlucky to try on a new right shoe first, you should try on the left - thats why most shoe shops put the left one out only. (or is it the other way round - always get my lefts and rights mixed up!!!!) We can put new shoes on a table, but only if the sole faces upwards. You should not try on anyone elses wedding ring. Their taking it off symbolises the breaking of the marriage and putting it on your own finger suggests that you are the culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbinabobin Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 Fab. thread here....brings back memories Do you know the one about if you drop a glove, dont pick it up, let someone else do it for you and they will get a surprise? Also remember getting coins for showing off Whitsuntide clothes to the neighbours. Must have cost all our parents a small fortune!! As I'm a Rotherham gal...can anyone remember the Whit parade to Clifton Park with a float from almost every Church in Rotherham following a Sunday School Queen and retinue down to Masbro' and then up Doncaster Gate (lots of patients at the hospital there were wheeled out onto the front) I was always as shepherd or something on the float and would wave wildly to all and sundry before going round Clifton Park with a collecting tin for charity. Did anyone else go to ' Sunshine Corner' at the bandstand? Just remembered.... whenever we saw an ambulance we would say...' Cross my fingers, cross my toes, never want to go in one of those!!' Cheers everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jossman Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I was always taught to fold my clothes before going to bed and place my socks in the shape of a cross, on top. We were not a religious family in any sense or even church goers, but this practice was carried out nightly. BTW this was late 40's. All my young mates did the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40summat Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 Our dad would make us eat slice of bread and butter with fruit salad and cream, if we didn't want the bread we couldn't have the sweet, i think it was to remind us pudding was a luxury although i never found out why, and i've never heard of anyone else doing this. or maybe he was just barking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyleys Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Originally posted by 40summat Our dad would make us eat slice of bread and butter with fruit salad and cream, if we didn't want the bread we couldn't have the sweet, i think it was to remind us pudding was a luxury although i never found out why, and i've never heard of anyone else doing this. or maybe he was just barking! Yes i remember that, it was somewhat of a ritual on sunday evening for tea we had fruit salad and carnation cream with bread and butter to dip into the juice then if there were any bits of bread half eaten my dad would say" chuck em in't oven "(the oven was built into the fire place the oven was never used but the fire was ) the bread would dry out a bit like that slimmers bread,and in the week if you were hungry my dad would say " av a luk in't oven lad n seef dis owt deer" it was lovely a bit of a treat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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