[Ads-l] off topic: nose buttering

[Barretts Mail]

According to http://mentalfloss.com/article/52335/7-birthday-traditions-around-world <http://mentalfloss.com/article/52335/7-birthday-traditions-around-world> and http://www.atlanticcoastentertainment.com/birthday_traditions.htm <http://www.atlanticcoastentertainment.com/birthday_traditions.htm>, greasing the nose of a person having a birthday is a tradition on the Atlantic side of Canada.

http://thewheelanddistaff.blogspot.com/2011/08/getting-your-nose-buttered.html <http://thewheelanddistaff.blogspot.com/2011/08/getting-your-nose-buttered.html> says that Floyd, Patrick and Carrolls counties of Virginia have this tradition, and there are comments saying it happens in Kentucky, Rhode Island and West Virginia, among other locations. There are more locations at http://www.ichblog.ca/2012/09/butter-on-your-nose-slippery-birthday.html <http://www.ichblog.ca/2012/09/butter-on-your-nose-slippery-birthday.html>. Here’s a book (https://tinyurl.com/y6qn9fwa <https://tinyurl.com/y6qn9fwa>) saying it exists in St. Louis, Missouri. Very scattered.

As per https://www.plaidforwomen.com/read-post/butter-your-nose-its-tradition/ <https://www.plaidforwomen.com/read-post/butter-your-nose-its-tradition/>, it is said to be for good luck as the grease causes bad luck to slide off your nose. 

I have ancestors who lived more than 100 years in the Atlantic states of Canada and they didn’t pass that tradition down, but my more recent ancestors from the Virginias did (they also spanked the birthday person and threw them under the bed). We still practice nose-buttering to this day.

I can’t find any evidence on Google to tie this to an Old Country. Does anyone have any idea where this custom might come form?

Benjamin Barrett (he/him/his)
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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