Superstitions in the DR

[Larry]

Originally Posted by El Tigre

One my family always uses is to put cermic elephants with their A$$ facing to the front of the house. I believe it is done for "good luck".

Edited to add dollar marks since you can't say the actual word.

Interesting but why an elephant for good luck?? In most of the world, elephants are used to symbolize wealth so I would interpret an elephant facing into the house as a positive omen to bring wealth into the house. Just my take.

Larry

[Hillbilly]

The thing about the ironing and the fridge is a bunch of bull. It comes from the poorly wired houses and the fact that house servents used to (and some still do) go barefooted. When they touched the steel door of the fridge they became the "gound". And 110v can do some nerve damage.
That is why so many houses always have towells around the handle of the fridge...

Spasmo=spasms

Always cross yourself when passing a cemetary or a funeral.

NEver, ever work on Corpus Cristi.

If you eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Years, you will have a good year.

Always give a little rum to the dearly departed.

There are tons more.


HB

[jsizemore]

[quote=Hillbilly]The thing about the ironing and the fridge is a bunch of bull. It comes from the poorly wired houses and the fact that house servents used to (and some still do) go barefooted. When they touched the steel door of the fridge they became the "gound". And 110v can do some nerve damage.
That is why so many houses always have towells around the handle of the fridge...

Spasmo=spasms

was that because it was easier to tell a child it was bad luck than to explaine electricity?
John

[Hillbilly]

what the real reason was...

Even today, in my classes at the university, they don't know much about this..

HB

[Tom F.]

Hillbilly, My wife keeps hanging a towel on our frig and I keep taking it off. Now I know. I used to love running into airconditioned banks when I was all hot and sweaty. Many a Dominican warned me, and boy did it feel good. I forgot about dabbing a drop or two on the ground when you first open a bottle of rum or whiskey, "por los muertos". It's been a while since a opened up anything but a bottle of wine.

[Talldrink]

Originally Posted by toby

...P.S. on my Christmas trip to the DR I was driving in the car with a resident of Cabarete who was kind enough to give us a tour. My family burst out laughing as I announced that we would be safe and free of the evil eye on the trip...I had seen a nun in the car beside us and recieved a warm smile and wave...I waved back and I think she understood my feeling of gladness when I saw her....I know silly... but after that we all relaxed and had a really marvelous time with no worries. Toby

Toby, thank God I dont believe in any superstitions, I really dont remember EVER meeting a nun! I even went to a religious school when I was little (El Santa Rita) and NEVER met 'la madre superiora'

[pati]

Originally Posted by Larry

Interesting but why an elephant for good luck?? In most of the world, elephants are used to symbolize wealth so I would interpret an elephant facing into the house as a positive omen to bring wealth into the house. Just my take.

Larry

I have to agree with you. The only superstition I know of that makes reference to elephants is the trunk must be up and the trunk must also face the door. This is supposed to bring prosperity to you.I orginally heard this from an African American woman I used to work with.About a year ago I got into a discussion (argument) with my friend (who is German/Irish) over the direction the elephant in her house should be pointing.So to resolve the dispute she asked her neighbor (who is Dominican) because she collects elephants.Which just goes to show you some superstitions find their way into many cultures.

[sjh]

Fireflies are believed to be ghosts. I have seen many dominicans get nervous around them

[NY1]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

The thing about the ironing and the fridge is a bunch of bull. It comes from the poorly wired houses and the fact that house servents used to (and some still do) go barefooted. When they touched the steel door of the fridge they became the "gound". And 110v can do some nerve damage.
That is why so many houses always have towells around the handle of the fridge...

Not sure about that Hillbilly. My understanding of this superstition goes back even further. Before there were electric irons, the iron was heated by fire. Therefore while standing near the open flame to heat the iron, your body temp would go up, thus the change in temp with the cold firdge.
That's what my grandma said, can't argue with that.

[MrMike]

So there was no 'lectricity for irons, but there was for the fridge? Did your grandma have to watch television by candlelight, too?