New Brunswick

Entries

• #133

  Draw a single hair from the head strongly between the thumb and finger-nail. If it curls up, you are proud.

  The same result indicates that you are cross.

  St. John, N. B., and Prince Edward Island.
  Cape Breton.
• #139

  The letter formed by the veins on the inside of the wrist is the initial of the name of the future husband or wife.

  St. John, N. B.
• #168

  Lay in the hand four apple-seeds and have some one name them, then pick them up, saying,—

  This one I love all others above,
  And this one I greatly admire,
  And this one I’ll take and never forsake.
  And this one I’ll cast in the fire.

  St. John, N. B.
• #216

  A formula for daisy petals:—

  He loves me,
  He don’t;
  He’ll have me,
  He won’t;
  He would if he could,
  But he can’t.

  New Brunswick.
• #218

  Another:—

  Hate her,
  Have her,
  This year,
  Next year,
  Sometime,
  Never.

  New Brunswick.
• #244

  Write two names (of possible lovers), cross out the common letters. Touch the uncrossed letters, repeating in turn, “Love, friendship, hate,” and the last uncrossed letter will indicate the state of the heart.

  Prince Edward Island, St. John, N. B., and Northern Ohio.
• #254

  Take a live-forever leaf, squeeze it to loosen the inner and outer skin. If it makes a balloon as you blow into it, you will be married and live a long time. If it does not, you will be an old maid.

  St. John, N. B.
• #255

  Stick a piece of live-forever up on the wall, and in whatever direction it leans, the lover will come from that quarter.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #261

  Pluck three thistles in bloom, cut off the purple part and put the remainder of the flower in water over night, after naming. The one that blooms out over night you will marry.

  St. John, N. B., and Northern Ohio.
• #274

  Take a “beau” (a little stem) from the tea and put it in your shoe. The first man you meet you will marry.

  St. John, N. B.
• #282

  Float two cambric needles on water and name them. If they float together, they’ll marry. If they float apart, they won’t marry.

  Petit Codiac, N. B.
• #304

  On Halloween hang an apple by the door just the height of the chin. Rub the chin with saliva, stand about six inches from the apple, and hit the chin against the apple. If it sticks to the chin, you will be married, and your true love will stick to you.

  St. John, N. B.
• #312

  On Halloween go upstairs backwards, eating a hard boiled egg without salt, and looking in the glass. You will see your future husband in the glass, looking over your shoulder.

  St. John, N. B.
• #329

  Don’t let another person put on your engagement ring, taken from your finger, or the engagement will be broken.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #337

  To be married in a brown dress is good luck; black is bad.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #350

  Wednesday is the luckiest day on which to be married. Saturday is the unluckiest. Friday is also unlucky.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #373

  If you button your dress up unevenly, it is a sign that your lover is thinking of you.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #403

  If you have good success in building a fire, you will have a smart husband; if bad success, a lazy husband.

  St. John, N. B., and Ohio.
• #417

  Two spoons in a cup is the sign of a wedding.

  Bathurst, N. B., and Wisconsin.
• #438

  Find a stray eyelash; place it on the back of the hand with a wish; blow it off. If it blows off at the first trial, the wish will come true.

  St. John, N. B., and Pennsylvania.
• #486

  To dream of a horse is a sign of a letter.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #489

  To dream of dogs and horses is a sign of good luck.

  St. John, N. B.
• #493

  To dream of a cat means an enemy. If in the dream you conquer the cat, you will conquer the enemy.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #514

  It is bad luck to dream of fire.

  St. John, N. B.
• #519

  To dream of fire means hasty news. To dream of smoke means trouble.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #538

  To dream of walking through snow means sickness.

  St. John, N. B.
• #553

  To dream of smooth water means good luck; of rough water means ill luck.

  St. John, N. B.
• #555

  To dream of clear, sparkling water means good luck.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #556

  To dream of milky or roily water means death or disaster.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #566

  Sleep on a piece of wedding cake, and the one you dream about will be your future partner in life.

  New Brunswick.
• #578

  To dream of an anchor means good luck.

  St. John, N. B.
• #594

  To dream of dough in a bread pan is the sign of a coffin.

  New Brunswick.
• #595

  To dream of dough in a black pan is a sign of a corpse.

  Miramichi, N.B.
• #615

  If you begin a piece of work on Friday, it will be a very short or a very long job.

  St. John, N. B.
• #632

  The luck is especially good if the loop end is towards you, that is, if you meet it.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #635

  To find a horseshoe nail is good luck, especially if the head is towards you.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #681

  It is unlucky to lose a glove.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #716

  If a group of bubbles are floating on the tea or coffee cup, take them up in a spoon, and swallow them unbroken, saying, “Save my money.”

  Plymouth and Salem, Mass., and New Brunswick.
• #725

  If the left hand itches and you rub it on wood, you’ll receive money before the end of the week.

  Rub it on wood
  To make it good.

  Very common in New Brunswick and New England.
• #730

  If you sew in the twilight, you will never be rich.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #731

  If you mend or sew on a garment while wearing it, you will always be poor.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #737

  If you drop a slice of bread with the buttered side up, it is a sign of a visitor.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #746

  If you almost drop a dish-cloth and catch it before it falls, it is a sign of a visitor.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #760

  A needle dropping on the floor and sticking up means visitors.

  St. John, N. B.
• #819

  A man who “stuck a nail in his foot” was told by a neighbor to pull it out, grease it, and hang it up in the “chimbly,” otherwise he might have lockjaw.

  New Brunswick.
• #876

  To drink the water in which eggs have been boiled will cause internal warts.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #906

  Split a pea and rub the wart with both pieces, make a wish that some person shall get the wart, throw one piece over one shoulder and the other over the other (into the river), and the wart will go to the person wished.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #1101

  Take out money and shake it in the hand on first seeing the new moon; it will increase your wealth.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #1110

  Some say you can see the man’s axe and dog in the moon.

  New Brunswick.
• #1120

  Plant peas and potatoes in the increase of the moon.

  Miramichi, N. B.
• #1131

  To make hair grow, cut it in the new of the moon.

  N. F., N. B., N. S., Me., Mass., and Talladega, Ala.
• #1259

  To meet a funeral is bad luck. To avert it, turn round and take three steps backward before going on.

  St. John, N. B.
• #1263

  If a grave is covered on Friday, another in the same family will follow inside of a year.

  Chatham, N. B.
• #1312

  If you make a rhyme involuntarily, you will have a present.

  New Brunswick.
• #1329

  If you stub your toe going anywhere, it means a disappointment.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #1340

  If the right cheek burns, some one is speaking well of you; if the left, they are speaking ill of you; if both, they speak well and ill at once. Moisten the finger in the mouth and touch it to the cheek, naming those whom you suspect; the one at whose name it grows cool was speaking of you.

  New Brunswick.
• #1374

  “Smooches” made on the face by soiled fingers (called beauty spots in Ohio) mean a present.

  New Brunswick.
• #1408

  The looking-glass is often turned with the face to the wall, or taken out of the room during a thunder-storm, because “quick-silver is so bad to draw the lightning.”

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #1440

  A spark seen on a candle or lamp when the light is extinguished means the receipt of a letter.

  St. John, N. B., and Salem, Mass.
• #1444

  If chairs become entangled (legs interlaced, etc.), it means a quarrel.

  Bathurst, N. B.
• #1461

  If a spark or sparks jump out of the fire and hit you or come towards you, it is a sign some one has a spite or grudge against you.

  Bathurst, N. B.