Sunday, February 13, 2005

Valentine's Eve love spells

In olde England, Valentine's Eve, February 13, was one of a number of nights throughout the year on which prognostications would be made in order to discover when one would find a lover, and who that lover would be. An English practice of the mid-eighteenth century was for a girl to gather five bay-leaves. One was pinned to each of the four corners of the girl's pillow, and one in the middle. If she dreamed of her sweetheart she would be married before the year was out.

To make it more sure, and the dream presumably more vivid, the girl would hard-boil an egg, take out the yolk, fill it with salt, and eat it shell and all at bedtime, without speaking or drinking after it. I tried it last year but I think it only works for females

This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives, with many more links, at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date (or your birthday) when you're there.

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