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Monday's Child is Fair of Face: And Other Traditional Beliefs About Babies
Pregnancy and childbirth both remain mystical and magical times, characterized by feelings of hope, uncertainty, and worry. No matter how many scientific innovations come along, there is still room for home-grown beliefs and traditions handed down through the family. Couples buying a stroller may still ask for it to be delivered after the birth, and some grandparents will shrink from tickling the baby's feet in case it grows up to have a stammer. Countless beliefs and customs are gathered in this intriguing collection, along with explanations on how and why they arose, in which parts of Britain they have been particularly popular, and to what extent they survive today. Arranged thematically, this is an interesting blend of familiar, unfamiliar, and frankly bizarre beliefs.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 2, 2023
This was a delightful book with sketched illustrations that explores the folklore around babies & children – it covers everything from why birthmarks might appear, or whether tickling a child feet will cause it to develop a stammer, to more well known rhymes and beliefs such as whether “Monday’s Child is really Fair of Face”.
The book explores folklore from across the British Isles & I found myself smiling as I read tales from my own area, but I was also fascinated by customs peculiar to the Channel islands, Scotland and Ireland. It’s interesting to understand how some developed & then became redundant as life changed (eg we no longer burn milk-teeth but allow them to be taken by the tooth fairy, probably because few people have open fires in their homes nowadays. I was interested to read that a baby should be carried upstairs before going down to ensure they will rise in the world – even if that meant climbing onto a chair or the top of a chest of drawers holding baby because they were born upstairs!
I think this book will appeal to anyone with some interest in folklore, though I would caution new/expectant mothers to perhaps not read this if they are superstitious for fear that they will worry that they have to do everything (even the bits that contradict themselves) & whether they will put baby in danger if they don’t!
The book explores folklore from across the British Isles & I found myself smiling as I read tales from my own area, but I was also fascinated by customs peculiar to the Channel islands, Scotland and Ireland. It’s interesting to understand how some developed & then became redundant as life changed (eg we no longer burn milk-teeth but allow them to be taken by the tooth fairy, probably because few people have open fires in their homes nowadays. I was interested to read that a baby should be carried upstairs before going down to ensure they will rise in the world – even if that meant climbing onto a chair or the top of a chest of drawers holding baby because they were born upstairs!
I think this book will appeal to anyone with some interest in folklore, though I would caution new/expectant mothers to perhaps not read this if they are superstitious for fear that they will worry that they have to do everything (even the bits that contradict themselves) & whether they will put baby in danger if they don’t!
July 6, 2020
Absolutely loved this book. Just gorgeous.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews