New baby and mirror

london777

Bronze
Dec 22, 2005
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Since living here I have acquired a lot of folk wisdom, such as never to open the fridge while ironing, which could prove fatal.

I recently held a month-old baby up to a mirror and brought a storm of criticism on my head. Apparently if young babies see themselves in a mirror this could delay their learning to speak by as much as a year.

Anyone else heard that one, or variants thereof?

Unsurprising really, as mirrors often have magical, and sometime sinister, properties in folklore worldwide.
 
Jul 28, 2008
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In old African-American fokelore, babies seeing themselves in a mirror will cause them to have difficulty teething or very paining teething.
 

london777

Bronze
Dec 22, 2005
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Silly of me. I should have googled it first. Enough material there to show that it is a worldwide superstition in various versions and is not peculiar to this island or to Africa. No one else mentions delay in speaking, but stuttering seems a common consequence, along with even more dire results.

Thanks to those who replied.
 

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
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Africada, please weigh-in.

Afri' is not African-American ;)

I know there are superstitions about mirrors and babies in Africa too, but can't remember (don't really believe in these things), something about babies can't recognize their own image to avoid mirrors.
 

pauleast

*** I love DR1 ***
Jan 29, 2012
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You should never let a baby look into a mirror, however its O.K for the mother to hold them with one hand while riding on the back of a moto concho going 45 mph after Raul just consumed 8 el Presadentes
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
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Here is a list of superstitions. I imagine that there are lots more than these.

I don't think refrigerators and irons is a common one, nor a very old one, since refrigerators and even iceboxes are fairly recent household gadgets.


Superstition Bash - CSI

XO:

I will leave but, please remember, regular forums are for contents that pertain to DR only.
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
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You should never let a baby look into a mirror, however its O.K for the mother to hold them with one hand while riding on the back of a moto concho going 45 mph after Raul just consumed 8 el Presadentes

No selfies?
 
Aug 6, 2006
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The supersticiones dominicanas site I posted, for some reason does not work.

Here are the superstitions that were listed there.

Supersticiones y creencias dominicanas...
Posted by ODIL RIVAS

1.No se puede beber agua fr?a despu?s de una comida caliente porque se "pasma".

2.El hilo en la frente para quitar el hipo a un beb?.

3.Las ni?as en desarroll? no pueden comer frutas.

4.No te pongas la mano en la cabeza por que se muere tu mama.

5.Si te cae el primer aguacero de mayo quiere decir que tendras buena suerte por todo el a?o.

6.Las mujeres que abren un paraguas o sombrillas bajo techo se quedan jamonas osea que no se casan.

7.Que si ibas al rio te volvias pez en semana santa. mito comprobado!

8.La sabila detras de la puerta aleja lo malo.

9.La herradura atras de la puerta para que haya suerte.

10. El asabache pal' mal de ojo... eso es mito o realidad?

11.La mujer embarazada no puede comer conc?n porque se le desprende la placenta.

12.No se puede tomar cafe' de pie porque "se le barajan los planes"

13.Cuando las ni?as estan "brindando" no deben quedarse con la bandeja vacia en la mano porque "se quedan jamonas"

14.No se puede barrer sobre los pies de las ni?as porque se "van ca casar con un viejo".

15.Si llueve el dia de tu boda: La novia le gustaba comer en el caldero/paila.

16.Si te sue?as con dientes, o en una boda: Significa que alguien va a morir.

17.Que No Me Carguen El Bebe Si Tienen La Menstruacion, y La Mama Que Tiene Despues Del Parto ?

18.Que Llueve Con El Sol Afuera, Disque Se Casa Una Bruja.

19.Si una mujer tiene la menstruacion no se puede lavar la cabeza.

20.Otra creencia dominicana es que si te lleg? visita y deseas que se vaya pronto, pones una escoba detr?s de una puerta y le salpicas sal a la escoba.
 
Jul 28, 2008
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A variant of #14 above, from southern African-American culture, says that if you sweep the feet of a person, that person will never marry. My mother, grandmother, and aunts would always make us lift our feet when they were sweeping.