I’m interested in finding out when and why little traditions and things we take for granted started?

[Britpopbaby]

Like…
Having ice cream at the theatre.

Popping money in a purse before gifting the purse to someone ( I think this might be geographical)

Bringing sweets back from your holiday.

In Scotland, there was a custom even up to the early 1980s of a ‘scramble’ outside the church at a wedding. The best man and - I think - the father of the bride- would empty their pockets of all change and throw the coins in the air for the neighbouring children - who had gathered for this purpose- to catch. Sometimes there were sweets too I think.

A French teacher - a Frenchwoman- at my son’s school told me a decade ago how confused she had been when some older ladies living in her Glasgow street, had put money in her new baby’s pram on meeting them out for the first time after his birth. I remember my mother telling me you always did that with a new baby.

I remember being really proud when I was 15 and bumped into our neighbours with their new baby and I had two 50ps on me so I put one in the pram. Forgot we no longer lived in Scotland by then and I got looked at like I had two heads 😂

Loved a scramble as a child! I explained the concept to my kids not so long ago when wedding traditions came up and the younger ones tried to persuade BIL to throw £2 coins for them at his wedding, but he declined.

@JustAnotherWhinger but people did that when I was a baby

My parents made friends with someone from along the road because of it, this is in England. That was 50 years ago though, which may be relevant here….

Wasn’t a thing our neighbours in the south of England had heard of when I was a teen 40 odd years ago.

I am giving my best friends little girl a bottle or port for her christening, I think the tradition is because back in day it would be worth more when they’re an adult so could always sell it should they need to do it. But my plan is to crack it open with her on her 18th, is she doesn’t like the taste we can always stick a wkd in it and have cheeky vimtos!

I do this if I spill salt, I saw it on an episode of Hey Arnold as a kid and have treated it like gospel ever since!

I was very surprised when I had my first baby & had older people (total strangers) give me a 'pound for the baby'! I'd never heard of this, very nice to experience kindness from strangers.

My ds is 26 and I remember when he was born that older ladies in the village put coins in his pram!

My dad will not give a book without writing a message in it for the recipient

I remember my sil marrying in the 1990s and she was given a horseshoe and a decorated wooden spoon

I still have the boxed ‘lucky horseshoe’ (silver covered card) with flowers added, held by my DM in her wedding photos just before WW2 really kicked off. DF was in his naval uniform but had not yet been sent on active service.

Yes, I think it comes from the Wild West, when there would be a coachman driving the horses, and someone 'riding shotgun' on the stagecoach with him, to ward off Butch Cassidy et al.

Aw that’s lovely you still have that!

@chirrupybird. Break a leg is said in theatres, as with a broken leg you end up in a/the cast. It was good luck for those wanting a part.

It's because the "Scottish Play" was for years a really popular play and a guarantee of being successful at the box office.
So if a company had had a run of bad shows they'd often do the "Scottish Play" to replenish their money. So mentioning that they needed to do the "Scottish Play" meant that they were doing badly, hence mentioning it becoming thought of as bad luck.

And "Break a leg" was thought of to ward off the hobgoblins by wishing the worst thing to have as an actor (because you then couldn't act for ages) as the hobgoblins did the opposite to what you wished as they're contrary little buggers.

We were on holiday in Porto and visited a port vineyard. The owner had set aside a whole vat of port for his daughter when she got older

Traditions aren’t obligatory. They’re just… things people do. That’s literally what a tradition is.

That isn’t true.

I think possibly the ice cream thing in cinemas was because people didn’t have freezers in their own homes, they were so expensive, so it was a treat, something a bit different and as you were treating yourself to the pictures it was a nice experience .
I always loved the little wooden spoon you got with it .

That’s what I understand from my Catholic granny too

Oh well, I'll not put my ha'penneth in then. 🫤

I think it was a Northern thing.