Dandelion
Superstitions (so many that this
flower has been called "the
rustic oracle"):
- The number of seeds remaining after you blow on the gone-to-seed flower's head is the number of children you will have.
- The number of seeds remaining after you blow will be the time of day.
- The number of puffs it takes to blow all the seeds off will be the time of day.
- The number of seeds remaining will be the number of years you have left to live. (This one seems a little creepy.)
- As freeborn says above, if you blow all the seeds off in one puff, your wish will come true.
- If you blow all the seeds off with one puff, you will get new clothes before the end of the year.
- If you blow three times and at least one seed remains, your true love is thinking about you.
- As knifegirl says above, the seeds being blown away can carry a thought message to someone.
- If you hold a blooming dandelion under someone's chin and a yellow reflection shows on their skin (or if you rub it on their neck and yellow sticks to their skin), that person likes butter. (Also said of buttercups.)
- If you tickle a person's chin with a dandelion and they laugh, they like butter.
- If you sniff a dandelion and your nose turns yellow, someone is in love with you.
- If a blooming dandelion stays open all night, it is going to rain the next day.
- Two or three dandelions in a wedding bouquet will bring prosperity to the marriage.
- It's good luck to wear a dandelion chain if you made it yourself, but not if someone gave it to you.
- (This one doesn't seem to go with the rest.) Picking dandelions will cause incontinence.
- It's bad luck to pick dandelions in a cemetery and even worse luck to bring them home afterwards or give them away.
The Rolling Stones tried to do hippie peace and love in 1967. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote this nursery rhyme-like song referring to all the superstitions about blowing dandelion seeds. It was the B-side of "We Love You" and later appeared on the 1969 collection Through The Past Darkly, but the Stones don't seem to have ever performed it in concert once their short foray into psychedelia was over.
Prince or pauper, beggar man or king
Play the game with every blow you bring
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock, five
Dandelions don't care about the time
Though you're older now, it's just the same
You can play this dandelion game
When you're finished with your childlike prayers
Well, you know you should wear it
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor's life
Rich man, poor man, beautiful daughters, wives
Little girls and boys come out and play
Bring your dandelions to blow away
Blow away dandelion
Sources:
http://www.allmusic.com/
http://www.mlink.net/~ian/SODandelion.html
http://www.liquid2k.com/yeahx3/RollingstonesII.html
http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/scary.html
http://www.golfbtb.com/superstitions.htm
http://www.sandiego-books.com/flowers.htm
http://www.egregore.com/herbs/blowball.html
http://www.shee-eire.com/Herbs,Trees&Fungi/Herbs/Dandelion/Factsheet1.htm
http://www.pacificnet.net/~johnr/cgi/aesop1.cgi?hca&a5
http://www.pristine.nu/herbs/dandelion.html
http://co.essortment.com/whatisdandelio_rawm.htm
http://www.fishing-in-wales.com/wildlife/plants/spring/dandeln.htm