Good Friday

Der Karfreidaag kehrt mer all die Schtuwwe aus un verbrennt seller Dreck, no hot mer Glick. Sweeping all the rooms on Good Friday and burning the sweepings brings good luck.

Uff der Karfreidaag darf mer nit mischde, schunscht macht mer de Hexe die Die ruff. Stables must not be cleaned on Good Friday lest the witches enter.

Uff Karfreidaag soll mer ken Fleesch esse ausgenumme Fisch, schunscht hot mer ken Glick mit seim Vieh. Your cattle will not thrive if you eat any meat other than fish on Good Friday.

Uff der Karfreidaag darf mer net naehe. No sewing must be done on Good Friday.

Der Karfreidaag darf mer net kehre, odder mer grickt sell Yaahr viel Micke ins Haus. If you sweep on Good Friday you will have many flies all summer.

Karfreidaags esse die Amische ken Breckfescht. The Amish do without breakfast on Good Friday.

Mit Karfreidaagsoier kammer gut brauche. Eggs laid on Good Friday are used in powwowing.

Deel Leit hewe Karfreidaagsoier uff vun eem Yaahr zum annere. Sie sin gut fer brauche mit. Some persons keep eggs laid on Good Friday from one year to the next; they are used in powwowing.

Kargreidaagsoier faule net. Eggs laid on Good Friday will not decay.

Aus Oier we uff der Karfreidaag gelegt sin, gebt’s scheckiche Hinkel. Chickens hatched from eggs laid on Good Friday will be speckled.

Uff der Karfreidaag darf mer net backe odder’s Gaardesach waert mildaaich. Baking on Good Friday will cause garden stuff to mildew.

Der Karfreidaag soll mer Grautsume saehe. Sow cabbage seed on Good Friday.

Uff der Karfreidaag soll mer Blummesume saehe un Blumme blanze, no bliehe sie gut. Sow flower seed and plant flowering plants on Good Friday so that the plants may bear many flowers.

Zwische Karfreidaag un Oschdre darf mer net im Gaarde schaffe, selli Zeit hot Yesus in der Erd gelege. No gardening should be done between Good Friday and Easter, for during that time Jesus lay buried.

Blummeschteck as mer uff der Karfreidaag blanzt, griege scheckiche Blumme. Flowering plants planted on Good Friday will bear variegated flowers.

Der Karfreidaag schiddelt mer die Baem as net draage wolle. Trees that will not bear should be shaken on Good Friday.

Wann’s uff Karfreidaag reggert, gebt’s hocher Wind un net viel Hoi. If it rains on Good Friday, you may look for high winds and little hay.

Wann’s uff Karfreidaag reggert, drickle die Regge graad uff un bade nix. If it rains on Good Friday, rains all summer long will do no good.

Wann’s uff der Karfreidaag reggert, reggert’s siwwe Sunndaag. Seven rainy Sundays follow rain on Good Friday.

Es reggert uff der Karfreidaag un wann’s yuscht drei Droppe sin. There will be rain on Good Friday, even if only three drops.

Wasser fun Karfreidaagsschnee is gut fer wehe Aage. Water from snow which fell on Good Friday cures sore eyes.

Wann’d der die Zeheneggel uff der Karfreidaag schneitscht, waxe sie dir ins Lewe. If you cut your toenails on Good Friday they will become ingrown.

Oschdersunndaags soll mer Karfreidaagsoier esse, no grickt mer ken Bruch. To prevent hernia you should, on Easter Sunday, eat eggs laid on Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday

Uff der Griedunnerschdaag muss mer eppes Grienes esse, schunscht grickt mer der Gretz im sellem Yaahr. Unless you eat something green on Maundy Thursday, you will get the itch.

Mer grickt ken Leis odder Fiewer wammer eppes Grienes esst uff der Griedunnerschdaag.

You will not get lice or a fever if you eat something green on Maundy Thursday.

Wammer die Oier setzt as uff der Griedunnerschdaag gelegt sin, gebts lauder scheckiche Hinkel.

Chickens hatched from eggs laid on Maundy Thursday will be speckled.

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

Mer draagt’s Ungeziffer un Leis all fatt, wammer uff der Eschemittwoch es Haus auskehrt un seller Dreck no me annere Mann uff sei Land draagt. You will rid your house of vermin and lice if you sweep your house on Ash Wednesday and throw the sweepings on someone else’s property.

Uff der Faasenacht Daag soll mer gaar nix schafe. No work whatever should be done on Fastnacht Day.

Die Esch, as es uff die Faasnacht gebt, soll mer der Eschmemittwoch uff Vieh un Hinkel schtraehe, sie Leis zu verdreiwe odder abzuhalde. Shrove Tuesday ashes spread on cattle and poultry on Ash Wednesday will keep them clean of lice.

Uff die Faasenacht kehrt mer die Scheier aus. Sweep the barn on Shrove Tuesday.

Uff die Faasenacht darf mer net naehe odder mer naeht de Hinkel die Aerschlecher zu, as sie net lege kenne. If you sew on Shrove Tuesday you will sew up the hens’ cloacae and prevent them from laying eggs.

Ascension Day

Reggewasser vum Himmelfardaag is gut fer wehe Aage. Water from Ascension Day rain will cure sore eyes.

Uff Himmelfardaag darf mer net faahre odder mer hot en Unglick. If you take a drive on Ascension Day, you will have an accident.

Uff der Himmelfardaag darf mer net naehe odder’s Gewidder schlackt em in die Scheier. Lightning will strike your barn if you sew on Ascension Day. Uff der Himmelfardaag darf mer net im Grund schaffe. Never till the soil on Ascension Day.

Uff der Himmelfardaag darf mer nix duh except fische geh. The only thing you may do on Ascension Day is go fishing.

Uff der Himmelfardaag soll mer siwwe Sadde Tee drinke, no grickt mer sell Yaahr ken aerbliche Granket. By drinking seven kinds of tea on Ascension Day you will escape contagious diseases for the rest of the year.

Wann’s uff der Himmelfardaag reggert, bade sell Yaahr die Regge nix. If it rains on Ascension day, rains will do no good for the rest of the summer.

From “Beliefs and Superstitions of the Pennsylvania Germans” by Edwin Miller Fogel, Ph.D. (1995).

Uff Himmelferdaag geb’s gern Gwiddre. On Ascension Day, thunderstorms are apt to come up.

Wann mer Ende-Oier setzt uff Himmelferdaag, geb’s scheckiche Ende. If one sets duck eggs on Ascension Day, variegated ducks will result.

Mer sett nix Neies draage uff Himmelferdaag. One should wear nothing new on Ascension Day.

Mer sett net heiere uff Himmelferdaag. One should not marry on Ascension Day.

Uff Himmelferdaag sett mer net nehe, schunscht deed mer die Hinkel die Hinnerdeeler zunehe. One should not sew on Ascension Day, otherwise one would sew shut the hind ends of the chickens and they will lay no eggs.

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From “The Thomas R. Brendle Collection of Pennsylvania German Folklore.” Translated by Mary Bittner Henry.