by SteveRoud (Author)
Pregnancy and childbirth remains a mystical and magical time, characterised by feelings of hope, uncertainty and worry. No matter how many scientific innovations come along, there's still room for home-grown beliefs and traditions handed down through the family. Couples buying a pram may still ask for it to be delivered after the birth, and some grandparents will shrink from tickling the baby's feet in case it grows up to have a stammer. Monday's Child is Fair of Face gathers together these beliefs and customs, explaining how and why they arose, in which parts of the country they have been particularly popular, and to what extent they survive today. Arranged thematically, it's the perfect book to dip into, and its mixture of familiar, unfamiliar and frankly bizarre beliefs makes for compelling reading.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 07 Feb 2008
ISBN 10: 190521152X
ISBN 13: 9781905211524
Book Overview: A fascinating guide to the superstitions and traditional customs surrounding babies, from the old belief that you should not wash babies' hands to the view still widely held today that the day on which a baby is born determines its personality and fortune in life