Fwd: Re: Query: Spitting in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

[Gerald Cohen]

>From: "Stacy Jones" <slyndjones at hotmail.com>
>To: gcohen at umr.edu
>Subject: Re: Query: Spitting in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
>Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:01:27 -0700
>
>Dr. Cohen,
>   When we watched the film in Dr. Hammack's film class, she told us
>that the spitting was supposed to chase demons away.
>
>Stacy Jones
>
>UMR Student
>
>  >From: Gerald Cohen
>  >Reply-To: American Dialect Society
>  >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>  >Subject: Query: Spitting in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
>  >Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:23:17 -0600
>  >
>  > Today a few of my students asked me about the movie "My Big Fat
>  >Greek Wedding." In one scene everyone pretended to spit on the
>  >bride
>  >as she walked by. Later a grandmother spat (or pretended to spit)
>  >on
>  >her grandson for good luck as he went off to play soccer.
>  >
>  > Would anyone know the origin of this custom?
>  >
>  >Gerald Cohen