Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1916 — Christmas Superstition. [ARTICLE]

Christmas Superstition.

The United States is almost poverty stricken In so far as its collection of superstitions Is concerned, our early settlers having failed to import many from Europe and not adopting those of the Indians. Of course some of us don’t like to see the new moon over the left shou|der or start a journey on Friday and the like, but few of us take even these very seriously. We must go to “the old countries" to get superstitions with any genuine thrill in them. There are a number which have to do with Christmas. In north Germany, where the practical yet poetic spinning wheel still hums in the cottages, * one must not spin during the twelve nights of Christmas lest he or she walk after death. (To the American reader it may occur that this would probably be more disturbing to others than to oneself.) If the spinning is dene after sunset on Saturday mice will eat the work.