This is what my Mum taught me to say every first of the month and I have been doing it for over 50 years!!!

Rabbit rabbit rabbit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Rabbit rabbit rabbit" is one variant of a superstition found in Britain and North America that states that a person should say or repeat the word "rabbit" or "rabbits", or "white rabbits", or some combination of these elements, out loud upon waking on the first day of the month, because doing so will ensure good luck for the duration of that month.

Origins and history[edit]

The exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it was recorded in Notes and Queries as being said by children in 1909:

"My two daughters are in the habit of saying 'Rabbits!' on the first day of each month. The word must be spoken aloud, and be the first word said in the month. It brings luck for that month. Other children, I find, use the same formula."^[1]

In response to this note another contributor said that his daughter believed that the outcome would be a present, and that the word must be spoken up the chimney to be most effective; another pointed out that the word rabbit was often used in expletives, and suggested that the superstition may be a survival of the ancient belief in swearing as a means of avoiding evil.^[2] People continue to express curiosity about the origins of this superstition^[3] and draw upon it for inspiration in making calendars^[4] suggestive of the Labors of the Months, thus linking the rabbit rabbit superstition to seasonal fertility.

It appeared in a work of fiction in 1922:

"Why," the man in the brown hat laughed at him, "I thought everybody knew 'Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit.' If you say 'Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit'—three times, just like that—first thing in the morning on the first of the month, even before you say your prayers, you'll get a present before the end of the month."^[5]

Chapter 1 of the Trixie Belden story The Mystery of the Emeralds (1962) is titled “Rabbit! Rabbit!” and discusses the tradition:

Trixie Belden awoke slowly, with the sound of a summer rain beating against her window. She half-opened her eyes, stretched her arms above her head, and then, catching sight of a large sign tied to the foot of her bed, yelled out, “Rabbit! Rabbit!” She bounced out of bed and ran out of her room and down the hall. “I’ve finally done it!” she cried [...] “Well, ever since I was Bobby’s age I’ve been trying to remember to say ‘Rabbit! Rabbit!’ and make a wish just before going to sleep on the last night of the month. If you say it again in the morning, before you’ve said another word, your wish comes true.” Trixie laughed."^[6]

In the United States the tradition appears especially well-known in northern New England^[7]^[8]^[9] although, like all folklore, determining its exact area of distribution is difficult. The superstition may be related to the broader belief in the rabbit or hare being a "lucky" animal, as exhibited in the practice of carrying a rabbit's foot for luck.^[10]

During the mid-1990s, U.S. children's cable channel Nickelodeon helped popularize the superstition in the United States as part of its "Nick Days," where during commercial breaks it would show an ad about the significance of the current date, whether it be an actual holiday, a largely uncelebrated unofficial holiday, or a made-up day if nothing else is going on that specific day. (The latter would be identified as a "Nickelodeon holiday.") Nickelodeon would promote the last day of each month as "Rabbit Rabbit Day" and to remind kids to say it the next day, unless the last day of that specific month was an actual holiday, such as Halloween or New Year's Eve.^[11] This practice stopped by the late 1990s.

Rabbits have not always been thought of as lucky, however. In the 19th century, for example, fishermen would not say the word while at sea,^[12]^[13] in South Devon to see a white rabbit in one's village when a person was very ill was regarded as a sure sign that the person was about to die,^[14] whilst on the Isle of Portland in Dorset to say 'rabbit' meant bad luck would befall the person.^{[citation needed]}

Smoke Wind Direction[edit]

There is another folk tradition which may use a variation "Rabbit", "Bunny", "I hate/love Grey Rabbits" or "White Rabbit" to ward off smoke that the wind is directing into your face when gathered around a campfire.^[15] It is thought that this tradition may be related to the tradition of invoking the rabbit on the first of the month. Others conjecture that it may originate with a North American First Nation story about smoke resembling rabbit fur.^[16] This tradition may be more of a social tradition in a group setting than a genuine belief that certain words will change the wind direction, and may be more of a childhood tradition than an adult one. Children have sometimes adapted from Rabbit to "Pink Elephant" or other comical derivatives.^[17] Because of this more mutable usage, historical record of this is even more scarce than other more static meanings.

Once in a while a person comes into your life and a bond of friendship is struck and the friendship grows into something truly beautiful!!!

I am blessed to have a few of these friendships in my life.

One of them is Heather who along with her husband Kirby and the three boys took me into their hearts and their gorgeous home. Over the years we have become family and although I am on the road many months of the year we remain close and tight.

Thank you Heather for all you have done for me and it is with great joy I wish you a very happy Birthday…Love you…

I wrote the above on last year’s blog for this date and nothing has changed!!!!

So this morning off to the courts two wonderful hours of solid games and fun and sunshine...came home and had some lunch before going off to see Joe at the gym for my 30 minute intensive workout I do feel I am getting stronger......

Did some chores around town before returning home and Bonnie arrived for my Spanish lesson..this was different today we went walking in the neighborhood I needed to find a laundry that could wash and dry my sheets as they are too heavy for the machine downstairs from the casita....I had wrote out what I needed to ask and the ladies understood me and they can wash and dry the sheets and get them back to me the same day....Then we went to a cycle repair shop I have a really slow leak in Little Blackie's rear tire and again in Spanish I asked the man if on Monday I could bring the bike in and I can..we just walked around and I was trying to converse in Spanish..it was a really good idea and I enjoyed and hopefully learned!!
Next it was time to get cleaned up and to go downtown to a small fish restaurant where I had been invited to attend the Birthday party of two of my students from 2 years ago!!!

What a lovely evening it was I took roses for the Birthday girls and we just sat and ate and talked about what we had done for the last two years so great to see them again they are special people!!
I must learn to smile and not show all my teeth..that is Ronnie she taught the same students after they left my grade...

These are the two Birthday girls!!!

They were all so happy to see me it made me feel very humble and very special.....what a night!!

If you can believe this 10 years ago tonight I worked my last shift at the Granary restaurant in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island..I worked there for 14 years and enjoyed everyday BUT retirement was calling me!!!!
So I left the restaurant got into Ramona and drove to the ferry terminal and caught the ferry to Vancouver and started on my first drive south..this was the start of my Journey of a life time and so thrilled that 10 years later I am still going strong!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!