Hardscrabble conditions partnered with the mountain’s seclusion and isolation meant that pickings were sometimes rather slim when it came to finding a mate. The men would leave their fields to meet together and dig a hole for the grave and the local carpenter would build a coffin based on the deceased loved one’s body measurements.Due to the rocky terrain, sometimes dynamite was used to clear enough rock for the body to be buried. Christmas in Central Appalachia, whether celebrated on December 25 or January 6, was a joyous occasion. It was believed that by covering the mirror, a returning spirit could not use the looking glass as a portal and would cross over into their new life.
It was regarded as wrong to look at another man's wife in the eyes, and if a married woman would look at another man in the eyes, it was considered flirting.It was customary to find most wives pregnant, they having a baby a year. Capper’s Weekly first published the double ring quilt pattern in 1928.One possible explanation that has been given for its creation is that a solider was wounded in the Civil War and thereby his wedding was delayed until he could return home.

In settled communities, church played a major role in young folks’ courtship. Modern funeral homes have made the task of burial more convenient but the downside is there is less personal involvement. They were lined with cloth usually made from cotton, linen or silk and the outside of the coffin was covered in black material. 1999). As was mentioned earlier, the woman's job was to provide for the man. The traditional burial practices of South Appalachia showed a deep sense of respect and dignity for the dead and for each other. The love spoon showed the girl (and, perhaps more importantly, her father) that the young man was skilled in woodworking and that he could provide for his bride and family.

If a person died in the winter, the ground would be too frozen to dig a grave. [F]rom the peaks of the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, to the river valleys of the French Broad and Catawba, North Carolina has a long history that is steeped in rich Appalachian traditions.

When a young girl became of age, or when she was old enough to bear children, her father sought out a young male to be her spouse. “After awhile, I saw a young man riding a mule over the top of a mountain, bearing aloft a flag. However, by this point it is too late. There's no joke to it.

The church bell would toll until the casket was brought into the church. These marriage customs alone may be the single thread that still binds Melungeons to their ancient Rom culture. Personalized, hands-on care was of utmost importance as the family came together to care for the person who died, and the community came together to care for the family.Each death was an intimate community event — a bell would toll announcing the death, chiming once for every year of the person’s life.

A grand salute to the ladies of the world. The body would be loaded into a wagon, and mourners would walk behind the wagon dressed in black. Man, it was a sight in the world what was going on! The length of this stay would generally be a term long enough for the groom to save enough money to build a house.If a young, unmarried girl were to become pregnant, the father would make the father of the child marry his daughter, sometimes at gunpoint. A sweet kiss and embrace to your greeting.But maybe you will say it looks ridiculous to see a man getting grayhaired to be writing love letters, so I will use the remnant of my paper otherwise...”.©2020 SM Living, LLC. Like many people, I like to walk around old graveyards reading headstones and wondering about the folks who lie beneath them as I go.

I had never read anything about white culture in such an unflattering light thru the 1970s.

Such pins were used in sewing and were relatively costly.

If the loved one died with their eyes open, weights or coins were placed over the eyes to close them.Silver coins or 50 cent pieces were used instead of pennies because the copper would turn the skin green.
The person would then be “.Silver coins would be put on the eyes to keep them closed, and towels soaked in soda water, camphor, or aspirin and water would be placed over the face in an attempt to keep the skin from becoming discolored.Later, the person would be placed in a wooden coffin for the “Sitting Up” (the Appalachian wake). Weddings were celebrated with “in-fares” where people gathered to party, dance, and eat potluck food. The social dimension has changed completely since caskets are commercially produced and graves are seldom dug by hand. Love and marriage in Appalachia.

During this time, the man was undoubtedly the head of the household, with the wife doing exactly as she was told to do.Appalachian people were mostly bonded together within their own families. Depending on the family, the “laying out” board might be a door taken off the hinges, a table, ironing board or piece of lumber. The board would then be covered with a sheet and a rope was used to tie the body down to keep it straight and to prevent it from suddenly jerking upright.Scottish traditions used the process of saining which is a practice of blessing and protecting the body.


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