• Birth is made easier if all the locks in the house are open and you keep an axe under the bed.
• A child born feet first or breech, will be lamed in an accident.
• A baby that is born feet first will have healing abilities.
• Firstborn children are protected from witchcraft.
• Babies born at midnight can see ghosts.
• A baby born when the moon is rising will be a girl.
• Thursday has one lucky hour, just before sunrise, for birth.
• Babies born on Sunday cannot be harmed by evil spirits.
• Babies born at night will stay awake at night.
• A baby born from a red water sac is believed to have great powers and double sight.
• A baby born with big ears will be generous.
• A baby born with open hands and out-stretched fingers will be prosperous.
• A baby born with a large mouth will be a good singer.
• A baby born with teeth could be a vampire.

First a daughter, then a son,
The World is well begun.
First a son, then a daughter,
Trouble follows after.

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is sour and sad,
Thursday’s child is merry and glad,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child must work for a living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is blithe and bonny, good and gay.

Monday’s child is fair of face
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
Wednesday child is full of woe
Thursday’s child has far to go
Friday’s child is caring and giving
Saturday’s child works hard for a living
But the child that’s born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise and good and gay.

(Some put it, Sunday’s child shall never know want.)

He who is born on New Year’s morn
Will have his own way as sure as you’re born.

He who is born on an Easter morn
Shall never know want, or care, or harm.

A child born on a saint’s day must bear the saint’s name. It is
unlucky to take away the day from it.
Catholic superstition.

It is good luck to:

• Carry a baby upstairs when first taking it out into the world.
• Have a baby born with a caul.
• Spit on a newborn baby.
• Rub a baby’s head with money.
• Kiss a newborn baby.
• Have a baby sneeze.
• Have a baby first clasp something using it’s right hand.
• Brush your baby with a rabbit’s foot.
• Put a string of coral beads around your baby’s neck.
• Give a new baby a gift of bread or salt.

It is bad luck to:

• Carry a baby downstairs when first taking it into the world.
• Weigh a newborn baby.
• Let babies see themselves in a mirror before they are six months old.
• Dress a baby in black.
• Cut a baby’s nails before it is twelve months old.
• Dress a baby by putting clothes over its head instead of its feet.
• Watch a baby as it sleeps.
• Give away all a baby’s clothes when you have finished with them.
• Wean a baby in early spring.
• Carry a child on the left side.
• Step over a crawling infant.
• Let a cat in the room of a newborn baby.
• Wash a baby’s hands before it is twelve months old.

To hold a newborn baby while menstruating would cause the baby strain.