Colombian folklore or superstitions!

lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:25:

I got a neice in Austin and met a man from that local that was married to a Colombiana. He loaned me his cell on my three day odessy to get married in Medellin. His wife is a from Cali I think.

Tony

"cook some rice!"

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:36:

all popular superstitions I always heard it was the cold night air, the "sereno" that was harmful for new babies and also for the mothers up to 40 days after giving birth which marks the end of the "dieta" as the post-partum period is popularly called. During the "dieta" the new mother was not supposed to be exposed to cold air, drafts, mal de ojo etc since her uterus had not shrank to its normal size and was still open. She should stay at home, especially in the evenings, drink hot chocolate and eat plenty of good, nutritious chicken sancocho and in general be attended and pampered like a veritable queen. At the end of the 40 day dieta she was supposed to take herbal bath and after that she'd resume her normal activities. This is how it was in the time of our grandparents in Colombia, but some of these customs and superstitions still remmain, especially out in the country and in the pueblos.

The new baby should only receive direct sunlight in the mornings, between 9 and 10, aproximately and is often taken out after the morning bath still humid and wrapped in the towel to receive the milder and beneficial morning rays directly on the naked skin.

You won't get a stroke for opening the fridge door and grabbing an ice cold after working out, hot and sweaty. You might, however get a limited paralysis on your face or your hands. It's a medical fact, not a superstition. People that live in hot climates never expose themselves to such abrupt changes of temperaure; the classical example is not taking a cold shower after ironing clothes. According to my medical doctor friends in Colombia there have been several reported cases of small-area paralysis caused by the sudden change of temperature, always from hot to cold.

Makes me think how come we Finns don't get it when we run out and roll in the snow direct out of the sauna bath?

Aloe vera plant (Sábila) hung upside down on the top of the main door of the house is coomon superstition, especially in small towns. They say there's one on the door of every small-town whorehouse. It's supposed to bring financial wealth and amor to the people living at the house.

Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:40:

Mario I think the setting sun is more a superstition too...my wife is afraid of going insane. It isn't very cold in Louisiana in nThe summer. Although in Narino and SOnson it could well be the source of the fairy tale. she "saw this happen to a tio's espousa!!! jeejee"

A lot folk lore and old wifes tales are based in some reality. Like chicken soup being the best thing for a cold..etc etc.

Tony

"cook some rice!"

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lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:44:

Desi I explianed that to her. I used to have a membership in a health club in Houston that had an ice bath. I would sauna then swing over the ice filled whirlpool and drop in. I am also a repeat member of the polar bear club in Minnesota. Skinny dipping in a hole chopped in the lake.

I am hot natured.

tony

"cook some rice!"

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:49:

we do that too after sauna when there's a lake or some other facility nearby. Lots of people really enjoy skinny-dipping in a hole in the ice after sauna but I'm too chicken to try it. Rolling in the snow is bad enough.

I forgot to say that you're lucky you had a baby girl. Otherwise somebody would show up in the house to place a lighted candle under the testicles of the newborn baby boy. Not so close that it'd burn him, but close enough that the the heat from the candle would make the testicles to move up a bit and not hang between the legs and thus be an impediment for the baby when he starts walking. I swear this is what my mother-in-law thought was a scientific fact!

Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 07:55:

well desi it It based on fact; however, the science is that as it gets warmer testicles decend and conversely as it gets colder they ascend. I can attest to this as being true after cold water bathing and diving as my testicles rise to just above my eyebrows!!!

T

"cook some rice!"

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 31, 2005, 08:01:

lol so it's a fact then but then again, it's just the reverse. Maybe they ought to place an icecube under the testicles of the baby boy to obtain the desired effect. Maybe it is done to make the testicles to descend instead, but that's not what she said.
Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 08:19:

Desi...exactly so When I make a deep cold water dive my boys disappear and Mr. Happy plays turtle. On the other hand coming out of the sauna, well, I am impressive jejeje.

"cook some rice!"

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lpdiver says on Jul 31, 2005, 09:52:

Don't know when... I will be up for the road trip; but, I'll let you now. On an interesting note as I am at work goofing off my wife is supervising the moving crew relocating me to my new house.

Interesting thing is that this morning the owner of the local convience store (he's Venezuelan) told me that there are 4 other Colombian families living in my subdivision (about 70 houses). Talk about coincidences!!

Tony

"cook some rice!"

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greg says on Jul 31, 2005, 11:11:

After visiting a cemetary you can`t go near a newborn because the coldness from the cemetary will make the baby sick. I was told you have to take a shower before going near a baby

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 31, 2005, 12:37:

Gringo, sorry I don't know which herbs are specific for this herbal bath. I was told by a cousin of my husband about it and decided to skip it like I skipped the rest of the stuff that I considered superstition at that time. I would guess some are the same as used in tizanas (romero, payco, tilo, yerbabuena, albahaca) but that's just guessing.

Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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kernow62 says on Jul 31, 2005, 13:24:

We have a superstition in Florida that it is bad luck to leave your baby in a locked car all day.

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adrimm says on Jul 31, 2005, 13:33:

herb baths The year that the rosamary, ornamental thyme, sage and oregano took in the garden my mother carefully snipped leaves and branches off of them and promptly threw them in her bath water. I asked why? And she said it was healthy.

I might have been inclined to believe her if it had been lavender, etc (for aromatherapy - maybe). But soaking in a tub with cooking herbs is too much like being in a marinade for my tastes.

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adrimm says on Jul 31, 2005, 15:33:

Ahh yes GringodeLouisiana..... .....BUT I'm savoury enough already - don't need to soak in cooking herbs for that ;) I'd definitely rather soak in Lavender, but if I had to take on a particular "flavour", I'd rather be minty or sweet..

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bkelly says on Aug 1, 2005, 00:43:

I have heard about the 40 day thing for bringing the baby out into the night. That was pretty funny for me. Another one I have seen is they put a cucumber slice on the baby's head. I asked my friend why the heck she was doing this and her mom gave me a thirty minute speech on how this protected the baby from sinus infection. Go figure? I was laughing and the mom was really offended.

--bkelly

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quindioman says on Aug 1, 2005, 05:21:

colombian cure for hiccups....get a piece of paper (papel parva will do...BTW papel parva is the paper your pan de $200 comes wrapped in), lick a small piece of paper and stick it to the forehead of the hiccup sufferer

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quindioman says on Aug 1, 2005, 05:24:

el sereno your well intentioned gran will always tell you not to go out in el "sereno"....the hot/cold thing is very common too, as is the aloe behind the door.....also horseshoes.
Kernow, that's a pretty good superstition.....lol

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NelcyJuli says on Aug 1, 2005, 08:46:

Mario A get-together in Austin sounds awesome...I love Austin! I live in Houston.

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Rubiazo says on Aug 1, 2005, 08:55:

The cold night air thing Is a very wide-reaching superstition. I first heard that from an African-American in Harlem. She was really offended that I didn't take her seriously either. I was calling her witch-doctor and shit. There's also this thing about not exposing the baby's 'mole' (his or her area of the head where the skull plates have not yet fused) to the wind, as this can make the baby deathly ill, no matter what the temperature is outside.
I wonder what the origin of all those superstitions are, cuz if a bunch of white and mestizo Colombians from the Andean highlands are believing it, perhaps it actually has European origins and not African ones, like I had originally believed.
Of course, all those superstitions pale in comparison to the biggest and most ridiculous of all practised in Colombia, something called 'Catholicism'.

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NelcyJuli says on Aug 1, 2005, 09:46:

Like by Meyerland Plaza Mario? I live on the East/Northeast side of Houston, work here and go to school at U of H-Clear Lake.

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Aug 1, 2005, 09:50:

agua de cucarachas This is the weirdest home remedy I ever heard of in Colombia. When my babies had a bit of sniffles my neighbor's maid suggested that I'd make an infusion of cockrouches and give it to the babies to cure the gripa. Needless to say, my kids survived without this medicine.

Oh, another cute thing I just remembered. The urine of a newborn baby is supposed to be good for your skin. The girl cousins used to squeeze my babies' diapers and collect the pee to apply on their faces. When the baby starts eating food with salt in it the urine is not usable as beauty aid any longer.

Cheers,
Desi

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Aug 1, 2005, 10:43:

Well, I see advertisments for Premarin (partially derived from horse urine) for menopausal women, but as a beauty aid? Yuck!

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ColombianoX says on Aug 1, 2005, 10:46:

"This is your buddy, ColX ?"

Mario,

When have I said Rubiazo is my buddy? No anti-christian pothead is a buddy of mine!


CX

ColombianoX 'Defensor de la Colombianidad'

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Rubiazo says on Aug 1, 2005, 11:23:

Stay on topic Please avoid personal attacks. If you don't have anything positive to contribute save it for another forum.
By the way, I don't smoke pot anymore. I'm a professional singer and I don't like what it does to my voice. But I'll fight tooth and nail for other people's right to do so. I certainly wouldn't wanna take El Modefoque's pot away from him, would you? Speaking of which, if you want to bring up pot, why not go to another active thread where it is IN THE TOPIC and being discussed??
If we are discussing superstitions, Christianity is most definitely 100% truly ON TOPIC, as it is the world's most widespread and damaging superstition. If you don't agree with that, argue the POINT instead of just expressing your moral (yeah right) indignance. Nobody gives a damn if you are offended.

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rjstuff says on Aug 1, 2005, 11:32:

Christianity superstitious? I thought all religions were that way - I am outraged by your assertion that Christianity has sole posession of being superstitious! When I first read that they eat the flesh of their prophet and drink his blood - I thought it was an unknown, remote African tribe - yikes! As for Colombia - how about black cats and number 13?

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Rubiazo says on Aug 1, 2005, 11:37:

Some religions Are better than others. Christianity is just the least tolerant of all of them. Even Muslim extremists recognize that other religions have a right to exist. There are lots of Christians who don't and who seriously have it in their minds to wipe out all other religions.
As far as superstition, it seems to definitely be a global thing.
In any English speaking place I know, in the entertainment business we ALWAYS say 'break a leg' before an audition or a performance. This is a VERY strong superstition that I have yet to see anybody break. I think we all actually have the impression at some level that if we actually wish somebody good luck, they WILL go up and break a leg or two!!
RJ, if you read up on some early branches of Christianity you will find lots of examples of rites that could easily have come out of deepest darkest Congo, mostly involving newborn males.

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kernow62 says on Aug 1, 2005, 14:25:

Rubiazo I wish you lots of luck in your singing career.

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Rubiazo says on Aug 1, 2005, 20:47:

LOL kernow Thank you very much. I'm going to run with that and immolate myself on stage on day, just for you.

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Colombiche says on Aug 1, 2005, 20:59:

Don't walk under a ladder.... If you walk under a ladder and you are a woman, it means you are going to be a solterona.

Don't let salt fall on you, because you will be "salado". I used to think this was crap, until one day, when I was in my father's car and the salting trucks (you know, salt to melt the snow in the winter) passed really close and the salt landed on the car. That day my mother said "The car is salado. Something is going to happen". Sure enough, the next day we had a serious accident, we got T-Boned by a drunk.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Colombiche says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:01:

Going out in the cold After being in a hot place. I know a girl in Cali, whose face got crooked doing this. Literally, se le torcio la cara.

I was always also told, to never blow air on a pencil sharpener because it dull the blade. I don't know how the hell air can dull a blade.

If more than one person looks at cake batter before putting it in the oven, se va a pasmar. The cake won't grow because it was "ojeada".

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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adrimm says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:03:

Broken mirror must be soaked in water This is a brand-spankin new one I learned today.

My mother (who has arthritis and drops everything), dropped a case containing a largish mirror. The mirror broke (no surprise there). I heard the crash, came running, and then started cleaning it up. As I was moving to pack it into the garbage, my mother came up with a basin of water, brushed me aside, and started putting the pieces of mirror into the water.

When I asked why, she just said *becuase* :?

Mario: I have no idea what tapia is, but mint marmalade sounds too sticky.

Desi: Agua de Cucaracha???? EWWWWWWWWW

Colombiche: how on earth was her face twisted? wWs it in TO? Couldn't it have been something else? People I know (as well as myself) have had plenty of leaps into glacier pools right out of hotsprings, and short of a near-heart attacks, we have all survived with faces intact..

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Colombiche says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:11:

I am very glad I never heard about agua de cucaracha.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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platano says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:12:

Midnight New Year's superstitions... Things to do at midnight:

Carry a suitcase around the block: you will be guaranteed to do a lot of travel during the next year.

Put lentils into your pockets and handbags: you'll have money throughout the year.

Eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. Make a wish as you eat each grape.

Put three potatoes under your bed at midnight. One peeled, one half-peeled, and one unpeeled. In the morning reach under your bed and pull out one of the potatoes. If you get the peeled one you won't have money, the half-peeled some money, and the unpeeled you'll have lots of money.

Plátano, el banano verde
Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás!

plátano

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Colombiche says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:31:

Platano You forgot to mention wearing calsones amarillos on New Year's eve.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Colombiche says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:31:

Platano You forgot to mention wearing calsones amarillos on New Year's eve.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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adrimm says on Aug 1, 2005, 21:47:

New Years Champagne shower I did this once in Colombia. What a mess and what a waste of champagne. We must have sprayed about 3 bottles on everyone.

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platano says on Aug 1, 2005, 22:22:

Yes, I forgot the yellow calzones... I carry the maletas around the block... my wife wears the yellow calzones!

Plátano, el banano verde
Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás!

plátano

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elmodefoque says on Aug 2, 2005, 06:28:

My mother worked as a maid for this woman that had an ugly fat spoiled son, about 6 years old, and my brother and I were 8 and 9. That fat bastard had an eye infection which we gave him. We told that ugly bastard to put a little bit of his own crap right on that red ball and the eye should clear up by next day. Needless to say, that fat modefoque’s eye got worst. Never believe what a maid or her relatives tell you.

I'll get there, when I get there!

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lpdiver says on Aug 3, 2005, 22:41:

At a party... The this weekend my Colombiana/Peru friend after drinking from my beer told me " I know your secrets now."

Tony

"cook some rice!"

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BAQ says on Aug 4, 2005, 00:43:

Here is one About 3 weeks ago, we had a BAD thunderstorm roll through, LOTS of lightning. My wife ran around the house grabbing blankets and towels and placed them over ALL the mirrors. When I asked her what the hell she was doing, she told me the MIRRORS attract the lightning and didn;t want lightning coming into the house. This is evidently something she was taught from a very young age from her mother.

Semper Fidelis !

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