CUSTOMS AND GAMES.

Guns were fired on all special occasions – weddings,
New Year’s Eve, visits of important people – especially politicians.

The merchant supporting the politician
would supply free gun powder. So you went and got a good
supply, fired away about a quarter to welcome the
politician, and kept the rest for bird-hunting.

Everybody had a flag and flagstaff. Flags were flown on all special occasions. Flags were raised at half-mast on the day a person died and the day of the funeral, but not on the days in between. The person was waked at home, and close kin lowered all their window blinds from the time of death until the funeral. During the funeral procession, all residents along the route lowered the blinds facing the road.

On Halloween night, we would go to the cellar after dark and pick out a large, smooth potato, then peel it all in one string and throw the peel over the left shoulder. When it fell to the floor, whatever letter of the alphabet it formed would be the initial of a future boy-friend or girl-friend.

Also on Halloween we would draw the letters of the alphabet on paper, cut them out, and float them on a pan of water overnight. Whichever ones were still on top of the water in the morning would be the initials of your romance. To find out who you would marry, you would eat salt fish before going to bed on Halloween. Whoever you dreamt gave you a drink of water would be your future spouse.

On Halloween at midnight, someone would throw a crust of bread outdoors and close the door - that kept the wolf away from the door for the coming year.

HARVESTING WOOD..... for firewood- cut in the wane of the moon – it will dry better. For fencing – cut in the growing of the moon – it will last longer.

BUTCHERING.....Butcher animals in the growing of the moon- the meat won’t shrink as much when cooked as it would if the animals were butchered in the wane of the moon. Some of the older farmers on the west coast of NF practiced these beliefs in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

In pre-Confederation Newfoundland, or at least in Corner Brook, not only did they have some odd superstitions but also one or two quaint ideas of what constituted Good Manners. Here are some examples:

1. It was bad manners to whistle or sing at the table.
2. If you met the minister of your church on the street, you were expected, as a boy, to stop, come to attention, pluck at the peak of your cap and say: ”Good day, Rev. So-& So.”
3. It was good form to walk on the outside of a lady if you were escorting her along the sidewalk.

webmaster: Sparkls
Last updated: June 25, 2006