Belize - Belizeans.com - Old Wives Tale
Belizeans.com

June 3, 2002
Belizean Old Wives Tale !

Remember those strange stories you've heard? E-mail your "Old Wives Tale" here Or give your version & meaning.
Tales are different from "Proverbs" See our proverbs list here!
Remember: There could be more than one meaning in your family. So if the meaning is different from what you know please tell us. We'll add more than one meaning!

The next two submitted by: [email protected]

If wah dog di bark or yowl da night i di see ghost.
If a dog is barking or yowling at night it means that he is seeing a ghost.

No put u purse pan di ground cause u no wa have no money.
Never leave your purse on the ground or else you won't have any more money.

The following 5 submitted by Elisa Levy
"If you dream of wedding, somebody you know is going to die"

"When a female has her menstrual period, or the "curse" as it is known, she must not go to church...she is being disrepectful if she does"

"You cannot see a newborn child during the "curse", you will strain it"

"If you right eye jumps, you will see a woman you haven't seen in a while, if the left one jumps, you gon see a man, or somebody gon pop you in it!

"To find out if someone is lying, hold a needle over a bible and call the person's name three times. If the needle is steady, he/she is telling the truth, if it moves back and forth they are LYING!"

The following 13 submitted by [email protected] (Debbiebooh)
If you get an irritation in the palm of your right hand you can look forward
to receaving money,while if it happens to the left then you will lose some.

It is said that if a woman's second toe is longer than her big
one, she will wear the trousers in any marrage she makes.

The next three submitted by Shelita
If you peel an orange without breaking the peel, you will get a new dress.

If you brush you feet with a broom while sweeping, you will marry a drunk man/woman.

If it is sunny while raining, the devil is having a fight with his wife.

If you bite your tongue while eating,you have recently told a lie.

If a black cat crosses your path, always make a wish.and should a stray arrive at your home then this is an omen of money to come.

If a pregnant woman walks over a suicide's grave she will have a miscarriage.

If a black cat crosses your path,always make a wish.and should a stray arrive at your home this is an omen of money to come.

Ferns are sometimes known as "devil's brushes; although it is said that if they are hung in the house they will protect it from thunder and lightning.If they are cut or burnt,they will bring on rain.

Any child born with a caul (a thin membrane which sometimes covers the head) will become a gifted speaker, a caul will protect them from shipwreck or drownings.

A drop of blood taken from the little finger of a man's left hand and secretly put in a woman's drink will make her fall passionately in love with him.

There has always been great deal of superstition attached to weddings and the bride in particular.something old,something new,something borrowed,something blue.

If your cheeks feel as if they are burning,somebody is talking about you.

If a black cat crosses your path, always make a wish.and should a stray arrive at your home then this is an omen of money to come.

The next one submitted by Ver Burrell
FART FREE WHEREVA YU MAY BE, FA NAT FARTIN WAS DE DETH OF PO MARY LEE.
Fart free wherever you may be, for not farting was the death of poor Mary Lee.
Meaning: IF A PERSON DOES NOT PASS GAS FREELY THEY CAN BECOME DEATHLY ILL OR EVEN DIE.

The next one submitted by [email protected]
If yu eat outa wa pot yu wa cry when yu married.
If you eat out of a pot you will cry when you get married.

The next three submitted by Sherlyn Baker
No open wha umbrela eena di house or yo wha have bad luck.
Do not open an umbrella indoors or you will have bad luck.

No waak anda wha ladda or yo wha have bad luck.
Do not walk under a ladder or you will have bad luck.

No mek wha black cat crass yo path or yo wha have bad luck.
Do not make a black cat cross in front of you or it will bring you bad luck.

If a lady bakes a cake and the cake drops; meaning the middle of the cake sinks, then the lady is pregnant!

If a child bends over forward and look beween his or her legs it is said that they are "looking fi deh bredda" (looking for their brother sister). Meaning that their mother is having another child soon!

If your palms itches it is said that you're going to get some money soon!

If your knees hurt that means the "wedda wahn change" (the weather will change; usally rain)

If a pregnant woman look at the moon during an eclipse her baby will have a cleft lip.

If you tickle a young child you will make him "stamma" (stutters)

If you walk over a person's feet while they're sitting or laying down, you will stunt his growth.

The next five submitted by Wendy:
Put a broom upside down behind a door and sprinkle salt to quickly prompt unwanted guests to leave.

If you sweep someone's feet while sweeping the floor, that person will not be able to find a husband / wife.

Break a mirror and you have seven years of bad luck.

Squirt breast milk into an infected eye to cure it.

Put garlic above the entrance door to ward off bad luck.

To cure a bad cough mix honey with lemon and swallow.

To cure a cold fry onions and lard.

Drink out of a "calabash" to cure stuttering.
A calabash is a small bowl. That's all I remember

During a severe thunder and lighting storm you should cover up your mirrors.

During an eclipse you should cover up all your windows and stay indoors.

A shot of whiskey or rum will burn out your cold.

A pregnant woman shouldn't watch a scary movie or the baby will be frightened.

Don't look at a baby from behind or you will cross the baby's eye.

Tie a red ribbon around the baby's wrist or put blue on the sole of his feet so nobody can "overlook" the baby.

Carry a bleeding-heart (a plant leaf) to bring you good luck.

A broken mirror is seven years bad luck.

A child cutting up paper means he is cutting his parent's luck.

The next six submitted by Mel
If a large moth flies into your home, you will have a visitor later.

Whenever you have a sudden shiver or momentarily catch cold seed (goosebumps), it's because someone has just stepped on your future grave spot.

When you hear owls crying or hooting at night, someone in the family is about to die.

A stranger who is not allowed to cuddle or touch a baby will give the child "mal ojo" or bad eye.

A balled up piece of thread stuck to a baby's forehead will cure hiccups or gripes.

If you put the cold or mucous from a dog's eye in your own, you will be able to see ghosts.

The next eight submitted by Helen. (Translated by Belizeans.com)
No sweep da night cause yo wah sweep out all yo luck.
Don't sweep at night because you will sweep out all of your luck.

Yo wah kill yo ma if yo wear one foot a shoes.
You will kill your mother if you wear one foot of your shoes.

Bruck wah mirror and get 7 years bad luck.
Break a mirror and you'll get 7 years bad luck.

Rub di back a di baby legs wid egg white fu mek i walk early
Rub the back of the baby's leg with white egg to make him walk early.

Plant or carry ruuda (and garlic?) ina yo purse fu good luck (or fu always have money?)
Carry garlic in your purse for good luck (of for always having money)

A baby mole will drop if yo look pawnah too hawd?
A baby mole will drop if you look upon him too hard

If yo stretch when yo pregnant yo wah strangle di baby wid the umbilical chord.
If a pregnant woman stretches you will strangle the baby with the umbilical cord.

If yo wear yo nightgown backwards, ghost di badda yo.
If you wear your nightgown backwards, ghosts will bother you.

A baby or child that is crying to much is crying away somebody. (Meaning death is near)

The a bird poops in your pocket then it's good luck!

You could clean the thruss (Belizeans say trash) on a baby's tongue with the baby's urine.

The next six submitted by Gamarugu:
If someone picks out a piece of thread from your hair, you will be receiving a letter.

If you eyes start jumping for a couple of days, you will be seeing a long time friend or someone you once met.

If a young child is in the habit of always cutting up paper , someone in the family will die soon.

If you dream of mud or flour, someone will get sick.

If you dream of a tooth or teeth falling out your mouth , someone dear to you or someone you know very will will die.

If you dream of fish, it means that someone you know is pregnant.

Belizeans.com