Monday, January 5, 2015

Snow Rituals

Woo hoo – the snow has already started to fall here!!  We are expected to have 4-8 inches fall between now and tomorrow morning.  I know that today was the first day back to work and school after the holidays, but I would not be disappointed if there was a snow day tomorrow. 
Growing up, whenever we heard it there was a chance of snow, we’d sleep with our pajamas on inside out.  Why?  To increase the chance of a snow day, of course!  Later on when I was teaching, it was expanded to sleeping with your pajamas on inside out AND putting a spoon under your pillow.  Hey, if it works, it works.
Today I discovered that not everyone performed this ritual growing up when there was a chance of snow.  What?  How did you do your part to ensure that school would be called off?  Could this ritual possibly be considered … weird?
So I turned to Google for the answer.  I am happy to report that I am not weird.  There are many, many snow rituals out there but I’ll just list the top 5:
1)    Wear your pajamas inside out.  If it is iffy as to whether you’ll get any measurable snow at all, wear them inside out AND backwards.
2)    Stick a spoon under your pillow.  Google informed me this ritual dates back to the Pilgrims.
3)    Flush a single ice cube down the toilet (you’ll need the rest of the ice cubes later)
4)    Stick something white inside your freezer (white crayon, cotton ball, Q-tip)
5)    Stick ice cubes on your front porch.

I have many more thoughts on the subject in my head, but I need to run.  I need to make sure the ice cube maker has made enough ice!!  And I know there has to be a white crayon around here somewhere …