The Long List of Old Wives Tales and the Watermelon with One Seed

Today while cutting a seedless watermelon I saw one black seed in it.   Watermelons today are typically seedless, but the ones I grew up with were loaded with seeds.   The loan black seed brought back memories of old wives tales I heard in my days as a kid.  I remember when I was younger I was told that if I ate the seeds of a watermelon a tree would grow in me.  That memory made me smile because I really believed it to be true and I avoided all watermelon seeds as a kid.

 

The loan black seed in a seedless watermelon.

An old wives tale is typically defined as a belief, usually superstitious and wrong, that is passed on by word of mouth.  In the Philippines we tend to pass on a lot of old wives tales.

The old wife passing on an old wives tale!

Here are a few old wives tales that I have compiled.  I am sure you have heard of a few of them.  If you have any that are not on the list please send me the information on the comments section.

I know that old wives tales are untrue and I am really trying not to pass on the habit of saying them to my kids.  Once in a while though, one or two may have passed my lips!

1.  If you make a face at your Mom, like sticking your tongue out, and someone hits your back, the funny look will permanently stay on your face.

2. If you spill salt or have extra salt you have to throw it over your shoulder to ward of the devil and bad luck.  Never just throw the salt away.

3.  Never swallow gum because it takes  7 years to go through your system!

4.  Beware of Friday the 13th because bad luck usually happens.

5.  If you blow a dandelion you can make a wish and it will come true.

6.  If you break a mirror you will have 7 years of bad luck.

7.  If you knock on wood the bad luck that was supposed to come to you will be bounced away.

8.  A four-leaf clover or rabbits foot are lucky.

9  Don’t walk under a ladder or you will have bad luck.

10.  Don’t open an umbrella in a house or you will have bad luck.

11.  Don’t put a mirror in front of the door of your entrance way or money and luck will be reflected away from your home.

12.  If you carry an acorn in your pocket you will have good luck.

13.  Oysters are an aphrodisiac and will make you fall in love.

14.  Don’t clean your house at night and let the dust out of the door because you will sweep away your good luck.

15.  Don’t swim after you eat.  You have to wait at least one hour or you will get bad cramps that could lead to drowning.

16.  If your palms are itchy you will get money.

17.  If your eye is twitching you will get money.

18.  While having a meal and a utensil falls it means that you will have a guest.  If a spoon falls the guest will be a girl.  If a fork falls it will be a boy.  If a knife falls it could be either a boy or girl.

19.  You can make a wish on the first star you see.

20.  If you sleep with a bar of soap in bed this should prevent leg cramps (Charlie horses).

21.  Extreme heart burn when you are pregnant means you will have a hairy baby.

22.  If you are pregnant and you have a pointy stomach then you will have a boy.  If your stomach is rounded then you will have a girl.

23.  Eating chocolate will give you pimples.