Superstitions on babies and birth

Superstitions on babies and birth

• A baby born from a red water sac is believed to have great powers and double sight.
• A baby born when the moon is rising will be a girl.
• A baby born with a large mouth will be a good singer.
• A baby born with big ears will be generous.
• A baby born with open hands and out-stretched fingers will be prosperous.
• A baby born with teeth could be a vampire.
• A baby that is born feet first will have healing abilities.
• A child born feet first or breech will be lamed in an accident.
• Babies born at midnight can see ghosts.
• Babies born at night will stay awake at night.
• Babies born on Sunday cannot be harmed by evil spirits.
• Birth is made easier if all the locks in the house are open and you keep an axe under the bed.
• Firstborn children are protected from witchcraft.
• Thursday has one lucky hour, just before sunrise, for birth.
• To hold a newborn baby while menstruating would cause the baby strain.

It is good luck to:

• Brush your baby with a rabbit’s foot.
• Carry a baby upstairs when first taking it out into the world.
• Give a new baby a gift of bread or salt.
• Have a baby born with a caul.
• Have a baby first clasp something using it’s right hand.
• Have a baby sneeze.
• Kiss a newborn baby.
• Put a string of coral beads around your baby’s neck.
• Rub a baby’s head with money.
• Spit on a newborn baby.

It is bad luck to:

• Carry a baby downstairs when first taking it into the world.
• Carry a child on the left side.
• Cut a baby’s nails before it is twelve months old.
• Dress a baby by putting clothes over its head instead of its feet.
• Dress a baby in black.
• Give away all a baby’s clothes when you have finished with them.
• Let a cat in the room of a newborn baby.
• Let babies see themselves in a mirror before they are six months old.
• Step over a crawling infant.
• Wash a baby’s hands before it is twelve months old.
• Watch a baby as it sleeps.
• Wean a baby in early spring.
• Weigh a newborn baby.