I’m re-posting a blog entry today not for its health benefit, but because it is an interesting and funny story. You know the “Tooth Fairy,” but did you ever wonder what the rest of the world’s children do with their lost teeth?
Many children follow the folklore of the “Tooth Fairy” and place a lost tooth under their pillow at night and wake to find a reward. It’s well-known and celebrated in our culture, but elsewhere in the world the folklore and customs can be a little bit different … from a mouse to tossing the tooth onto their roof, the stories are varied!
For example, in Hispanic countries and societies, you’ll find “Ratoncito Pérez” (Perez the Mouse) or, as it’s known in parts of Mexico, “el Ratón de los Dientes” (the Tooth Mouse), according to Wiki.
The customs, too, can vary. Instead of putting a tooth under a pillow for the “Tooth Fairy,” children in South Africa, for example, put it in a slipper. In some Asian countries, children toss their lost teeth on the roof of their home if one comes from their lower jaw (or into a space below the floor for one coming from the upper jaw). All of these facts come via internet sources. In some Middle Eastern countries the custom is to throw a baby tooth into the sky (or sun) in deference to Allah.
So, whereever you go in the world, you’ll petty much find a lost-tooth tradition.
Here are the sources where you can read even more about the traditions:
Perez the Mouse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratoncito_P%C3%A9rez
World traditions: http://mentalfloss.com/article/58503/7-tooth-fairy-traditions-around-world
The Tooth Fairy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_fairy
