Old Wives Tales

Discover the folklore remedies and traditional wisdom passed down through generations. Our articles examine these time-honoured beliefs and explore what modern evidence says about their effectiveness.

Chocolate Causes Spots

Spots can be a devastating development for a teenager; right when a person is about as vulnerable as they will ever be with the worst self image, is right ab...

Cut Hair Grows Back Faster

“Don’t shave there- the hair will only grow back faster darker, and thicker!” Such is the wives tale about the effects of cutting hair. Does cutting ha...

Do Birds Flying Into A Home Equate To Death?

Birds have long thought to be associated with otherworldly powers - not other planetary but other worldly, as in the spirit world. Their ability to fly far a...

Kissing the Blarney Stone

The King of Munster was a hero- at least to one old woman. The story goes he rescued her from drowning in a raging river and in return the woman cast a spell...

No Coat in the Cold Causes Pneumonia

Playing out in the cold without a coat on seems to rank right up there with stealing and smart mouthing when it comes to affronts against mothers and many a...

Stepping on a Rusty Nail Causes Tetanus

Yet another wives tale that plagued many a mother and child is that surrounding the fear of not getting a tetanus vaccine would lead inevitably to a child ge...

Use a Match to Remove a Tick

Finding a tick lodged in your epidermis happily feeding on your life’s blood can be a scary moment. Just the fact that an insect is drinking your blood is...

Waiting After Eating Before Going Swimming

Summer time at the beach lake or swimming pool is a magical time for children, but come lunch time a certain anxiety starts to set in. All the swimming surel...