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A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the notion that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods.
Wishes written on red ribbons and tied to a tree in Beihai, Guangxi, China. Several cultures engage in customs that entail wish-granting, such as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, praying, seeing a shooting star at night, [1] tossing a coin into a wishing well or fountain, breaking the wishbone of a cooked turkey, blowing a dandelion, or writing wishes on a ribbon or a sky lantern.
The local tradition is that a wish will be granted for each of the coins so treated. [4] On Isle Maree in Loch Maree, Gairloch, in the Highlands is an oak wish tree made famous by a visit in 1877 by Queen Victoria mentioned in her published diaries. The tree, and others surrounding it, are festooned with hammered-in coins.
Beyond the familiar traditions like Santa Claus, a fir tree, caroling and gift-giving, a number of countries—including the U.S.—bring their own unique twists, both old and new, to the holiday.
A wishing well on the gift table of a wedding reception. A wedding wishing well is a fancy donation box that gained popularity among bridal couples of certain countries (with one survey done in 2004 on Australia allegedly stating that up to 60% of weddings had them), [1] who have often lived together before marrying, or who have been previously married, and do not need any of the traditional ...
The tradition has various pagan and Christian origins: Nordic spring traditions to dispel bad spirits and wish a good harvest season, as well as the Christian ritual of the palms. [1] In Finland, the Orthodox tradition involves children giving blessings with branches that have been distributed at church celebrations; the variant with witch ...
We're here to make deciding what to write in a Christmas card a lot easier this year. The post 75 Best Merry Christmas Wishes to Write Around the Holidays appeared first on Reader's Digest.
Another common use is for sports teams or athletes, wishing them victories. Cranes are also a symbol of peace, and are thus often seen at war memorials along with its original meaning for wishing good health. Several temples, including some in Tokyo and Hiroshima, have eternal flames for world peace. At these temples, school groups or ...