If you’ve ever lived in Appalachia, you know people have superstitions to explain just about everything. Christmas is no exception.
Experts believe these traditions have evolved over a long period of time. Europeans passed them down for many years, and American settlers brought them to the New World. As people moved across the country over time, those traditions changed.
You may have heard of these traditions or similar stories.
1. Animals kneel at midnight
According to an old legend, animals kneel, face east and speak at midnight on Christmas Eve. Or according to who you talk to - it could be midnight on Old Christmas Eve - the night of January 6.
The old legend says that midnight is the exact moment Jesus was born.
The story is also common in northern Europe.
2. Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a popular holiday decoration, but it is also at the heart of a couple superstitions.
One is that if you put mistletoe under your pillow on Old Christmas, you’ll see the face of your true love in your sleep.
The other piece of folklore involves the Easter story. The old wives’ tale says that mistletoe was once a full tree, and it was used to make Jesus’ cross. After that, the tree was so ashamed that it shriveled up into a small shrub and hid in other trees. But, according to the legend, Jesus felt sorry for the mistletoe so he made it a lucky decoration for people to hang in their homes.
A similar story exists involving the Easter story and Dogwood trees.
3. Predicting winter weather
For a lot of people in Appalachia, superstition was - and is - an important part of the weather.
In December, the legend says that the number of frosts you see during the month will tell you how much rain you’ll see in January. The superstition is based on Dutch folklore.
Some people still base their winter weather predictions on superstitions like these or on the Old Farmer's Almanac.
4. Two yolks in an egg
Decades ago, most women in Appalachia likely spent a lot of time baking - leading up to the holidays. One old wives’ tale says that if a woman found an egg with two yolks, it meant she would have twins that year.
5. A cricket on the hearth
If you grew up in Appalachia, someone probably told you not to kill a cricket because they’re considered lucky.
Spotting a cricket on your hearth around Christmas was considered especially lucky. It meant you’d have good luck all year.
6. Fruitcake
Fruitcake was also considered good luck in old Appalachian tradition. Eating a piece of “fruitcake” was supposed to bring you luck all year.
People in Appalachia had a different idea of what “fruitcake” was, though. Most people actually used the term “fruitcake” when referring to Apple Stack Cake, which was a little bit more appealing to most folks.
