When someone loses a tooth, a Jamaican custom is to throw it on the rooftop and say, "Rat-a-tat! Rat-a-tat! Tek mi ole teet' an' gimme a new one." The belief is that this prevents the rat from coming for the rest of one's teeth and ensures that one would receive a new tooth.
Happy Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day) to Dominicans and St. Lucians everywhere! 🇩🇲 🇱🇨
Since 1984, Jounen Kwéyòl has been celebrated on the last Friday of October in Dominica, and the last Sunday of October in St. Lucia. Moreover, October is Creole Heritage Month in St. Lucia.
The Calabash, which is St. Lucia's National Tree, is significant in Caribbean culture and folklore. The gourd is not only used as a musical instrument and a traditional bowl for eating, but is also a sacred tool for healing, rituals, and spiritual protection.
For the start of both Caribbean Folklore Month and Black Speculative Fiction Month, I highly recommend the anthology Whispers from the Cotton Tree Root, edited by the inimitable Nalo Hopkinson, for lovers of fantasy, Caribbean stories, and folklore. Go on and treat your shelf!
In the past, it was traditional to set egg white in a glass cup on Holy Thursday evening. On Good Friday morning, predictions would be made based on the pattern or shape of the egg white. For example, a ship meant travel.
Another Jamaican Easter tradition that I first heard from my mother when I was a child was about the Physic Nut tree (Jatropha curcas). It tends to “bleed” around noon on Good Friday. This red sap has been associated with Jesus’ blood when he was crucified.