Folklore: White Rabbits

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: GUEST,Kitty
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 02:03 PM

In my family on November first you wish people a "Happy rabbits, rabbits" and that will bring you good luck. Has any one else heard of this ritual? Are we missing out on eleven months of good luck!

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: ClaireBear
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 01:51 PM

A California-born friend of mine who grew up with this tradition told me it had to be spoken while airborne, upon springing out of bed. My family tradition is simply to say "Rabbits" before saying anything else. No athletics involved!

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Anne Lister
Date: 01 Nov 10 - 04:15 AM

My family (not Scots or Irish) has always said "White Rabbits" on the first of the month, too. Best when it's first thing said.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: GUEST,katie
Date: 31 Oct 10 - 09:05 PM

We've always said 'White Rabbits' on the first of the month for luck too, a very old family tradition. Scots and Irish families.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: LadyJean
Date: 02 Dec 03 - 12:41 AM

Mother (Born and raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, but her family came from Cincinnati) told me that if you said, "Rabbits rabbits rabbits rabbits hare hare hare hare." first thing on the first day of the month for three months you would have good luck.

My sister learned a trick at summer camp. You tell your audience that you can call rabbits. Then you convince them to put their hands behind their heads, and convince them to shout Rabbits! Here Rabbits! several times. Then you ask your victims, "Does anybody feel a little hair? (hare)" Then, if you know what's good for you you take off like a bat out of hell.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Alice
Date: 02 Dec 03 - 12:27 AM

... a white rabbit? Which way did he go...

Alice

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 04:37 PM

Goodbye Cluin - it was nice knowin' ya.... :-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Joybell
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 04:34 PM

White Rabbits White Rabbits White Rabbits. Ah! safe again! Cluin That's so naughty!

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 04:08 PM

That's "MacBeth", isn't it?    *smirk*

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 04:06 PM

ISTR in a Blackadder the Third episode; there are 2 ham actors, played by Kenneth Connor and Hugh Paddick IIRC, who use a chant involving "white rabbits" to ward of bad luck each time Blackadder mentions the name of "The Scottish Play".

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 03:43 PM

Theoretically, one should leave some empty space for the smoke to depart in a regular place, or surely the magic just becomes confused?

:-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 12:06 PM

Like Foolestroupe, I always heard you were supposed to say "WHITERABBIT! WHITERABBIT! WHITERABBIT!" when the campfire smoke swung around into your face to keep it moving around the circle or at least out of your eyes. Everybody I know did it and I can't recall it ever working.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 08:26 AM

Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits was always our family tradition, but only on the first morning of the month. So Red and White Rabbit's comment was pretty close to our tradition, although it was on the first day not the last and no backup strategy of hares the next morning !


Andrew

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 06:58 AM

My mother told us when we were young, that saying "White Rabbits" as the first words you spoke when you woke on the first day of the month ensred good luck for that month. My mother would often wake us on the first of the month with her finger to her lips, to remind us not to say anything else first - by general consent yawns didn't count.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 05:02 AM

I always was worried about that rabbit foot for good luck stuff - the rabbit had four, and what good did it do the poor thing?

Then not to forget Harvey, the six foot tall invisible white rabbit...

Robin

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Hrothgar
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 04:44 AM

"White rabbits" three times.

The only way to survive.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 01 Dec 03 - 02:30 AM

Well as you might guess I have one or two bits of info about white rabbits

the original thing according to the Oxford dictionary of superstitions was to say to secure good luck of some kind, usually a present, 'Rabbits' three times just before going to sleep on the last day of the month, and then 'Hares' three times on waking the next morning"
In some places you only say it on November 1st - wards off the witches from Halloween in others you only say it when there is an r in the month ( something to do when its a good time for poaching

1953 comes this published bit of folklore:
"On the first day of the month when you wake up in the morning shout 'White Rabbit' and when you go to bed at night shout 'Black Rabbit' and you will have good luck." colour does matter you see!!


"Country people in Kerry don't eat hares; the souls of their grandmothers are supposed to have entered into them
Rabbits and Hares are interchangeable in folk lore they are both good luck and bad. Good luck if you meet one and bad luck if one crosses your path. Rabbits crossing your path are supposed to foretell a fire

there are various theories about the origin of white rabbits and they very from honouring the dead - to saying it as a mantra to ward off evil spirits

personally being a linguist this theory fits best - the hebrews wished each other a great month to come on the first of the month a theory about white rabbits is it is from transliterated Hebrew

Hebrew het-dalet-shin KHoDeSH = month Anciently, can sound like white apparently and

RaBaT = much, abundantly, exceedingly.

hence white rabbits

- none of this is any good if you are a rabbit minus a paw cos someones nicked it for good luck

Last moth our rabbit had three baby white rabbits - cant say it changed our fortunes saying white rabbits three times - anyone want a baby rabbit?

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 10:35 PM

Oops, there are several threads on Little Bunny (Bunnie) Fufu )Foo Foo) in the mudcat - various spellings try search on "foo foo" - I assume that Little Bunnie Fufu was white?
Robin

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 06:14 PM

I have heard the word "Rabbits" used as a preventative magic charm used to keep the smoke out of one's eyes while sitting around a campfire...

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Joybell
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 05:00 PM

We said it in Australia when I was a kid in the 1950s. By the time my kids were in School- 1980s, the "pinch and a punch" had replaced it. Pity! it seems to be just an excuse to hurt people. I always hated that nasty part of childhood.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 04:23 PM

Saying 'White Rabbits' on the first of the month was always one of our families traditions too. Has nothing to do with the pinching and punching though I am sure. The rabbit or hare is often seen as a good luck symbol. Glad to hear that others say it too - Geoff just thinks I'm weird!

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Inükshük
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 09:35 AM

Well, you are getting close. You should actually begin with, "A pinch, a punch, for the first of the month." Then comes, "Rabbits!" to bring you good luck for the month. "White rabbits!" assures you of extra good luck. Only good if these are the first words you speak. Only good for the first person in the household to utter them. Best when accompanied with appropriate actions.

Subject: RE: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: okthen
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 07:47 AM

The first time I came across this was in a childrens fairy tale, and the child in the story wanted a white rabit as a pet, when she said "white rabits" on the first of the month and wished for a white rabit, her wish was granted. This may have been a story written around the lore, I don't know, I would be interested to learn more.

Subject: Folklore: White Rabbits
From: Raggytash
Date: 30 Nov 03 - 06:58 AM

My Mum has just informed me that if you say White Rabbits on the first of December your wish is supposed to come true or good fortune befall you, however she cannot tell me the origin of this superstition.

Anyone any ideas