Hello again
Offline I've been a member for awhile now but I hadn't visited the forums for quite sometime. Boy, I really missed it! Anywho, hi again, good to be back!
I had a baby girl two months ago. My grandma sent me an azabache charm to ward off Mal de ojo (evil eye). This is believed to protect the baby from excessive admiration or envious looks by others.
Just in case you don't know what it looks like:
That's the bracelet, but you can get the charm and pin it to the baby's clothes. My grandmother always asks me if Cat (baby's nick name) is wearing the charm. I always tell her yes. If I say no she'll ask why and then I have to explain and she doesn't get it. I've told her three times already that I'm a non-believer but she seems to forget. It's rather funny, when she sent it to me she told me to take it to a church to get it blessed. She reasoned that she couldn't get it blessed in Puerto Rico (where she lives) because it would pass over water and then the blessing would be void. WTF? lol And she told me to pin the charm inside the clothes, this way whoever wishes the baby harm won't know that the baby is wearing the charm. If they don't know and wish the baby harm Chuck Norris will roundhouse kick the person. Jesus has friends like that.
Another thing about babies and PR is that I remember my grandma telling me that after complementing a baby I must always say "good bless him/her". This too was to ward off the evil eye. I guess saying my baby is beautiful is a bad thing :/
Thought I would share this little story. It's funny because it's true! BTW, my mother kept the charm. She pinned it to a photo album I bought for her.
Cheers!
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Hi Alex,
I can certainly identify with your story. Many is the time that I have been "advised" on the implications of charms, mantras, and proverbs to "ensure my life is untroubled." Naturally, when I dare to remark that I find such concepts inane and totally without logical merit I am shouted down...a difficult response to process when it is your own family doing the shouting!
Congrats!
At least your grandmother cares, even if her methods are odd. lol.
I've never been able to keep a smirk off my face when people talk about charms...
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
HI alex14 ~ where have you been!
Okay so this made me laugh out loud (my dogs were sleeping and both looked up at me as if I were nuts)
"And she told me to pin the charm inside the clothes, this way whoever wishes the baby harm won't know that the baby is wearing the charm. If they don't know and wish the baby harm Chuck Norris will roundhouse kick the person. Jesus has friends like that."
just fantastic!!
You should take several pictures of the baby wearing the charm to send to grandma. When does the baby become a non-baby in this tradition? 1 y/o? You may not have to keep the lie going too long for grandmas sake if the charm only works until a year or so.
I hope your baby girl brings you minutes, hours, days, months and years of joy
Slowly building a blog at ~
http://obsidianwords.wordpress.com/
I agree. My mother is very understanding. I think my grandma just ignores everything I've told her. I've asked my mother what was the point of a baby charm. If something were to happen To Cat it's going to happen with or without the charm. She didn't rspond, she just had this look on her face like "oh, yeah...that made sense" Kinda like when the Grinch realized the true meaning of Xmas. lol Sorry for the reference but I saw the animated special last night.
Thanks!
Her methods are hilarious! She's a sweet heart, though.
Thank you. Glad I made you laugh. :
I'm not sure, I think it's just until their first birthday. The picture suggestion is a good one but she'll just tell me to put it inside the clothes. :/ The only problem is that we are planning on going to PR in the summer, so Cat will have to wear the charm. I know my grandmother will be looking out for it. lol
Thanks! Catalina does bring me so much joy. I never thought I would love anybody as much as I love her. Awww, who says atheists don't love? lol