One thing is you put Vick’s vapor rub on your socks and feet. It’s supposed to help clear up congestion. I heard about it when my daughter was a baby, because I couldn’t give her cold medicine. You’re supposed to put menthol on their feet with socks on, because you can’t put it on their chest.
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I had not heard of this, but this sounds like folklore that would be shared more with new parents or babysitters.
Cinnamon and honey, eat it with a spoon and it’s supposed to sooth your throat and help you stop coughing. My niece was coughing all the way to school once, and I just gave her a dixie cup of honey and cinnamon and she stopped coughing. And it tastes really good too.
I’ve heard of this before, though I can’t recall where. I haven’t personally had much luck with it, but I can vouch for it tasting very good.
Train letters. Basically letters that you write to your friends. Historically it would be you write this letter, and then your friend or you lover on the train ride back—but on the ride back from camp. I wrote several for my cabin mates.
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I had never heard of this practice before, but it seems cute and thoughtful. I like the historical tie-in, and how it no longer has anything to do with trains but it’s still called such.
The subject speaks on the way members of her Nigerian church in NYC protected against curses and witchcraft.
I went to Nigerian church every week and Nigerian church is its own thing let me tell you [laughs]. For Nigerians, and West Africans in general, you don’t want to tell someone you’re pregnant or that you got a promotion or good news because if you tell them, they could do voo-doo on you or something, you know?
So is it impolite in Nigeria to ask if someone is having a baby or to ask about someone’s health?
It’s not impolite. But Nigerians don’t ask because they know nobody will answer. For example if someone asks me if my dad is on a trip to Nigeria I can’t say, “yes.” I have to say, “well, he’s not here.”
And is the reason for this fear other people or fear something else like a demonic spirit?
No, it’s other people. It’s because you want to make sure people don’t have enough information to do witchcraft on you. But really you only have to be afraid of other Africans [laughs].
I would always here these stories in my church of these things happening. A lot of stories from our pastor’s wife. There was this one story that at a wedding a woman came up to the bride and waved her hand over [the bride’s] stomach. And then for three years the couple couldn’t have children. And they had to track down this woman and ask her “did you make us infertile.”
And the woman said, “yeah it was me.” And because they found the source they could have kids again. I heard stories like that in church every week.
Interview with the source, speaking on signs of bad luck her Nigerian American family in New York taught her:
Nigerians have things that are bad luck. Nigerians don’t go near cats because they have the devil in them. And Nigerians aren’t left handed, it’s considered evil.
What happens if a Nigerian kid is born left handed?
They’ll have to switch. Their parents would never let them stay left handed. That’s why I don’t know any left-handed Nigerians. And it’s considered bad luck to use your left hand to do things, like if you hand someone a cup, you have to use your right hand.
Who in your family taught you this?
Everyone.
Your brothers and sister too?
Yes, everyone. Everyone.
So, do you still believe it?
No, no I don’t believe that it’s bad luck or the devil. But I still hand people things with my left hand because I don’t think it’s as polite. It’s not as respectful I think to use your left hand.
Would your parents visit someone’s house if they had a cat?
Sure, they wouldn’t care. But they would not get a cat as a pet themselves. Well also because I’m allergic and they wouldn’t do that to me.