to say "white rabbit" on the first of the month

[5Foot5]

I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. I suppose it must be a superstition / good luck tradition that I was taught in early childhood by my Mum or my sisters. But I know that the other children at my school did this too so I have always assumed it is a widely used bit of ritual like crossing fingers or touching wood.

This morning at breakfast DD said "Is it the first today? White Rabbit" and I said "Oh yes, I nearly forgot. White Rabbit." Whereupon DH (to whom I have been married for more than 20 years) suddenly exclaimed "But why? Why do you do this? I have never known anyone else who did this!"

I was somewhat taken aback since I didn't think it was at all unusual. Silly maybe, but not unknown.

So, Mnetters - how many of you said "White Rabbit" this morning? Please reassure me that this is not just a custom peculiar to the village where I was brought up!

Ooh! I had forgotten about White Rabbits. Definitely not just you! It has been pushed out by the horrid 'pinch punch first of the month' thing in my house.

I shall try to reinstate it for August!

Well I didn't today, but only because it was your post that reminded me it was the 1st I normally do "pinch, punch first of the month, white rabbit and no returns" to dh, who's French, and does this but doesn't actually query it. I think he just thinks it's an odd foreign tradition and it makes him laugh. My Dad always did it to us when we were little, and we're from London, so definitely not just your village

i always said the same as fingon. older elatives i knew just said 'white rabbit'

White rabbit here too - and we even have one running about the garden too!!

white rabbit- eh??!! what? what??!! is this some weird british thing, like putting a handkerchief on head in sunshine??!

You should say it three times too.

Never heard of it. Used to say "a pinch and a punch for the first day of the month" when I was at school with appropriate actions. I grew out of that when I was 10 though.

I thought I was the only person alive doing this - yay!!!

I say white rabbits (plural) and it has to be 3 times like SDD said. It just DOESN'T work otherwise

yay me too!
and "good morning mr magpie wheres your wife?" when i see a magpie oh and a salute

I do it too - got it from my mum.

Yay!! I wll have to direct DH to this thread!

I never heard of saying it three times but I remember when I was at school that if you said it mid-morning because you had forgotten there would always be people to taunt you with "Neh! Doesn't count unless it is the first thing you said when you got up!"

Carrots - I say "Morning Sir" in my head whenever I see a Magpie too!

I forgot to say white rabbits three times this morning, don't you have to do it before you speak? I'm doomed this month aren't I?

I salute at magpies, pretending I'm messing with my hair so I don't look completely bonkers

Not only must it be said three times, but it must be the first words you utter, or you have missed your chance for luck and must wait until next month.

It's not a family thing for me but we were told about it in assembly at school and it has always stuck with me. Must be said as your first words of the day and it's for good luck for the month ahead. You say 'black rabbits' as the last thing you say before sleep on the last day of the month and that gets rid of any bad luck. . . . I forgot both but I do often remember.
I don't like pinch punch.... I don't think pinching should be encouraged

*AgentZigzag" I salute at magpies, pretending I'm messing with my hair so I don't look completely bonkers "

I don't. I chase the nasty, vicious b***s out of the garden. A few weeks ago we had one murder a thrush on the patio right in front of us. Yuck!

I say white rabbits too...no idea where it comes from though.

I went out with a bloke who would go 'rabbit, rabbit, rabbit'. so three times but not colour specific.

I'm more of a 'pinch and a punch for the first of the month' sort of girl. To which DH replies 'slap and a kick for being so quick'...gently of course

But I do do the saluting the magpie thing for single magpies which is to cancel out the sorrow, don't salute more than that as I want the joy/girl/boy etc...:

one for sorrow
two for joy
three for a girl
four for a boy
five for silver
six for gold
seven for a secret never to be told.

I usually say
"thats another month over,soon be Christmas"

Does anyone know where the superstition originates?

The magpie thing
goes further
I think its
8 for Heaven
9 for Hell
and I think it goes further than that but cannot remember

I say white rabbit but it has to be before midday and get upset if I or the kids don't.

My husband and I do pinch/punch every month and then tot up at new years eve who the winner was, I am as yet undefeated this year wish me luck when he comes home today as have yet to see him

I am well aware my dh and I are sad individuals without a proper life thankyou

Just looked up the magpie rhyme on Wikipedia here

Apparently there are a number of different versions. My favourite ends

Eight you Live
Nine you Die
Ten you eat a bogey pie!

Wikipedia also has thoughts on the OP's question here

"?Rabbit rabbit white rabbit? is a common British superstition. The most common modern version states that a person should say ?rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit?, "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" or simply "white rabbits" upon waking on the first day of each new month, and on doing so will receive good luck for the duration of that month."

Very interesting.

but why do you say White Rabbit(s)? What's it for? And what would happen if you don't?

I say it - well, when I remember - but it has to be the first thing I say on the first day of the month, or it doesn't count (i.e. won't bring luck).

I'm a kiwi and was taught it by an American when I was little, so it's not just a British thing.