Folk Superstition- The Evil Eye

When I was home for spring break, my mother was wearing this red string around her left wrist.  At the time I didn’t pay it much attention, but when I told her about my folklore collection, she told me something about it that I could not leave out of the collection. Wearing a red string around your left wrist prevents bad luck and doesn’t allow the evil eye to interfere with you.  I was not totally sure what she meant by the evil eye, so the questioning began.

I asked her more about the evil eye and where she learned the story.  She said she learned about it on her trip to Morocco.  Supposedly, the evil eye dates back to around 3000 BC.  My mother said wearing the red string around your left wrist is an old Moroccan tradition passed down from medieval times.  She said this was told to her on biking trip there in one of the town’s.  She can’t remember if a local or a tour guide told it, but nevertheless, she bought some type of evil eye souvenir and this red string.  When   I asked her why she wore it and what she thought of the superstition, she said, “I don’t really know if I believe it necessarily, but it is very unique and it brings back a lot of memories from the trip”.

When analyzing this, it is tough to generalize why others wear this string on their left wrist, but I think I know why my mother does.  Every time she looks down and sees this string, it reminds her of the trip.  This instantly connects her with Morocco and the wonderful times she had there.  This also connects her with the Moroccan culture.  It is something that most Americans don’t know about or have, so this changes her sense of identity in some respects.

Another interesting thing to notice is who told her the story of the evil eye.  If it was indeed a local, this could have been simply to tell an old Moroccan belief.  But I also believe it might have something to do with all the evil eye souvenirs.  Tourists who buy these Moroccan items help their business tremendously.  Whether the evil eye “exists” or not, selling things connected with it is a moneymaker in Morocco.

This can also be found in the following:

Evil Eye

Mark P. Taylor

Folklore, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Sep., 1933), pp. 308-309

Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.

Folk Superstition- The Blue Ribbon

When I was born, I came out three and a half months premature.  I almost died and had to stay in the hospital for three months following birth.  Because of this, I think my mom was always trying to find things that would bring me good luck.  When I was out of the hospital and taken home, my mom had a blue ribbon attached to my baby bed.  Of course I don’t remember seeing it then, but my mom kept it with her for quite some time.  She showed me it recently and said that putting a blue ribbon on a baby’s bed prevents bad luck from falling upon the baby.

My great grandfather, who is from Eastern Europe, told this story to her.  Supposedly he was very into superstitions and practiced them frequently.  My mother said this is only used on a baby’s bed, and shouldn’t be used otherwise.  I am not sure of the reasoning, but I have a good guess.

In most cultures, babies are seen as completely pure and innocent.  By the time a baby grows, innocence is already escaping them.  This blue ribbon that can only be placed on a baby’s bed might be done so for this reason.  It will protect them from bad luck during their first few months of life, so they will be lucky forever.

Another thing I found interesting was the color of the ribbon.  Since my family is Jewish, blue is seen as a color of beauty.  Supposedly, it is the color of God’s Glory.  It is a strange coincidence that blue was the color chosen.  I believe this superstition also helped my mom connect with her grandfather.  In a way, it allowed me to do the same.  Also, it probably connected my mom with her Eastern European heritage.  My mother tells people the ribbon was the reason for no complications after I left the hospital, but I think she just likes the story.