Yesterday, the 18th we had the first new moon of 2026 and the first new moon of the year was very useful in the past for girls wanting to find out who they would marry.....
On the evening of the January new moon sit on a gate or across a stile, look at the moon and repeat:
All hail to the moon, all hail to thee, I prithee good moon reveal to me this night who my husband should be.
After that they would go home and straight to bed and their intended would be revealed in their dreams and apparently putting a sprig of oregano under the pillow would make the dreams clearer.
Did girls really do this?
I do wonder where some of these old sayings come from.
I have a theory that a lot of folklore was made up in the 19th century. I mean have you ever peeled an apple to keep the skinning peel intact so you can throw it over your shoulder and reveal your husband to be his initial?
ReplyDeleteNowadays they would take to Instagram etc to ask their followers who to marry-21st century folklore! Catriona
ReplyDeleteI think if I put some oregano under my pillow I would just be dreaming about culinary matters. :-)
ReplyDeleteEven nowadays, people will believe crazy things that they read online.
ReplyDeleteOh Ellen! I do LOVE you!
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been fascinated by the moon in its different phases. Some believe it has a spiritual power. Cali
ReplyDeleteI suspect someone took this seriously.
ReplyDeleteWhether it produced the results expected or not, we will never know.
That said, I've come across people that I would never have expected to believe in ghosts and tarot card readings.
I wonder how they could SEE the New Moon, since I understand that a new moon is when the moon is entirely shaded, or when the dark side is completely facing the earth. Thus, while scientists can look at a new moon, ordinary people sitting on a stile or gate are apt to have difficulties.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! I love the idea that these folklore sayings are the old time version of online rubbish
ReplyDeleteProbably caught their death trying to see the moon! X
ReplyDeleteWhen much younger, a lady that I know remonstrated with me over how I made a coffee - "if you put milk in before the coffee you will end up with red hair" - (a) what the heck? How? Why? Also (b) I paid for my hair to be red in those days, how come this newly founded old-wives tale didn't work?
ReplyDeleteI love that illustration!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like some interesting folklore!